I am humbled

I am humbled when I learn that a new-to-our-ranks mama is reading my blog. To have a new reader recognize my blog with an award, wow. I have received a blogger award from Jessica at Two Pieces of my Heart. She just lost her twin boys, William and Ethan. I have started reading her blog, and I am so sad to know her here. She's a school teacher and is back to work already - I am amazed at her strength - please go give her some love!

So here's how this award works.

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Make sure you contact these bloggers to let them know about the award.

Seven Things About Me

Hm.  I'll just do this on the fly...

1. Growing up, I never wanted to have kids. When I met Triple S, I decided I could try for one. Now I have have been pregnant three times and have two girls. Another? Well, that's a whole series of blog posts...
2. I am a bit of a procrastinator. That's why it has taken me so long to post this! And it will probably take me even longer to name 15 blogs.
3. Hm, it's so hard to think about things about myself from "before." It seems like a different person. What a disconnect from my self. (That's something about myself in there)
4. I am a total food addict.
5. I've never tried drugs. Probably because of #4. If food is that addicting...
6. I really love tawny port. Yummmm. Unfortunately, I am out right now.
7. I hate the TV. I wish Triple S could give it up.
And a bonus: I read my Chinese horoscope the other day, and it said that wood rabbits like me need alone time to work things out. So true. Hence the blogging.

Ok, 15 blogs. Actually, many of the blogs I read during my darkest days have slowed down. Proof, I guess, that life does resume. We'll see how many I get. And consider yourself notified!

Here are blogs that I have recently discovered:

Demeter's Feet - Jenni did such an awesome job organizing the ornament swap!
After Iris is not someone I was reading at 'my' beginning, but her reading of dead baby names caught me.
I found Longing, Living, Loving just within that last few months. Yet another joining us dead baby mamas.

Here are some oldies but goodies. If you aren't reading them already, you sure are missing out:
The Happy Sad Mama
The Road Less Travelled
Still Life with Circles and Angie's wonderfully curated project still life 365
Ferdinand's Gifts that darn Janis has me reading blogs like "The Minimalists." With our impending move, can I do it???
And I want to shout out to CLC, who is busy with her family welcoming her second son after the death of her darling Hannah. I am over-the-top happy for her and her hubs. I am sure she is missing Hannah even more these days.

Looking through my google reader blog roll, it occurs to me that I don't read any 'mom' blogs. Only dead baby mama mom blogs. It's a different kind of parenting.

This blog, Her Five Year Diary, is an awesome idea and has inspired me to keep a five-year diary too. It's a transitional year for us and there are so many little things happening every day with Beanie, so this is an interesting time to start such a project. Thanks, Sara, for the great idea and the snapshot into 1961! And I still miss your blog!

A ridiculous number of blogs in my reader have to do with food. I eat gluten- and dairy-free (12 years and 6 months, respectively) and am trying to reduce my sugar intake. Chocolate doesn't have sugar, right?  I just started reading The Healthy Cooking Coach and the recipes intrigue me. Too bad I am eating salad only this week to recoop from our extended holiday family visits... I am also thinking about reducing grains and making all my sweets 'raw'. Can I do it?

The third category of blogs I read is Copyediting blogs. I won't torment you with any of these!

And I want to take this chance to thank you all, my friends in the internet. I would not have survived without you.