Monday, November 23, 2009

This Red Carpet Needs Shampooing



Word Origin & History -blog
1998, short for weblog (which is attested from 1994, though not in the sense 'online journal'), from (World Wide)
Web + log. Joe Bloggs (c.1969) was British slang for "any hypothetical person" (cf. U.S. equivalent Joe Blow).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Any hypothetical person? I like that. Sort of like taking the anonymity of the internet and giving it an alias. I feel all warm and fuzzy now that we’re sharing a vague moment together. It’s special in an unspecific sort of way.

Today in my Blotanicals mail box I received a note from Anna at Green tapestry informing me that she had awarded me the Best Blog Award. Wow! Now that’s pretty doggone flattering and I am quite honored by her opinion. Green tapestry is a delightful blog with an engaging writing style and she actually talks about plants, if you can believe that!

Now while I was exceedingly pleased that Anna would even consider giving me Best Blog Award I did have some questions. First of all is blog even a real word? Doesn’t something have to be a thing before it can qualify for an award. Will there be those little bald headed gold guys or maybe MTV’s golden bag of popcorn. Should I dress up for this maybe get my hair done. I just don’t know how to act in light of such an honor. It became clear that I did not have a red carpet action plan. I believe that if I did have such a plan I would not have spent the day of my award ceremony shampooing the carpet, nor would I have been sweeping the garage or clearing spider webs. I should have been at a fitting or getting my nails done in the latest shade of self importance by someone who couldn’t care less if I’m late for my hair appointment. But because I did not have an “I’m getting an award, but really I’ll just be happy to be nominated” plan I spent the evening attempting to decipher the latest health insurance benefits plan written in Latin by drunken Irishmen at a wake.

I carefully pondered which little boxes to check so that my medical insurance might more precisely insure me for the things that I am least likely to experience.
For instance since I am more likely to suffer a broken bone while dropping a large boulder on my foot rather than need a cleft palette surgery I made sure to check the appropriate box. I now have peace of mind knowing that the insurance will fully cover the cleft palette surgery and my broken foot will also be fully covered by the all inclusive Blood out of Turnip plan.

I’ll tell you what, it isn’t universal health care that we need or even health care reform what we need are flipping translators for this stuff. Maybe that’s who all those people are with their blissfully smiling faces plastered all over the glossy benefits brochure. They all look so carefree, as if they are enjoying perfect peace of mind knowing that at any minute a life altering catastrophe might occur. Either that or they really up-graded their RX coverage. With all the happy peaceful state of mind drugs being fully covered under their superior health care plans the Latin speaking thoroughly soused Irishmen and their little boxes to check are making a whole lot more sense. Maybe I should look into that plan as it seems the only people capable of understanding this stuff are fully loaded on happy pills. Or Latin speaking thoroughly soused Irishmen.

But I digress and once again fail to talk plants or the Best Blog EVER Award. Yeah, I added that last bit. It’s a blog. Who’s gonna check? Consider it part of my acceptance speech and bleep it out in the time delay.

The award comes with strings attached and I would be remiss if I ignored those. Since I very recently tagged a number of people with an award, one that required some confessing I might add, I have devised an alternate tagging plan. I would simply like to share a few blogs with you that I enjoy and you may or may not have visited on your blogging rounds. There are so many wonderful blogs out there and I know that I am leaving out so many that I could and should put in here. I tried to stay focused on ones that I have not mentioned before and blogs that I thought some of you may not have visited.

Edward B.Gordon he produces a beautiful and stunning painting each day. He also produces great envy and admiration in me every day.

All A Dither she is a wonderful writer and I enjoy her reflective exploration of life and the hopes and dreams we nurture or neglect along the way. She also is writing an intriguing dramatic novel and waiting for the next installment is like a little soap opera for us blog junkies.

Barbara Muir paints And she does paint! This lady is the epitome of happy. She also produces a painting a day and somehow manages to always find a genuine reason to rejoice in life. She shares her thoughts and her life along with paintings that reflect her joy and exuberance for life.

Patchwork Garden I don’t know if I can accurately describe Linda’s blog except to say that she has a uniquely Texas voice. She has lovely gardens which she is always at work in but there is something rich and sonorous in the way she shares it. She seems to be in rhythm with the land there and I truly enjoy stopping by for a friendly visit and cool glass of ice tea.

Flower Hill Farm Carol’s blog is the essence of peace and beauty. Her photographs of her incredibly landscape and flowers never fail to bring a deep calm to my soul. Her words are like psalms to the land she stewards.

