the versatile blogger...

Accepting an award graciously requires some thought and preparation. There are three ingredients that every acceptance should include: Gratitude, recognition, and sincerity. Accepting the Versatile Blogger award is certainly no exception. Many thanks to Abigail at The Washington Post for considering A Day in the Life of a Teacher worthy of the Versatile Blogger Award. I am truly honored! One might say that I'm addicted to blogging. I love reading the blogs I follow and rarely ever let a day pass by without checking them for updates. The writers of the blogs I follow allow me and others to catch a glimpse into their lives through their writing. The pictures they post are windows into their world. They allow me to peek inside their lives no matter how far away they live and I feel connected to them. Their blogs make me smile from the inside out. I have loved Abigail's blog from the first day it came online. I love the name, her writing style, topics, and her pictures. Abigail, thank you for taking the time to create The Washington Post.

7 things About Me:

1. I love people. I love watching people. I love everything about people--adults and children. Because of this, I am able to connect with people very quickly. I am able to connect so quickly that I actually have to be aware that some people may be uncomfortable when someone connects with them too quickly. I try to remember that everyone does not connect as easily as I do. In fact, I am very cautious about how fast I connect, so much so that I sometimes hold back when I first meet someone, if I notice that they may be feeling a little uneasy. Sometimes connecting with people easily is a strength. Sometimes it's a weakness. My family teases me that I wear a sign around my neck that says "Weirdos come talk to me!"....honestly, I'm like a magnet, weirdos are attracted to me!


2. My mother insisted in making sure that I was "well rounded". I took tap, ballet, point, jazz, acrobatics, piano, organ, and guitar throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I even took organ all through college. My mother believed that I needed to develop self-confidence and that the way to do this was by taking classes. She was right. I developed self-confidence. Some of you may not even know that when I was young, I was quite shy and totally lacked self-confidence.


3. My father traveled a lot when I was growing up and he often brought home gifts from his travels. Once he gave me a mirrored carousel record player. The carousel set on top of the records in the middle of the turn table. The records had illustrations on them that reflected in the carousel. As the records turned, the pictures reflected in the mirrored carousel giving the appearance that they were really moving. He gave me the softest kid leather gloves, perfume in velvet boxes, and art sets. My mother and father are very generous people. My goal is to be as generous to my daughter as they have been to me.


4. My father taught me how to paint. When I was in middle school, we sat side by side and learned how to paint with oils together. He showed me how to mix the paints, how to sketch, and how to look at something and draw what I saw. He taught me about perspective, not just perspective in drawing, but in life. The first picture we painted together was a bowl of raw eggs. I truly believe that everyone has the ability to draw.


5. I love to look at toes. I think it is connected to my love of people. Everyone's toes are unique. There are no two alike. Just like snowflakes. I have always wondered if there was a connection to people's personalities based on their toes. Just like people say that over time people begin to look like their dogs.....I wonder, if a person's toes are short and rounded, does that mean they have a bubbly personality?


6. I love kudzu. When I ride down the road, I constantly search for kudzu covered trees and objects. It's like trying to make animal shapes or images out of the clouds in the sky. That's what I do with kudzu. There are two children's books that I've been wanting to write. One would be about toes....and the other about kudzu.


7. When I sew, I often sew things upside down, inside out, and backwards when I first begin. Then, I take it apart, figure out where I made my mistakes, and start all over again. No matter how hard it is, no matter how much I have messed up, I can't rest until I've fixed it, the right way. I'm OK with making mistakes because I learn from them. I'm not OK with giving up or throwing it away.

In closing, I'd like to pass the Versatile Blogger Award onto some of my favorite blogs:

1. My sister, Jaimie, who blogs about raising her two sons, Bird and Billy
2. Trevor, a colleague and special art teacher, who has a gallery of his paintings and mixed media work in Brush Philosophy
3. Chris and April, who blog about their Life in the Sham
4. Friend and colleague, Mendy, who takes me Into the Woods
5. A friend who is Positively Beth
6. Jennifer who inspired me Living By the Sea and while Running Through the Grass
7. Carrie, who opened the door of blogging to me through The Slow-Dripped Life

When one accepts the Versatile Blogger award, there are a few requirements.

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award

Thank you, Abigail, for this honor. Writing this post was personally gratifying. I think that might be why I enjoy blogging so much--the personal gratification is a wonderful feeling.