I’d like to thank the members of the Academy and the big man upstairs…

That’s not a religious reference. I’m talking about The Complete Package. He’s working from home and he’s upstairs as I type this. Thanks for your support, honey. Couldn’t have done it without you. If you’re scratching your head and wondering what the H-E-doublehockeysticks I’m talking about, it’s this:

That’s right…it’s a “passed along by a fellow blogger who in turn chose me to spotlight” award from my hilarious friend Amy over at Fix it or Deal. I have a confession to make. This is not my first. I’m not bragging, I promise. I got one of these a few weeks ago from one of my BBFFs (best blogging friends forever) Kirsten, way up north at Comfortably Domestic. I didn’t mention it back then because I totally thought it was a typo. I felt like she probably meant to mention someone else, but her fingers slipped and she accidentally typed “inside nanabread’s head.” But now that I’ve been gifted with a second one, I feel like maybe it wasn’t an error. Maybe someone actually IS reading my blog! Maybe, like Stuart Smalley, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it…people like me! Or maybe I just have really thoughtful blogging friends. Thanks, ladies. I appreciate the fact that you could have chosen any number of other bloggers, but you chose me. That means a lot. You didn’t have to love me, but you did, but you did, but you did…and I thank you.

If I’m reading the fine print correctly, I’m now contractually obligated (kidding! There’s no contract, is there?) to list five of my favorite things and five of my favorite blogs. I hope you’ll visit each of them. Here we go:

5 Favorite Things:
1. time with my family (a true no-brainer; I love my family)
2. traveling – wherever, whenever; I just want to GO!
3. movies that make me laugh or think (ex. Zombieland, Fargo, Fractured)
4. anything smeared with dark chocolate – pretzels, peanut butter, grandkids
5. baby animals; I can’t resist them. Who’s a little cutie patootie…you are!

5 Blogs I’m Obsessed With:
1. Kandiland Blog – by my friend Kandi. She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s sometimes goofy and I love that. Her story about a camel ride made me laugh until I cried. The Complete Package refers to her as my “commenter of discriminating taste” because she seems to agree with him a lot. But I don’t hold against them. Most of the time {wink}. Her deeply personal stories about her life with two beautiful girls, her hard-working husband, and her spastic black lab Charlie keep me laughing. She’s a force of nature, and I like that. A lot.

2. Laundry & Vodka – by my friend Alex in the great state of Georgia. I found Alex through the Pioneer Woman website. She posted a comment and the name of her blog instantly grabbed me. I clicked the link to see what she was up to, and have read her every day since. Alex is pregnant with her first baby (it’s a girl!) and writes about her life with a military husband and her three canine children – Nigel, Nash and Natalie. She hooked me with a short little ditty about a creepy Sponge Bob balloon, and now I feel like we’ve been friends forever.

3. A Sweet Pea Chef – by Lacey in Austin, Texas. I can’t claim to love Lacey just because she’s a Texan. She’s actually a San Diegan who recently moved to Texas. But as we say in the Republic… “we don’t care how you got here, we’re just glad you did!” If I dreamed of being a food blogger, I’d want to be like Lacey. Her recipes are top-notch and her food photography makes me want to lick my computer screen. It’s like food porn. Sometimes I open her blog and gasp. The best part is that I’ve never tried a recipe from her blog that I didn’t like. I mean really, really like. Her panko crusted tilapia still haunts me. Deliciously.

4. Gingerbread Bagels – by Lindsey the baker. I love a good cookie, but damn! I don’t know anyone who loves cake or baking like this girl. She is one of those rare people who have a true calling or talent, and she knows how to use it. She wields a spatula the way Van Gogh worked a paint brush. She is an artist. I’m blown away every week by the desserts she masters and the easy-going, humorous way she shares them with her readers. I’m a “salty” not a “sweet” but she may just convert me. I wish I loved ANY food the way she loves Nutella.

5. The rules probably state that you can’t nominate those who nominated you, but that’s just tough noogies, because this wouldn’t be my favorites list without Fix It or Deal and Comfortably Domestic. I found Amy at FIOD through another blog, and laughed out loud at her stories about slutty Halloween costumes and a magic washcloth. When I read her article “Zombie, Zombie Burning Bright” I knew I was sunk. I can only dream of being that funny. Her monthly posting of undead creatures from her 2011 zombie calendar keep me on the edge of my seat. I found Kirsten from CD through the Pioneer Woman website. We got to know each other through recipes and comments, and I now believe we are actually twins separated at birth…except that I’m eight years older and live halfway across the country. Sure, there’s some weird science involved, but I’m still a believer. She’s the mother of 4 boys, which I sort of relate to since I’m one of five daughters. Living with that much testosterone is a foreign concept to me, but I enjoy her take on it immensely. I love these ladies more than chocolate.

Someone asked me last week what I love about blogging, and this is it – the friends I’ve made and the stories we’ve shared. My blogging buddies are like members of my big, extended family without the arguing or name-calling, and I appreciate them more than I can adequately articulate. I feel the same way about the readers who visit my blog and choose to return over and over again. I started this blog eight months ago, and I’m still amazed that people read it. And as long as we’re all having fun, I plan to continue. Thank you for your support and encouragement. It’s been a great ride so far, and I’ve enjoyed every minute.

A note to the bloggers mentioned above: you are under no obligation to pass this award along. You may exercise your free will at any time and simply smile and pat yourselves on the back, if you so choose. Or you can join the fun and pass it along to those you admire. Your choice. That’s the deal. Free shipping & handling. Limited time offer. Thank you for calling Time Life Books.