an award, a gift, a teaser, and a duck

First, the award, from Kristi, who blogs at Books and Needlepoint.

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know that feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt award is all about: feeling warm inside!

Thank you!
The rules are to nominate up to 9 blogs. First, I'll cheat a little: go back to Kristi's blog and look at the other nominees. Go on - I'll wait. (tap tap tap) Now you can visit these friendly blogs:

• A pass through the Moon Garden
• The Cauldron
• Elizabetty Knits
• Hand eye crafts (the annual Knitters' Hunk contest is underway...)
  

... and everyone else in my sidebar!

Jennifer, the Book Club Girl is enabling me to become a Betsy-Tacy Convert! She has given me the first four books in the series. (Incidentally, her blog also is very friendly.) I'm going to start them this weekend. Somehow, I never read this when I was a young girl, and it'll be such a treat for this old(er) girl. Thank you so much, Jennifer!


For Teaser Tuesdays, I'll give you a verse from The One and Only Human Galaxy, a new book of poems by Elizabeth Swados.

You are a city made of dots
the tops of your heads
merge together
into a mosaic.

Oops. I seem to have run out of time for the duck.

finished object and - I'm a winner!

First, thank you - I won these books!

• Jean Plaidy - The Heart of the Lion from Historical Tapestry, a collection of book bloggers whose reviews and recommendations always are exemplary! (Kailana is reading the Maisie Dobbs novels right now, and so am I - do go and read her reviews!)
• Jeffrey Eugenides - The Virgin Suicides from the Biblio Brat at Biblio Blogazine.
• Heather Gudenkauf - The Weight of Silence from Mira Books .(Kristi's review at Books and Needlepoint sent me scurrying for it!)

The green background is my finished object: a blanket for baby Houston in Idaho, a certified cutie. Trust me.

I also won The Heartfelt Award from Rebecca, Lost in Books.

• Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and freinds? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Hearthfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside. Rules: Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

I'd like to nominate all of the blogs I've mentioned today, plus one more - A Pass Through the Moonlight Garden, created by friends whose site soothes and delights this teabird. I do, after all, worship the moon.

• Let's take a walk together and share our season's glowing gifts of night, we will spend a moment imagining what will come after the twilight's air.
  

last Friday's fill-ins, an award, and gratitude

1. It's cold and I love it, because summer is my least-favorite season, so the longer it stays cool, the less heat I'll have to endure.

2. I love tomatoes, but they don't love me.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is sleep.

4. I love a nice long ride when I am stressed. Driving has always been a pleasure.

5. Well, first of all I know it's Thursday, but time is relative.

6. People in an elementary school: those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was really scary because I didn't know anyone, I couldn't find my classroom, and for heaven's sake, can't I have a sense of direction in my dreams, even? Bad enough I don't have one when I'm awake. Sheesh.


Leah at The Octagon gave me the Lemonade Award for great attitude and gratitude. Thank you, Leah! I don't feel like a particularly grateful person lately, partly because I haven't thanked anyone for all of the books I've won. Here's a start:


Shattered Reality by Kimberly Cheryl, from Rebecca, Lost in Books.
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams, AND Things I Want My Daughter to Know by Elizabeth Noble - both from Julie, the Booking Mama.
Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern from Jennifer, a/k/a Book Club Girl.
Made in the USA by Billie Letts from Kristi, Books and Needlepoint.
My Little Red Book from Avianschild, She Reads and Reads.

Please go over and visit these excellent and generous bloggers - tell them that teabird sent you!

I know I've left some out... please forgive.

Let's be friends

Avisannschild, from She Reads and Reads, honoured me with this award. Isn't it lovely?

• Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers.

Only eight? Oh dear. Hmmm.

First, go and visit Avisannschild and meet the 7 other bloggers she chose. Often (usually), the blogger who gives me an award has friends I want to meet. You will, too.

My own blogging friends are kind, generous, funny, and dear. Allow me to introduce you to a few.

• Paula, the Bassettknitter, whose insights, photographs, and meditations (and most adorable Basset, Elsie) are constant delights.
• Amy, Rena, and Claire of A Tradition of Quirky Artists. (Hint: follow this link forward. Our weekly knitting group is insane. And don't miss The Running of the Brides.)
• Kelly, LICraftgal, whose fiber was fibernapped. (See above. Did I mention that our weekly knitting group is insane? If you're on Ravelry, start here...)
• Bridget, at The Ravell'd Sleave, who recently went to a penitentiary. As an employee.
• Helen (OfTroy on Ravelry), Golden Apples, keeper and teacher of more cast-ons than I would master in 4 lifetimes.
• Kim, HandEyeCrafts, longtime friend and co-conspirator in a quest to make the world aware of Heifer International. I'm linking to this post because I love the tushies. Kim also hosts the yearly Knitter's Hunk competition. Alas, my choices never win.
• Penny, the Penguin Girl. We met online, and then we met in-person when the Harlot did a book-signing in NYC. Penny has written about everything from books and knitting to weekly Parshahs, and has not only become a dear friend, but also has been my inspiration to learn more about my own religion and heritage.
• And - you. Leave me a comment, tell me about yourself. Let's get acquainted!

take a bow, everybody!