Natures Scenic View this is from the creator of Hocking Hills Garden which is also a fantastic blog. I love Natures Scenic View however because it is just pure eye candy and I love the sweets she puts in this blog. The photographs are amazing. I find myself going back to them many times just to gaze and enjoy.

The Galloping Gardener It is hard to imagine anyone missing this blog but if you have, do yourself a favor and take a look. She travels to some of the most wonderful fairy tale gardens and shares such wonderful pictures. I am often transported to my girlhood fantasies of castles and magical talking trees and wildlife. Of course the grown up in me still has fantasies but these include winning the lottery and buying my own castle complete with talking trees and wildlife.

My Secret Garden
I am sure you all know Tatyana’s blog and she also has already been awarded the Best Blog Award but I just had to include her on this list. Of course she has a beautiful garden but this woman knows how to blog like a pro! Her photos are gorgeous and her posts always interesting. I think her energy and enthusiasm come through with vibrant full color in every post she makes.

My Nice Garden by Autumn Belle is as lovely as she is and a pleasure to visit. She delights me with flowers that are wonderfully exotic to this Northwestern American. She shows me a world I have never seen and I would love to have her as my tour guide if I was ever fortunate enough to travel to her corner of the world.

Destination: Where the F is Ron This blog has absolutely nothing to do with gardening or even painting for that matter. Ron is journalistic reporter who travels the world often to the most dangerous and beautiful places you can imagine. He draws you into that world with his photographs and writing but above all with his soul. Ron has seen the worst that the world has to offer but he always seems to know where the heart of humanity lies and he shares that with us.

This post has gone a bit longer than I planned and I still have not talked about a single plant or flower. I actually haven’t been out in the garden because the scuba gear I ordered from Noah’s Ark and Garden Supplies has not arrived yet. The Have You Lost Your Minds daisies are still standing tall, green and sporting a few cheery white flowers. The nasturtium refuses to give up the field and continues to bloom. The water hyacinth and lettuces are stubbornly hanging on. They seem to have forgotten that they are warm weather annuals here. The black eye Susans are blooming right along and I have one very stubborn gladiola thumbing her nose at this constant downpour. I could go on about the plants that simply won’t pack it in but that would actually be a long list. Yesterday on my way to the car I noticed that my lavender rose bush was flush with buds again!
It is now completely clear to me that the 750 spring bulbs I bought are going to make a spectacular garage show come spring…because that is exactly where they are going to stay unless this rain lets up and those idiot plants pack it in.
Yes, that is a honeysuckle in the middle of November in Washington State.

16 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the award and all those lovely blogs you gave it too. I'll have to check them out to see more beautiful gardens.

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  2. Congrats to you LeSan! You deserve that award! I hope you will be able to plant your bulbs soon, that would be a shame to waste all that beauty in a garage. Love this post.
    Rosey

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  3. LeSan,
    Thank you so much for your glowing words about my blog. I enjoy blogging, even if that word does sound like something you would NOT like to do. There is some strange language connected to computers.
    I have seen some of the blogs you mention, and enjoy them, too. The others, I'll be back to visit sometime soon.
    I really enjoy your blog. I love your writing and your beautiful photos.
    I haven't seen 'Green Tapestry', but I heartily agree with the award she gave you.
    Keep up the good work.
    It'll stop raining someday. Even Noah found dry land. Otherwise he couldn't open that Ark & Garden Supply place. Or, is it just an internet store? If so, it could be anywhere.
    Thanks again...stay dry,
    Linda...

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  4. LeSan,
    I hope this didn't post twice. The first time I hit 'post', it all disappeared.
    Wishing you a happy...DRY...week.
    Linda..

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  5. I know about those bulbs. They do not hurry in the night to plant themselves. Also, if you put them into wet ground, they often become soggy and mushy, and yukkie!

    Congratulations on the award. I love that you got it and used it to point us in the direction of some more wonderful blogs.

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  6. Hi LeSan,

    Congratulations on the award that you so richly deserve. And bless you big time for awarding me this award. Right now, I can't begin to fulfill the glorious mandate of such an honour, but promise I will in a few weeks! Enuff said. I do love your blog, and I'm always supremely pleased when my efforts please you.

    Thank you so much again.

    Take care,

    Barbara

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  7. Congrats on the award. Next you can do a discuss on whether vlog is a word.

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  8. LeSan, I am indeed humbled and very honoured to be in your list of selected blogs. Thank you very much for the award. I like the colourful icon. How I wish I can write as good as you, and with a great sense of humour too. Please give me some time to exercise my brain.

