She likes me. Right now, she likes me.
The very beautiful and talented Ingrid at Baseball, Baking and Books has given me my first-ever little blogging award. Isn’t it pretty?
She was just sharing the love all around, and in this post she also names some other lovely bloggers that you should check out.
If I was not a total dork (look, I learned from President Obama, I did not say “in the blog Special Olympics!”), I would put the pretty graphic in my sidebar. But I don’t actually know how to make that happen. I just joined Twitter a week ago, people. And I told my mom and dad all about my blog. I am an AMATEUR.
(Aside on the mom thing, I love her so much and she and my dad are the awesomest. But I may have actually *died* when she called this week after reading a post and asked why my dogs would call each other douche. Lesson learned there. Also, I may have suggested urbandictionary.com for her BEFORE reading the douche entry. And now I may be disowned. Another lesson learned there.)
Anyway.
Ingrid is so sweet, and she along with a number of other food bloggers have really welcomed me to this whole blogosphere thing.
Starting, of course, with my long-time friends Elle from Elle’s New England Kitchen and Nikki from CanaryGirl, who linked to my blog and tweeted and everything when I only had like 3 posts up.
These women are the sisters I would have chosen if God had asked my opinion. I like to think He purposely didn’t give me any sisters so I would find the women I needed in my life to make me a better friend, mother, wife, daughter and yes, help me better understand the gift of His Grace.
Have you ever seen those amazing mosaic pictures made from a thousand other pictures? When I take a magnifying glass to my picture of who God is, I can see Nikki and Elle. They, along with some other amazing women, came into my life at a time I was deeply struggling with my sense of my value and worth.
I know the verse that we are all God’s treasure in jars of clay. But I met these women at a time that jar was shattered, and I didn’t really believe there was much treasure left. And they, even when they knew about all the cracks and the sharp edges and everything else, found treasure.
Showed me. Reminded me. Saved me.
And even though they don’t all blog, Jane and Bethany and Claire and Molli and Juanita and Deb and Denise and Shaye and Jen and Ginny and Shannon and Kerrie and Lizzie and Amanda and Sherri and Hae and Vicki are in that picture. All women I met on this crazy thing called the Internet.
And she doesn’t know me aside from a few comments and tweets, but I want Yvonne from Joy Unexpected to know I find her in that picture of God, too. I came to a post about the queen of aerobic dancing, and stayed because of her willingness to flay her own soul open and show the struggles inside.
I see this laughing, beautiful, insightful woman, and when she is heartbroken, I pray that she would see herself as precious as God sees her. And sometimes, Yvonne, in those prayers, I realize He wants that for me, too. So I thank you for that.
I feel the same about Jennifer Mattern at Breed ‘Em and Weep. She has the kind of insight that is only gained through excruciating heartache. I wish her warring heart peace, but I am grateful that in the midst of its battles, she opens it up and creates such achingly beautiful words.
The whole idea of these blog awards is to pass them on, so I offer this list, not exhaustive, of some women and one cool guy I have “met” since I started writing a couple months ago. Already, in some way, they are in my mosaic.
Neil Kramer at Citizen of the Month
Kelly Pea at Sass and Veracity
Jenn C. at Unmarried Wife
Dawn at Vanilla Sugar
Cathy at Where’s My Damn Answer
Mrs.Messiness at This Blessed Mess but WordPress is giving her site fits today so be patient.
RJ Flamingo at Flamingo Musings
and Casey at Butter My Kitchen
Note: I know there are people I should have put in here and I’m just an airhead who’s running out of room. And also, I went on a big sentimental grateful crying jag while writing this and my eyes are too puffy now to see your link. So I’m sorry and I’ll write another post about you and what a doofus I am.
Love,
lettergirl
I love you with all of my heart, do you know that? My life wouldn’t have been the same these last six years (!) if I hadn’t met you. YOU have made me a better person. You’ve made me laugh my butt off, comforted me when I had to cry, and been there when all I needed was an “I’m here if you need me.”
I thank God for you, and all of the girls, every single day.
And as I wipe the tears out of my eyes, I realize one thing…
I’d have given anything to hear that phone call with your mom.
{{Sniffle Sniffle}} Your amazing – Thank you so much!!! All the girls of WMDA appreciate you!!
Awwww … You ROCK!
That’s a pretty award too … VERY cool!!
Funny – I was just thinking about Sally Fields when she did that this morning because everyone in our Think Tank meeting last night seemed to genuinely like what we’re doing and I heard dear Sally in my head saying, “they like us … they really like us”. What a great feeling when people you respect dig you too.
Keep up the great work!!
Awww… I love you Dawn. One of my best friends I’ve only met once. xoxo!!!
Speaking of… I better get my Thursday night phone call!
hey chicklet thanks a bunch!
I think you rock too!
thanks, a lot! keep on writing!
Aw, lettergirl, you sooo did the award justice! That was beautiful. I love visiting your blog. I always leave with my cheeks aching from trying to muffle my laughter and just smile and often I have a new view on things that I hadn’t before visiting. (case in point Obama). I know it’s trite but you really do rock!
~ingrid
I’m getting all misty-eyed ovah heah reading this. Seriously. Not only is it loverly to be appreciated, but this is making me remember all my non-food bloggy friends. Lots of them have moved on from blogland to better things I guess and I miss them! Okay, enough of the tear fest. One question. You didn’t show your mom urban dictionary. You didn’t. Oh. My. Goodness.
I still can’t figure Twitter out so you are WAY ahead of me
I *heart* you-I laugh (or think-it hurts) everytime I get your update.
The dog thing was hilarious. I laughed through the whole thing. It is a good thing my Mom doesn’t have a computer-she would so not like my blog, especially when I razz her.
Thanks for the shout-out and all the warm fuzzies. It’s nice to, you know, ‘meet’ you!
Awwwww, that’s so sweet. How could anyone not like you?
Congradulations! that is wonderful. I know I enjoy your blog imensly. so in summary; we lkike you, we really like you
Yay!
Your words are so sweet I can’t even think of anything witty and wonderful to write back.. thank you thank you thank you!
I love you. I really, really, love you. (hug) We’ve never actually met in person yet, but when we do, I know it’s going to be just like we’ve know each other our whole lives. Thank you for who you are, my beautiful friend.
OMG! Has it really been almost two whole weeks since I’ve been here?!? Between health issues (see blog) and screwed-up computer (see blog), I’ve been a completely distracted *mess*, lately.
Thank you so much for including me! Yours is one of my top 4 blogs – I truly love your style, and so grok! I will be proud to post your award on my site tonight… really, I’m misty, too, after reading this post… must… find…. tissue…..