Sallee, a/k/a KnitNana, gave me the Kreativ Blogger award - thank you, Sallee! Coming from a woman as creative and open-hearted as you, it means a lot.




Here are the rules:

1. Copy the award to your site
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers
4. Link to those on your blog
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

It's always a problem to nominate other bloggers for these awards because I have so many creative and insightful and articulate friends, and I can't just say "check out everyone in the sidebar," can I?

Yes I can!
You're all Kreative Bloggers. Everyone over there (and some who aren't, and you know who you are...) deserves a visit and appreciation.

(blushing) she really likes me!

(blushing) thank you! Bridget of The Ravell'd Sleave named me for this award. (blushing) thank you!

I met Bridget through Knit the Classics, which no longer exists on the web, but which lives on in Knitting Nineteenth-Century Novels on Ravelry. (We're reading Vanity Fair right now. What a treat!) Go and visit her to read about how we met, and about our friendship.

Now, I'm supposed to nominate 4 blogs I love. Only four? Gracious. Ok, then - in no particular order:

Knitting Nineteenth-Century Novels is moderated by two women, including my friend Pixie Girl, a/k/a the Happy Haunted Turtle. Not only is she funny, smart, literary, and a haiku poet, but she also is on her way to becoming a librarian! I love her blog!

Penny, a/k/a Penguin Girl has been like a long-lost sister since we met. The story is here. Penny writes about about books, food, Judaism, knitting, writing, travelling, organizing, photography... and I love her blog.

Kata, a/k/a Kataish and I met through a swap, and we've been amusing each other ever since by writing real letters and enabling each other as our greed for love for all things papery and inky has overtaken our lives grown. We also have a great time as Plurk buddies. I love her blog!

Kata's fiancee, Will, blogs at Musings & Rants, where he writes (really, really well) about all sorts of things, from politics and religion to observations about London, Ontario. I'm looking forward to meeting him and Kata next year in Manhattan. I love Will's blog.


The fine print:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Add a link (in this case, links) to the person/people who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 4 others.
4. Leave a comment on their blog so they can pass it on.

Thank you!

Bridget at The Ravell'd Sleave just gave me this award! I'm so pleased - she's one of my favorite people, and we hang out at some of the same places online, so I'm glad she likes my company and doesn't just put up with me.......

Now I get to give it to 5 people. (Just 5? Gracious.) In no particular order, these women (plus dozens of others...) make me smile:

Anna of KnitWrite
Crescent Knits Caitlin
Paula the Basset Knitter
KnitNana Sallee
On the Needles Stephanie.

All of these lively, funny, creative women have become close and dear friends over the last few years. Go and visit them!

thank you, thank you!

Paula, the Basset Knitter, has given me the Blogging Star award!


The recipient is supposed to display this award on her blog along with a link to who gave it to me, and to mention that it originated at Skittles' Place so Barb can follow its journey. Barb has created the award for bloggers who shine their light throughout the Blogosphere, with humor, creativity, or with their kind and thoughtful nature.

Thank you, Paula!!

Paula has passed the award to Caitlin of Crescent Knits, and so do I. Caitlin has become a close friend whose humor, creativity, kindness, and thoughtful nature have illuminated my life.

Ditto, Kim at Handeye Crafts and MindFull. Kim and I have been friends for several years, and our friendship would be deep and rich even if she wasn't also funny and creative. (However, her readers have voted Jeremy Irons out of the running in the hunk contest. Really, she should have rigged the results.)

I can think of dozens of other blogger friends who deserve this award. I know they'll get their turn!

The power of schmooze

Scrungy's Creator, Dorothy has given me the coveted Schmooze Award. Dorothy is Paula's (BassetKnitter) mother, and Paula was one of my first online friends. Meeting Dorothy was a natural, and being her friend is a joy.

As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship."

I'm going to name a few of the friends I've made since Tea Leaves was born in 2004. These are only a few of the amazing women who prove that friendship has no borders. Namaste to all!

Stephanie (On the needles)
Bridget (The Ravell'd Sleave)
Caitlin (Crescent Knitter)
Carrie
Jennifer (Craftylilly)
Chitta'svrtti