So You Think I Can Think?

Now that the deep inner workings of my rather warped brain have been exposed, this next thing I say may shock you deeply.

It shocked me.

My good and faithful friend Soccer Mom in Denial has awarded me the Thinking Blogger Award.

The gesture is touching and meaningful. Especially because I know the likes of the company she keeps, or rather reads. I am truly humbled that I warrant that kind of attention, and that she counts me among her friends. She is seriously just too cool.

The way this game goes is like this: Now that I have received one, it is my privilege to pay it forward and hand out the thinking award to other bloggers.

I get to pick 5.

How am I supposed to choose?

Since diving head first without looking into joining the blogging world I have been reading and enjoying many, many- possibly far too many- bloggers' sites. To name my favorites is like asking me to announce my favorite cookie.

It just can't be done.

But I am doing it anyway. In spite of the fact that I am leaving out several writers whom I lurk by read regularly.

These are they to whom I bestow the Thinking Blogger award. And these are the reasons why.

Time With Shelby. Shelby is a witty, wise and carefully worded writer. Also, the fact that she gave me a nod on her sidebar was extremely cool. Her piece this week on wanderlust is fabulous. Oh, and the photo at her masthead is exceptional. Reading her site gets me THINKING about all the good things about life, and youth, and music, and traveling, and everything.

Milk & Honey. I tripped onto this site and found this post a few weeks ago. The discussion which ensued through her site and with the others playing along was a total blast. It is a memories piece, and you may have discovered by now that memory is one of my favorite destinations.
The jolt to THINK about my grandparents was just a beautiful trip.

Desert Songbird came to my site early on and left some tender words in the comment section. I was touched and moved and thus got my fingers over to her URL as fast as they could fly. Her photographs are so much fun and her stories even more so. I enjoy her open, animated style. On top of that she lives in the Arizona desert, and reading her blog and looking at her photos makes me THINK of home. I am grateful for that daily trip.

Beaman and I swap comments occasionally on a Wordless Wednesday. That's how I found him. I actually spend a lot of time at his cyber-place because like a magnet his writing draws me in. He is a poet. And his photography rocks. When I am there I am always THINKING: 'gosh, I wish I could write like this'.

Gawilli is another one of those "just happened by" finds, but her humor and her candor keep me coming back for more. That we happen to agree on a certain politically charged issue is a bonus. Her recent piece about Service and Sacrifice was moving, especially her final observation in the post. Yeah, her writing makes me THINK.


There then is my list. I am sorry I couldn't mention EVERYONE. But you may not have stayed around to read ALL that blather.

Thanks for sticking to this point.

Award winners, I wish you Hartelijk Gefeliciteerd!
It's now your turn to play.