Happy 101 Award!

Last week my DIL at smalltownrunner awarded me this Sweet Friends recognition. I would have to say that recipe is true about our relationship. I am very grateful.

The responsibilities, or rules, that come with the recognition are:

1. Copy the award image into a post.
2. List 10 things that make you happy.
3. Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day.
4. Put in a link to their blogs.
5. Notify the award receivers.
6. Recipients should link back to the sender’s blog.

And now, in no particular order, some things that make me happy. Instead of nouns, I chose all action words with  ing. Hope that's okay.

1. writing--makes me come alive
2. arranging photos--whether online or on paper
3. knitting--keeps me awake while we watch TV and I keep my hands busy while visiting or traveling
4. communicating with far away friends--e-mails, letters, Facebook, the occasional phone call to childhood friends in Argentina.
5. traveling to far away places
6. reading out loud to others, especially to children
7. listening to audio books--makes driving, and mindless tasks more enjoyable
8. giving away pottery--hubby loves the creative process and I enjoy finding a home for each piece.
9. gathering with family--whatever the occasion or the group
10. snuggling with hubby (is that TMI?)

Ten bloggy friends that brighten my day is a little harder, not because they don't make me happy, au contraire, it is because I do not faithfully get around to reading that many other blogs.

1. Karen, at Small Town Runner. I look forward to what she is going to tell us each day, and how she tells it. She writes about running, about getting out of debt, about food and almost always includes photos. I learn something every time. (I know I am returning the award. I hope that's okay.)
2. Kim, at Just a Southern Girl, is also family, my SIL, and I believe she has already been awarded the Happy 101 also, but so be it, her blog brightens my every day! She writes very entertaining posts, but people, she is in Argentina, my other country, where I grew up! So it's like a daily fresh breeze. (Actually nowadays it's a gust of warm suffocating summer air ;)
3. Tina, her daughter, my niece, at Cristina Elizabeth, is visiting her parents right now and has a new blog. She takes beautiful pictures, loves fashion and food. She recently started photojournaling and posting once a week.
4. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, at Zizzie Happenings, is another niece who blogs daily about life in general. She also makes and sells Zizzie Cards.
5. Sara's blog ...make music from your heart to the Lord. Eph. 5:19 is another daily inspiration to many. I have never met her in person, but already sense a growing friendship nurtured weekly through the Project 365 (a photo a day) circle which Sara graciously hosts. And that, in addition to her very busy life as pastor's wife, mother, and more.
   
   I somewhat randomly chose three other Project 365 participants (out of the 25 this year). We all try to get around, read and comment on every one else's week in photos.
6. LuAnn, at Daily Blessings, lives in Wisconsin (that's where my husband's family is from). Her husband pastors a large church. She labels herself a "pathological picture taker". She is very faithful to post a photo each and every day. And blesses us with her comments every week.
7. Esthermay, from The Heart of a Pastor's Wife, also encourages each one of us with her sweet and insightful responses. I also picked her because, like me, she hates to scrub floors!
8. "The Bug" blogs on Bug's Eye View. She is new to our circle. Already I like her; she hates to clean floors also! 
9. Sherrie is an author and speaker on the subject of adoption. Her blog is Sherrie Eldridge: Your Adoption Coach. I value her friendship and am looking into seeing her materials published in Spanish.
10. Heidi at Mom's, Ministry and More blessed me so much every day during her very successful Candle in the Corner giveaway and fund raiser for missionaries. I remember that I so looked forward to a virtual visit to a different country and missionary each day.
    I checked back this week and she had posted good reliable ways that we could get involved with Relief Haiti. And Friday she is hosting  the fifth annual Blogs for Life Conference Live, the live video stream right there on her blog on January 22 from 8:30 to 11:30am.
    
    There you have it. Now pass on the happiness.