Bluegate blog: Best Blog Award

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.