I actually thought I’d have a lovely Sunday Salon post musing about the role of comments in the blog world, but it really didn’t work out that way today. So… just the award part. Perhaps I’ll get around to my thoughts on comments later.

The lovely Melissa at One Librarian’s Book reviews gave me a lovely award — The Dragon’s Loyalty Award — for the loyal fan/commenter, whether the recipient is a fellow blogger or just a someone who follows and comments regularly.

First off, thanks, Melissa!

Here are the rules:

* If you have a blog, post it on your blog with a link back to the site who gave it to you.

* Leave them a comment on their site, email, etc. to let them know.

* If you don’t have a blog but have a website, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or other type account, post there with a link back.

* Pass this on to 3-10 loyal fans.

Hmm… who to pass it on to? (Always hard.)

Amanda at The Zen Leaf
Corinne at The Book Nest
Kailana at The Written World

I could pass it along to more people — I do manage to get a few comments on most posts — but those three are pretty much comment on pretty much every post. Thank you, ladies, for taking time out of your days and passing on the comment love. You are awesome!

Bella at Bella is reading gave me this lovely award:

The Rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Honestly, the first person I thought of was Jen at Jen Robinson’s Book Page. She does so much to promote and inspire people of all ages to read.

As for the rest (notwithstanding my dreaded dislike of tagging…), the people that keep me reading — because when they recommend books, I know I’ll love them — are:

Corinne at The Book Nest
Tricia at Library Queue
Becky at Becky’s Book Reviews
Abby at Abby (the) Librarian
Em at Em’s Bookshelf
Bookworm for Life
Charlotte at Charlotte’s Library
Kailana at The Written World

There’s more, of course, but alas, I can only pick nine. 🙂

Becky, whom I love, gave me the absolutely coolest award. Ever.

The instructions (can I tell you how the “Tao of the zombie chicken” cracked me up? I completely lost it):

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence is all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all …

Of course: the real task here is avoiding the wrath of the zombie chickens, and picking five worthy bloggers (because there are so many of you, of course).

Natasha at Maw Books — reviews, author interviews, thoughtful posts, recipes, blogger interviews, lists, questions answered, vlogging… and it’s all interesting, thoughtful, well-written. And she’s popular. What doesn’t this woman do?

Douglas and Main — the local guy who loves to poke fun at me (and manages to keep tabs on all the Wichita bloggers… which is a pretty impressive feat, in and of itself)

Emily at emilyreads — because anyone who reviews in haikus is dang awesome.

Corinne at The Book Nest — for calling me a book guru. And having awesome reviews. And just being plain awesome.

Abby (the) Librarian — so she doesn’t totally hate me for forgetting her on my Geeky linky list back in January. And because I love her reviews, too.

Whew. Zombie Chicken Wrath avoided. That was a close one.

There are two things I really like about receiving Blog Awards:

1) Discovering blogs out there of people who read me and I had no idea they existed (sorry, but it’s true; I don’t have time for everyone). In this case, Rebecca at Just One More Page who gave me the Butterfly Award.

5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

I’ll get to the awardees part in a minute.

2) Is the compliments paid when administering the awards. I’m cool! I’m the “antithesis of ethnocentrism” as declared by softdrink, in giving out the Kreativ Blogger award.

Here are the rules for this one:

• Mention the blog that gave it to you.
• Comment on her blog to let her know you have posted the award.
• Share 6 values that are important to you.
• Share 6 things you do not support.
• Share the love with six other wonderful blogging friends.

Things I do NOT like about Blog Awards:
1) Jumping through the hoops. But it’s not a strong dislike, so here I go.

Values that are important to me:

• humor
• good story telling (not sure if it’s a value, but it is important to me)
• honesty
• cooperation
• curiosity
• forgiveness

Things I do not support (they didn’t say it had to be values…):

• war
• kids screaming at each other
• taking offense
• demeaning women
• extremism
• SUVs

2) Coming up with lists of bloggers who haven’t received them. There are so many that I always feel like I’m leaving someone out. And even when I try to highlight new blogs, I feel like I’m shortchanging my bloggy friends I’ve known for a longer time. See that list over there on the right? I think they’re all cool, they’re all creative, they’re all worth reading. Which is why I link to them. So… if you’re on that roll (you can check, if you like), and you haven’t gotten either one of these awards, consider yourself having recieved it.

Yes, I know that’s a cop-out.

Ah, well. But now I’ve pacified the blog awards gods, and can go back to my reading.

Can you believe it?? Thank Heather for the break in our programming, she’s the one who passed the award on to me. (Thank you, Heather!!)