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  9. Thanks, girl. Soap opera. Huh, I never thought of it like that. :)

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  10. Congrats on your award! I'll have to check out the blogs you listed, I've not heard of some of them.
    Don't you love health insurance paperwork. I get nervous I'll check off the wrong thing and we'll get denied for something ridiculous.
    It's felt like 5 o'clock here all day it's been so dark. I hope it stops raining soon and you can get those bulbs planted.

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  11. LeSan,

    I so admire your writing... You always bring a smile to my spirit and face and now the latter is blushing. I am not sure how I feel about all these awards and tagging... but I certainly feel you deserve a bookcase of them for your work here on your journal. Your stories have me sitting on the edge of my chair at times. I so admire and envy your wit and skill at weaving a tale. I am also deeply moved by what you have written about my "blog" ... love the history of the word you give us. That you have selected Flower Hill Farm is already so kind and I am truly honored by it... but your words have me floored and I am enormously grateful. Once again you have created a thoughtful and beautiful post... I love how you introduce health care! But please do watch out for that Boulder! Thank you! Thank you! Carol

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  12. a well-deserved award. You chose such interesting blogs to pass it on to. Good luck with those bulbs. I recall chipping the frozen soil out to get them in one year. And some even came up.

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  13. EILEEN ASTELS WATSON~ Thank you Eileen. I hope you find someone interesting in this list. They’re not all gardeners but they do put some beautiful things into the world.

    PATCHWORK~ Thanks Linda! Noah’s Garden and Ark Supplies is actually a floating establishment. Much like those gambling ships. He manages to skirt plenty of taxes and ordinances that way. It’s not raining right this minute so I am happy.

    ROSEY POLLEN~ Thank you Rosey! I’ll get those babies in the ground eventually. It just might be right after I put up the Christmas lights though.

    JANIE~ Thank you for the congrats! You are so right about those lazy bulbs not planting themselves. So ungrateful of them. I was just hoping to be personally be a little dry when I planted them. I definitely don’t want them to sog out. Of course I already have well over a thousand bulbs in the ground already and those are sitting in all this rain. This is where all that gravel under everything comes in very handy.

    AUTUMN BELLE~ You deserved this award. You have a lovely blog and it is so interesting. I never know what I am going to come away with but I always know that it will be something special. I love that!

    TARA~ LOL—Vlog…discuss. Poor Cato Kalin. Just a wee bit ahead of his time. We might not have all given him such a hard time about making up words in his testimony if we had known all this was coming.

    BARBARA~ Thank you my friend. Not to worry about the rules. This was just an opportunity for me to honor and share some wonderful blogs like yours. Take your time and get to it when you get to it. Happy to put you on my list!

    ALL ADITHER~ You are so welcome. I love reading your posts and look forward to the next one. Waiting for the next installment of Greener Grass always leaves me feeling like a kid at story time.

    CATHERINE~ Thank you very much. It’s so nice to know that I am not the only one noticing this dreary weather. It just seemed to come on so abruptly and incessantly this year. Maybe December will be nice? One can hope can’t they? I figure I have until the first of February to plant those bulbs. After that it’s Welcome to My Garage Tulip Festival.
    PS. Glad I am also not the only one who worries about insuring the wrong set of potential catastrophes. There are just so many to choose from. LOL

    CAROL~ You are far too sweet! I do love your blog immensely. I thank you for all the kind generous things you said and for all the wonderful comments you leave here on my blog. Please don’t feel “tagged” by this award. An award should be just that, an award. Not a tagging game. I have enjoyed taking the opportunity to share other blogs and to show my appreciation of them when one of these comes my way. I don’t know how I feel about the tagging part but I do know that I am always very flattered when someone thinks me worthy of one. Just put the little award statue up on your bookshelf and dust it off occasionally. You deserve it.

    MARY DELLE~ Thank you very much! Oh boy, I sure don't want to be chipping away at frozen dirt to plant those babies. LOL I am just looking for a couple of days here where I don't need hip waders to go into the garden. heheh

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  14. LeSan, congratulations on your award! If you wrote only one post, your Thanksgiving post, your blog would deserve this award and many more! It's an honor for me to be on your list.I don't think I am as good as you described me, but thank you. You are such a spiritual person! I am thankful for having you and other gardeners-bloggers in my life.

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  15. LeSan, you can make any subject funny. You are one talented lady!

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  16. My dear LeSan, my post on the best blog award is up today. Thank you very much for this lovely award.

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