Loving Spoonful

Yogi at Yogi's Den awarded me the Happiness Blog Award, (Thank you, Yogi!  Your blog makes me happy, too!) and before I get distracted (which happens a lot) I'm going to be a good, conscientious blogger lady and pass it on.
First, I'll play by the rules and name 10 things I love:
1. Steve, my husband of 35 years.  He's a wonderful companion, father, grandfather, and partner in crime - I mean, adventure - on the trail and in life.
2. Our 3 children, all of whom are constantly surprising us with how smart and good-looking they are.
3. Our 4 grandchildren.  Smart, good-looking, highly gifted (no bias here, I swear) and lots of fun.
4. Extended family: son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, moms, dads.  We're blessed.
5. Friends and neighbors.  In the last year, bloggers have become friends, too, and I welcome and very much enjoy that addition to my life.
6. Our critters: Daisy, Mischief, Boss, and animals in general.
7. Horsebackriding, anywhere, anytime.
8. Cross country skiing or hiking, depending on the season.
9. The great outdoors: mountains, deserts, forests, etc.  I love it all.
10. Reading, writing, and photography.

Okay, I don't think anyone was shocked or even mildly surprised by the above list.
Now, to pass along the award...
I love visiting all the blogs on my blog roll, but I'll specifically name ten, in no particular order:
Creative Chaos Cynthia, a fellow Utahn, is a naturally funny lady.  I love her humor and her honesty.
The White House There's always something interesting happening at Gayle's house, what with all the kids and pets and Alaska weather.
The Road Goes Ever On  Kaye is a fellow Utahn, takes great photos, and loves writing, reading, and word games. 
Ishtar News  Esther shares life in Niger, including horsebackriding, ridgeback raising, and her work to make life better for the people of Niger. 
Memorable Meanders  Jo lives in South Africa but is currently in Khartoum.  Visiting her blog is an international experience.
Joyful Reflections  Betsy takes beautiful bird and waterfall photos, and shares her interesting travels.
Senior Hiker Photos  George shares flower photos, lovely waterfalls, and sometimes a bit of history from his travels.
Geogypsy Gaelyn leads an exciting life as a summer park ranger and summer traveler, and she shares her great photos and numerous adventures with her readers. 
Many Rivers to Cross Mountain Mama is another Utahn. Beautiful photography, deep thoughts.  What's not to like?
Small Reflections Visit here for lovely mosaics and other interesting presentations of photos on a variety of subjects, a visual feast.

To the recipients: Feel free to post the logo and pass on the award.  Or not.  I attach no expectations or demands.

Better Late Than Never

Many months ago, Maryann at A Joyful Chaos was kind enough to bestow the One Lovely Blog Award upon me.  Thank you, Maryann!

Belatedly, I'd like to pass it to the following blogs:
Carolyn from Living on the Edge.  Carolyn shares magnificent photos, history, and traditions from Haida Gwaii, Canada. 
Sylvia, from Sylvia from Over the Hill.  Sylvia present stunning photography from the Seattle area and other places she has traveled, as well as offering many humorous posts.
Carol from Photophase.  Carol shares magnificent photos from her home in Ohio.  Her fall foliage captures have been magnificent.

Gaelyn from Geogypsy awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award, also several months ago.  Thank you, Gaelyn!
While I'm in the groove, I'll pass that one along as well. 
First, I'm supposed to name 7 interesting things about myself.  Hmm.  Interesting is the key, and I'm not sure I've got that many, but I'll try:
1. Since we were youngsters, Steve and I both loved horses.  One of our first dates was going riding.  Many years later, as retired old farts, we have circled back to that early interest.
2.  I grew up as an Air Force brat, living all over the country from Ohio to Louisiana.
3.  Steve and I met in New Orleans at Charity Hospital, where we both worked at the time.
4. We lived for almost 20 years in Louisiana and Texas before migrating west, to Utah. 
5. Steve retired in June.  We haven't had a dull moment since!
6. Our 3 grown children are our pride and joy.  Even though they're spread all over the country, we are fortunate enough to see them fairly often and keep in close touch.
7. We're eagerly awaiting the arrival of our 4th grandchild in December. 

Now, I bestow the Kreativ Blogger award upon:
 Day by Day, My Life as a Busy Bee.  Busy Bee Suz can make even a mundane event hilarious.  She has a real gift for humor.  Stop by.  I promise you'll laugh.
 Yogi's Den.  Yogi, too, can make any story funny.  He also takes some great photos of his geocaching, marathoning, and family adventures.
 Mami's Photo Diary.  Mami lives in Osaka, Japan and generously gives her readers insight into the Japanese culture and way of life. 

Back in July, Bonnie Bonsai from Australia: Quadrat in Focus honored me with the Bella Sinclair Award.  Thanks so much, Bonnie!
I hereby pass this award on to:
Sweetbay, who shares absolutely amazing photos of insects and blooms near her home in North Carolina.
A Hazy Moon. Delwyn gives us magnificent photos, accompanied by inspiring poems and quotes, from her home in New Zealand.

Easy for Me to Say.  Kathleen offers thoughtful and thought-provoking insights into her search for life's meaning.

Feel free to accept these awards, post the logo, and pass them on, but only if you want to.  If you don't have time or would rather not, that's fine, too.   I attach no expectations or demands. 
Each and every one of the blogs I read is praiseworthy. I have several more awards yet to bestow, so I may well get to everyone eventually.  But I've run out of steam for today and probably bored my audience.  I'm off to dig up some photos for Camera Critters.

Pay it Forward

I have been honored to receive several awards in the past few weeks, and I’d like to acknowledge them and pass on the fun and glory.

Thanks, Mountain Mama, for presenting me with the Butterfly Award. At the time I was nominated, I hadn’t visited many blogs and didn’t know to whom I should pass this honor, but time on the photo memes has introduced me to so many great blogs that now my difficulty is in choosing just a few!
I’d like to give the Butterfly Award to these favorites:
*Country Corner for wonderful photos taken with great imagination
*Darling Darleen was the first blog I visited regularly. I enjoy the style, creativity, and the photos of my grandkids!
*Joyful Reflections because Betsy’s warmth and friendliness comes through so strongly in her posts and comments. She also gives us beautiful bird, flower, and waterfall photos.
*Mountain Rules for sharing the Colorado mountains so vividly. I loved that recent porcupine post!
*Occasionally J for sharing her adventures in Asia. I’m learning a lot about the culture, and loving every minute. Thank you, J, for presenting me with the Lemonade Award. This is for blogs that demonstrate great attitude and/or gratitude. To me, the name evokes tart, sassy and fun!
Therefore, I pass the Lemonade to these blogs:
*Many rivers to Cross because I love your photos, quotes, and friendship.
*The Tess and Tim Archives for your great sassy style.
*Coyote Road for being provocative, thoughtful, and making me think.
*Geogypsy for showing us all the wonderful places where she’s lived and worked. When we’re finished exploring Utah, I’m getting my “to visit” list from this blog.
*Information is Everything for a wonderful sense of humor. Check out his “My Spirit in Bedse” post. Very cool.
Rules for these awards:
Rules? I’m not so good at rules, and I suspect some of you aren’t either. However, here are a few suggestions:
1. Place the logo on your blog or post.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. If you feel like it, nominate a few of your favorite blogs for this award
4. Add links to those blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs
6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool, fun, or irresistible I was also a top contender for David Mcmahon’s Post of the Day award with my recent post, Girl Gone Wild. Thank you, David. You’re such a master blogger and great photographer, I’m honored to be recognized in one of your posts.