I'm A Versatile Blogger! Um...What's That?

I've preempted my regularly scheduled post for some news: Woo hoo - I'm a Versatile Blogger! Need proof? Here's my award:

Versatile Blogger Award

 This recognition of my versatility as a blogger was awarded to me by Anne Stormont, who has also been a guest author at my blog. Please - give her blog a visit.

Can't figure out where the award started, but it seems to be the blog version of a meme (the other one - not the French endearment for grandmother) and it has gone viral! Just by Googling 'Versatile Blogger Award', I've found several more interesting blogs to follow. The best part of the award is that I get to share some of my favorite blogs. I choose to accept the award - and now that I have, I must obey (heralding trumpets here):

The Versatile Blogger Award Rules…

• Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post. [Check]
• Share 7 Random facts about yourself. [Check - see below]
• Pass the award on to 6  blogs that you would like to share. [Check - see below]
• Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so. Also, if you choose to accept it, let the giver of your award know. [Check - on Twitter. Thanks, Anne!]

Now that the officialness is done, I'm sharing some of the randomness that is me:

1. First of all, I'm blind as a bat. So terribly nearsighted that when I wear heels, I can't see the ground. Sort of fun though - like dancing on clouds. Unless of course I fall, which I have - more times than I care to count. Almost fell off a stage once, but that's another story. I also love the way lights look without my glasses - like big, glowing, fuzzy balls. I have a feeling that for all the SNL aficionados, that last statement is far funnier than I intended. Oh well...
2. I'm terribly frustrated that my workload over the past several years has restricted me from pursuing my study of movement. I love movement. Dancing, yoga, anything that challenges my ability to put my body in the position I want it to be in. I used to be able to sit cross-legged on the ground and rise into a standing position using only my feet. Sigh... I'm trying to make time for myself to return to being a student of movement. Who knows - I may even start studying some of the martial arts - with my glasses on. 
3. Reading is one of the major joys in my life. I will forego sleep to read. Wreaks havoc on the daily routine though. Now that I've found writing, I haven't read as much fiction as I would like. Lately, it's mostly been books and blogs that help me to improve my story craft; blogs that I like to follow, and my own short stories and manuscripts. I'll be reading mainly the manuscript of my first book until I've completed its rewrite. I've found that one difference for me between writing and rewriting is that when I was writing, I cold take time off and read other fiction. Now that I'm rewriting, other fiction confuses me about my own voice.
4. Puzzles are fundamental to my life. Not the usual ones - but anything where I start off with lots of individual items and have to make a whole. Cooking for instance - starting off with raw ingredients and finishing up with something edible. Yum. Baking is my favorite and my favorite things to bake are quiche, pound cake and German chocolate cake. Since I've found Ettore's Chocolate Truffle Cake, I'm seriously thinking of planning a heist of the recipe. Anybody with me? Sewing fits into this category, although I haven't done it for ages. I've a project started, but who knows when it'll get done. Technology also fits here. My daughter and I plan to build a computer this summer. That'll probably get done before the sewing project. Simply a matter of incentives and priorities. Hard to be incentivized to sew when we can get get two great dresses for the cost of the material for one. Darn that Macy's & its rewards! My most favorite puzzle by far is writing. Yes, it is a puzzle - for me anyway. I get to start off with lots of little things (words) and make a whole (story). The fascinating thing about writing is that there are several ways to get a story right, but an infinite number of ways to get it wrong. I think I'm addicted to the 'Ah, ha!' moment. With writing. I don't think there will ever be a last 'Ah ha!'.
5. I love music. All kinds. Bands, soloists, orchestras, groups - whether they play or sing jazz, classical, rock, soul, pop, country or blues. I love the way it feels in my ears. I can't write with music though. I'm too busy listening to it.
6. Though there have been a few television shows over the years that I really loved, I'm generally not that into TV. That's why it was so easy to give up the evening hours for writing. I found that I can still be in the room and talk with my family while I write, which is really my goal anyway - family time. That brings me to the last thing...
7. Conversation. I love the give and take of a good conversation; a real exchange of ideas and thoughts that gets down to the fundamentals of whatever subject is being discussed. Throw in a few goblets of wine, light fingers of cognac, liqueur glasses of Drambuie, or a single Vodka Martini and I'm in heaven. Any more than one Vodka Martini and I'm out for the night.

I'd like to pass the award along to these six authors. I truly enjoy their work. Each has a distinctive, unique voice and I'm sure you'll like them as much as I do:

Kathryn Magendie - Wonderful author who shares herself with us at Writing From My Mountain.

James Whitaker - His unique style of blending poetry and prose at JTW bold. yet balanced. is always a delight.

William H. Johnson - At Life Through the Prism: an author's journal, he shares his thoughts on a variety of topics and invites discussion for delving deeper.

Diana Lee - Visit her at Diana's Words for a lyrical experience that satisfies all the senses.

Joseph Hesch - A poet whose strength of expression stimulates the imagination. He truly does have A Thing for Words.
 

Lynn MacDonald - Her take on her daily interactions with family and friends, shared at All Fooked Up, is poignant and humorous.

Y'all have fun with the award!

----------------------------------------------------------

Row80 Update, 5/22/2011:

• Goal 1: Three hours per day. Met it only twice this week. Life interrupted with end of school year activities. Loads of fun, now back to work.
• Goal 2: For some reason, wrote scene with antagonist having an internal conversation in first person. Only scene like it so far. I think it's well written, but it stands out as different from the rest of story. Spent this whole week trying to unravel it and convert it to third person. Still not done...

Please visit other ROW80 participants!
----------------------------------------------------------