Dude!

The excellent Laura -- whose witty and whimsical blog is an absolute favourite of mine, and who is just as cool in real life -- gave me a blogging award. I'm honoured! What's more, I get to keep the fun moving along. It works like this:

1. graciously accept your award.
2. complete the death-defying stunt of telling your readers seven random things about yourself.
3. pass on the love to three more bloggers.

I'm random (times seven):

1. my head is a weird shape. I try not to think about that too much.
2. when I was four, my parents gave me a bear with a big head and a zipper in his back for storing pyjamas in. I named him Pippi, and he has been hugged to within an inch of his life, thrown up on, put through several washing machine cycles, and pegged to the clothesline. When I was ten or eleven, my uncle gave me a Pippi clone, only this bear's body was pink instead of green. I called him Bippi, and I have both of those bears to this day. Bippi is pristine, clean, and his fur is shiny. Pippi is slightly threadbare, washed-out and nubby -- and of course I love him the most.
   
3. although I love conversation and spending time with special people (plus I tend to be talkative), I'm actually a closet introvert. I don't like big parties and I need time on my own to recharge. I feel most happy and creative when there's an even balance of family-and-friends-time and in-my-own-company-time.
4. following on from that, I guess it makes sense that the written word feels more natural to me than the spoken word. Again, I like talking! But speech for me is so much clumsier than writing. I nearly always fail to say things exactly as I mean them, and I'm good at making a hash of what I'm trying to say. Writing makes so much more sense and I'm more me when I write.
5. I like the tv series' Nickelodeon makes -- but not the cartoons.
6. I'm not an animal person, but it would be very cool to have a miniature turtle.
7. no matter how often people change the rules, I will always use the Oxford comma.

Versatile bloggers (times three):
I want to give this award back to Laura as well, but that makes no sense, really.

1. Staish of Anastasia Does is not only one of my favourite people, but she's also a wondrous blogger. Honestly, if this girl published a newspaper, I would be at the newstands waiting for it to arrive. I only wish she published blog posts five times a day. At her blog you'll find ruminations on marriage, church, creativity, and Jesus -- as well as really excellent pictures and impeccable style.
2. Jessica of Greengate Photo constantly blows me away with her wondrous photography skills. I especially love the pictures she shares of her family and of the wildlife she spots in her local area. Jess also has a deadpan sense of humour and good taste in sarcasm.
3. Katie's blog, Katiefoolery, is on hiatus until October, but I'm going to go ahead and direct you there anyway because Katie is an accomplished writer and a thoughtful blogger. She shares about her writing life, her travels with her cool group of girlfriends, and her photography. Look out for mysterious and atmospheric pictures of abandoned houses.

That was fun.

* * * * *

Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- those were my sentiments exactly! Although today actually felt like real spring instead of sneaky summer. I'm glad. Summer can hold off forever, please thank you.

Un -- you're welcome :)

Katie -- just seeing that little bee bouncing around there took me right back to childhood and summer holidays :).