A couple of bloggers I have enjoyed getting to know were kind enough to nominate me for blog awards.  Jane, with her annual travels to India, kindly bestowed upon me the Super Sweet Blogging Award, and I am grateful to Sara (a.k.a. The Errant Tuscan!)  for nominating me for the Beautiful Blogger Award.  Jane and Sara are two of the reasons that blogging has been such an interesting, and addicting, new hobby.  They both introduce me to parts of the world I hope to travel to some day, or help me return to places I have enjoyed exploring in the past; they reflect a diversity of subjects and thoughts; and they contribute blogs to this big blogosphere of ours that help make it the interesting place that it is.

While I do not routinely and strictly play by the award rules, I agree with many of you that the fun of these awards are the opportunity to share with others the diversity of the blog world, and introduce you to other bloggers with whom you may not have crossed paths yet, or to remind you of those you already enjoy.  So, I did want to take the chance to say thank you, and pay it forward — I am supposed to list the rules, share a variety of facts about me, and list 15 or so blogs as my nominations, but I am going to refer you to Jane and Sara’s links above for the rule details, and want to cut to the chase and share with you some of my more recent blog finds (and thank you to those of you who occasionally share your finds with readers like me!):

• My Meandering Trail  ~ Jordana is doing something many people only dream about — preparing for a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail next year!
• Hearing with the Eye ~ Sumithra writes in a style reflecting wisdom beyond her years, with some interesting travels for added interest!
• 40 is the New 13 ~ parents will particularly enjoy the humor in this blog, but Jennifer adeptly addresses a diverse variety of topics!
• 2F4F ~ Lady B. does not dress up her weight loss journey in euphemisms and niceties — she openly and honestly shares the difficult journey!
• The Crafty Cook Nook ~ I was immediately drawn in to Gwynne’s stories with their clever and always compatible recipe pairing!
• Run Monkey, Run! ~ Hay has a great no-nonsense style and inspiring story, as well — running her way from self-described morbid obesity to fitness over a year and now blogging about her New Zealand running adventures!

Perhaps you will find one that resonates with you!  And there are so many more.  But, for now, I need to set aside my blog mantra — “you can always clean tomorrow” —  as tomorrow has come and gone too many times in recent days!

Ciao! ~ Kat B.