I’m honored! I’m happy! I don’t know what to say, except “Thank you, Sherri, from the bottom of my heart for this ‘Blog Of The Year 2013 Award’.”

It means a lot, not only to be acknowledged in the blogging community, but to be nominated for an award of the year takes it to an entirely new level.

My only wish is to share what’s on my heart with the hope others will read, identify and connect in some way.  This award warms my heart with a feeling that maybe I’ve been able to do that in some way this year. 

My nominator, Sherri Matthews at “A View From My Summerhouse”, and I first connected last summer and began to learn about each other through writing and stories. What first drew me to her site was the title, “A View From My Summerhouse”. I wanted to know more about her summer house.

It’s been fun to learn about that and discover how much we have in common with the same hopes and dreams, familiar disappointments and similar triumphs. Since then, our friendship has grown as close as across-the-ocean, internet sisters can be and I love it.

This is my first nomination for this award and I hope I’m doing it justice in following the rules correctly. So, without further ado and with Sherri’s help, I’ll pass along the same instructions she has listed:

Instructions for the ‘Blog Of The Year 2013 Award

1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog Of The Year 2013 Award’.
2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3. Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4. Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog Of The Year 2013 Award’ via this link: http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2-/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5. You can now also join the ‘Blog Of The Year Award’ Facebook Page. Click the link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *****************Share your blog posts with an even wider audience******************
6. And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with this award – and then proudly display the award on your blog –
   and start collecting stars!

You can start collecting all 6 stars for the year, starting with the 1st star.

Then, every time you’re given the award by another blogger, you can add another badge with the added star. It’s different from other awards where they can only be added once to your site.

All the information on the award, banners and badges can be found by the originators of the award, Alyson and Dave Sheldrake on their site, The Thought Template.

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Now, it’s my turn to play Santa and give some truly remarkable bloggers the honor of this ‘Blog of the Year 2013 Award’. This is the hardest part, as I have so many favorite, fellow bloggers from which to choose that I have come to know and follow.

Some, I’ve just met and others I’ve known a little longer. Nevertheless, when I see a new post from them, I look forward to reading it and taking another adventure or learning something new:

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!

1. The One Thing I Know for Sure – Diane Reed

2. Finding Our Way Now ― Susan Cooper

3. Welcome to Ghost Talk Blog – Beverley Young

4. Living Simply Free – Lois Field

5. Pearce on Earth ― Brandon Pearce

6. A Selection of Recollections – Diana Jackson

7. Italy: From St. Peter to Caravaggio – Susan Nelson

8. Searching for the Happiness – Wendy McCance (couldn’t pass you over even tho’ you just received it)

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Thank you again for this award and all those awards that have come my way this year!

Congratulations to my nominees, as I find it really hard to pick from the many I follow, some that don’t accept awards. I don’t mean to miss anyone. My readers and fellow bloggers have become dear friends and their feedback and support mean a lot.

I hope you get a chance to check out these sites, if you haven’t already, with the other awards I’ve nominated. They are constantly bringing up new topics and writing interesting material. It’s a journey worth taking.

Pat from the ol’ kitchen table

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