I am simply overwhelmed, truly.  Thanks to Mark over at blogitude.com for the Rated E for Excellent award!  Man, I didn’t know anybody other than my Mom read this thing regularly… really!  I am pleased and touched to be named along with other folks who are much more talented and experienced at this whole blogging thing… it means a lot.  Especially when you stop and remember that this blog was started as a path to better mental health and clarity.  It’s therapy for me, without the co-pay.  And now it’s winning awards – AMAZING!

So, without further blather, I’m going to award this to the following blogs that I cannot live without:

1. Katie Allison Granju – the first blog I ever read.  Really.  Found her back in the early ‘aughts, when life was in turmoil for her.  Have loved following along with the changes in her life and her family and am so happy she found her forever love in Jon! 
2. Knoxville Trivia – love Byron, love his posts here and over at Tug’s Life.  He is my "Remember When?" buddy and I never miss him!
3. Atomic Tumor – Found his blog last year, right after his personal tragedy.  Great guy!  Glad his life is changing again!  Welcome ladyfriend and PS you made me cry a little with your Valentine’s post.  Kudos!
4. Overtly Trite – Ms. Overt found me, and I found her after that. It’s sort of like having a girlfriend, that I talk to every day, but whom I’ve never met.  Sorta weird but in a not really weird way!
5. Not In Front of the Children – Another one of my blogging girlfriends, loved her first blogdentity, even more love her 2d.  She’s one heck of a Red Hot Momma!
6. Newscoma – What I like to think I could have been as a Journalist.  That is, if I hadn’t developed an aversion to Journalism at the 101-level and changed my major to Photography.  Ask me about the intelligence in that move one day.  She’s so smart, damned funny, she sounds like me sometimes (or maybe I sound like her – potaytoe/potahtoe, who knows?) and she too has a dog named Mabel.  If Homer ever decides to get rid of her I’ll take her as a sister! 
7. Smokey Mountain Breakdown – Excellent writer, talks about upper east Tennessee with a love and respect that the people from there don’t even show.  Talented, funny, and crazy, because she left my future retirement home of Hilton Head/Bluffton and moved to Del Rio/Grassy Fork.  What can you say but that she’s nuts!  OBTW she also introduced me to Caleb and the Newport Plain Talk Police Report… damned funny stuff!
8. Busy Mom – My blogging hero!!! Love her stuff, identify with her angst and life, her kids go to my kid’s rival school… see ya at the football game next year!  We’ll be in green, can’t miss us!
9. Curiously Kaylea & My Crazy Little Mixed-up World – my Thi Thi’s blogs.  ‘Nuff said, right?  Keepin’ it real at her house, making me laugh at mine!
10. It’s a Blog Eat Blog World & Legally Brunette – this mother-daughter blogging team just crack me up, every time they write!  I love them both and read them every day.  No guys, I’m not stalking you, it’s admiration only, I promise!  And I still want to be a part of the Patterson family – their family gatherings sound so much better than mine!

Okay, so I’m awarding this to all of you!  Love you each and every one!  Keep writing your amazing posts!  And thanks for taking the time each day to make me laugh or cry or think – because that’s what blogging is all about!  Now you all need to pass on the blogging love and pick your top ten favorites!  The academy is waiting!

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