An Award and 10 Things You Probably Didn't Want To Know About Me.

One of my favorite bloggers, Alyssa of "AlyGater's Everywhere" and also an outstanding contributor to a great team blog "The MamaDramalogues", has presented me with a coveted honor and one of which I am most flattered by; "A Beautiful Blogger Award". This award, coming from a blogger of such esteem and talent is indeed the highest compliment I could ever hope to receive.

Normally I shy away from awards as they often make you choose a slew of other blogs to pass the award on to. It is always a challenge to try to choose 10 or 15 blogs when there are so many (too many) great blogs in ones "favorites list".
The rules of acceptance are that I list 10 little known morsels about my life or myself and then pass the award on to 3 other notable blogs. So here goes...

1. Not many know that I was born in Messina, Sicily...my mother is Italian, my father American...and no, I have absolutely no Mafia ties, so please don't ask me if I can get you a deal on anything. If I could, I'd have everything I've ever wanted, including that lipstick red '64 Ford Mustang !

2. I'm a pre-boomer...born just at the end of world war II. My mom was what they called a war bride and she crossed the Atlantic ocean by ship to live in the promised land of the USA. I was only 2 at the time; can't imagine what that ocean crossing must have been like with a rambunctious, impatient 2 year old in tow !!! Just before entering the port of New York, I was bouncing up and down on the bed, fell and busted my lip open, blood every where. My mom ran all over the ship trying to get someone that could speak Italian and understand that she needed some ice to bring down the swelling of her toddlers busted lip. She must have had nerves of steel or a very good tranquillizer!

Photo below...In honor and memory of my sweetest Mom. A woman of many talents, charms and infinite patience.

3. I love music but the genre changes according to my moods. Some days it's Jazz, others it's Rockin' Oldies, on rare occasions I might even find myself humming show tunes..."I'm gonna wash that man, right outta my hair and send him on his way..." oops sorry.

4. I love to dance so I married a man with 2 left feet that would rather replace the muffler on a car than get up on the dance floor. Hmm, go figure, guess that fickle finger of fate again (it has a warped sense of humor as far as I can tell).

5. I've never been able to grow dagger long fingernails. The best I ever came up with were fake glue on nails bought at my local 5 and dime, think I was maybe 13 at the time, the nails looked phony and had a habit of popping off. "Oh look, you just lost a fingernail !"

6. When I was about 15 I bleached my hair blond. Not a good idea if you have rather dark hair as the roots show like crazy in just a few days. After a few bleach sessions my hair looked and felt like straw...who knew you were only supposed to touch up the roots ? Oh well every gal has to try being a blond at least once in her life.

7. One of my top favorite desserts is Cannoli; especially chocolate cannoli and super especially, pistachio and chocolate chip cannoli, covered in a thick layer of rich dark chocolate. Uh, please excuse the drool !

8. Occasionally I've been know to experience hysterical fits of uncontrollable laughter. Not sure what triggers it but some part of my weird brain will find something exceptionally amusing and I'll begin giggling, which then turns into laughter and pretty soon I'm laughing so hard that tears are streaming down my face, I'll continue laughing until my sides ache and I feel exhausted. Sign of insanity, perhaps ?

9. I hate my feet ! My big toes are NOT longer than the toes next to them so my feet are not designed for pointy toed shoes, or any normal shoe for that matter. Of course I can pick things up off the floor very easily with my toes...pencils, buttons, small toys etc., and I would have made one heck of a ballerina as I never had any problem getting on point (standing on the very tips of my toes).

10. I don't follow directions very well. Give me the manual to the cable company's remote control for our HDTV and you've lost me after "Make sure the TV is plugged in and turned on."

I'd like to pass this award on to all 467 blogs that I have in my "blogs that I'm following list", but since that's an impossibility, and I probably don't have a life expectancy that would allow me to complete that task, I'll stick with the prerequisite 3 bloggers.

I'll try to pick out 3 different ones rather than those with which I have formed a bonded friendship with; such as sweet PoppyPlacePDX and lovely Eco conscience Green Leaf Reviewer. I'll also try to pick out some great but under appreciated blogs :

1. I love ChileCats blog. She's a true cat fancier and her blog is filled with cat information; her perspective on life and lots of humor. I always end up with a smile after reading her blog. She is also a beadaholic and cheerfully shares her lovely bead finds and creations with her readers.

2. StonyCharms blog is the blog of a true jewelry maker, the kind I could only dream of being. She creates from scratch, uses the art of lost wax casting and molten precious metals, she know her gemstones and their properties (Is it too fragile to be used in a ring? Can it be cleaned with standard jewelry cleaner?) Her blog not only shows her step by step process of crafting a truly unique piece of valuable jewelry but it is peppered with her keen sense of humor. A blog truly hard not to enjoy.

3. PetiteCreations simply because I find her work astounding and am in complete awe of what she creates. This blog is a true MUST SEE !!!