7 things I did before
1. played the french horn
2. swam
3. watched TV
4. went to the ballet
5. listened to tapes
6. aspired to be a journalist
7. drank soda

7 things I do now
1. play the piano (though not as much as I want)
2. run (but mostly after my kids)
3. read
4. long to go out
5. listen to MP3s
6. aspire to get paid for writing reviews
7. drink water

7 things I want to do
1. get paid
2. travel overseas
3. lose 30 pounds
4. get rid of the debt
5. find an extra 5 hours in the day
6. decorate a wedding cake
7. learn French

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex
1. fine eyes
2. dark hair (an accent’s a bonus)
3. humor
4. patience
5. intelligence
6. empathy
7. gentleness

7 Favorite Foods
1. orange scones at Panera
2. hot chocolate
3. anything with chocolate, caramel and nuts
4. Spinach-Artichoke dip
5. homemade wheat bread fresh from the oven
6. chili
7. angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whip cream

7 Things I Say Most Often
1. Mmmm… Uh huh. What?
2. Do your chores, please!
3. K, did you do that?
4. I need you to… (multiple ways to finish that one)
5. How was your day?
6. Do you have any homework?
7. I love you, too.

7 More Kreativ Bloggers:
This is the hardest part for me… I hate picking and choosing among my list. I’ve been participating in Mother Reader’s comment challenge, and have discovered some (more) wonderful blogs. A sampling of my new additions:
1. Hip Writer Mama
2. Everead
3. Charlotte’s Library
4. Teacher Ninja
5. Confessions of a Bibliovore
6. Semicolon
7. Writing and Ruminating

Trish at Library Queue (and Nooky friend extraordinaire), gave me this award. Sigh. I appreciate getting the award — who doesn’t want to know they’re loved — but the problem then becomes the passing on of it. See, I only read and comment (only occasionally, I know) on blogs that I love. Really. Especially recently, when I decided that I really needed to pare back my blogging time, mostly because A and K are demanding more of my attention, and I’ve been feeling guilty that my online world is seeming, to them, to be more important than they are. What I really wish I could do was put up my bloglines and say if you’re on it, I love your blog, and thanks so much for making my world a better place. (And giving me tons and tons of awesome book recommendations and other sanity-saving moments.) (Also it seems I can’t do one of these awards without much guilt and explanations, mostly so no one who reads this will feel too bad that they aren’t in the link list below.)

All that said, here are the rules:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog 2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you 3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs 4) Add links to those blogs on your blog 5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

And my bloglove goes to (trying not to double up):
bookshelves of doom
fizzy thoughts
Em’s Bookshelf
Bookwyrm Chrysalis
Bluestalking Reader
Shelf Elf
Tripping Toward Lucidity

I have been reading. I really have. In fact, I finished two books and sent off reviews for The Edge of the Forest. I’m soooo excited. I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to write for it. So, when I just happened to have two ARCs that wouldn’t work for Estella’s Revenge (too young), I got up the courage and emailed Kelly. I’m all giggly with anticipation, now. Something about seeing what you’ve written some place new gets me all excited.

I just started Northanger Abby yesterday, and (surprise!) am enjoying it. Maybe starting with my least favorite Austen is a good idea.

Until I finish, that, though…

Nyssaneala and Andi have both said I make their day (yay!). I know I’m supposed to pass this along, but I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m not sure I want to. There are 97 feeds on my bloglines, and I love reading every single one of them for so many different reasons. I love the photographs, the recipes, the book reviews (though my TBR list is out of control). I love the mom-bloggers, too; they give me strength and ideas to make it through each day. I love reading the Mormon blogs; there are some interesting thoughts and insights about my religion out there. And I can’t forget my family (blame my husband; it’s his fault I blog!) and friends — both old and new, even the ones I haven’t met in-person yet. If you have come by, read my blog, whether or not you’ve commented (but especially if you have), you’ve made my day. (I live for comments, which is ironic, since I tend to be more of a lurker than a commenter.) I probably read your blog now because you came by here. I know I’m not the chattiest blogger — I’ve got a shtick and I stick to it pretty well — but I love blogging. I love the electronic community out there, I love the ideas I get from you all. And my days would be much less sunny without you.

(I also tend to apologize for getting sappy. I’ll try not to this time. Have a great day!)

Booklogged sent me a bit of blogging love today. I enjoyed meeting her last summer as I was popping through Utah… I like putting faces to names, and getting to know people outside of the blogging world. I’d love a chance to meet everyone whose blogs I read; it’s not possible, but I can dream, can’t I?

I don’t know where this originated, but I liked this quote that Booklogged used:

“So, the point (and I do have one) to this post is motivated by my desire to hand some of that love and kindness back around to those who have been so very, very, very good to me in this bloggy world. My hope is that those who receive this award will pass it on to those who have been very, very, very good to them as well. It’s a big kiss, of the chaste platonic kind, from me to you with the underlying ‘thanks’ message implied. I really do appreciate your support and your friendship and yes, your comments. … Mwah!”

So… spreading the love around a bit more:

Amira — she was my first reader and commenter, and even though she doesn’t say much around here, I know she’s still reading, which I really appreciate.

Becky — for giving me support, encouragement, and expanding my TBR list by a ton of books.

Corrine — she’s an awesome woman and, among other things, helps run the on-line bookgroup I belong to, which I totally love. (XOs to all of my Nook friends, too…)

Andi and Heather — for Estella’s Revenge, and giving me an opportunity to write for them.

Erin — for being a super-cool girl. She’s awesome. I hope my kids turn out to be as neat as her.

And for the rest of my readers: THANKS for your comments, your recommendations, and your ideas. You’re awesome!