Wonderful Team Member Readership Award

Awww…I’m so fortunate to have such good friends in the blogosphere! One of my besties is a cat named Shrimp from Hairball Express, who has kindly nominated me for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award! I love reading Shrimp’s perspective on putting up with – I mean, living with – the humans of the household, and of course, their offspring (Creatures). My cats, of course, can totally relate to some of Shrimp’s frustrations; for example, when I momentarily forget that they are the center of the universe and I accidentally put my own needs ahead of theirs (you just heard five simultaneous tail slaps, didn’t you?!). But I digress. Thanks so much, Shrimp, for nominating me for this award! I will put some high-grade catnip in the mail for you post haste, and I would nominate YOU for this award had you not nominated me first.

I was able to track down the origins of this award (well, one of the first nominees, at least). To quote the creator of this award: “As bloggers, we are also readers. That is a part of blogging as listening is a part of speaking.” This is a lesson I have learned during the past several months, particularly with the A to Z Blogging Challenge this past April. Blogging is what you put into it! If you are looking for conversation and interaction, start by reading someone’s blog. Blogging is very much a two-way street…writing and reading, reading and writing. That’s where the interactions, conversations, and ultimately, the relationships are built.

The original rules of accepting this award are as follows:

The Nominee of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar.
The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days (1 week) – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be ALL on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, etc.
The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7 day (1 week) period.
The Nominee shall make these rules, or amended rules keeping to the spirit of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award, known to each reader s/he nominates.
The Nominee must finish this sentence and post: “A great reader is…”

My 14 Award Nominees* Are:

* I realize that not everyone does the blog award thing. Some people look at awards like chain letters that are more work and obligation than anything else. I am completely fine with that perspective, and understand it. However, I really appreciate the sentiment behind these awards, and I think it’s a great way to share other blogs and bloggers with your readers. Therefore, I’m nominating people that I feel deserve this award (whether you read my blog, and/or I read yours)…it is totally up to you whether or not you want to accept it and pass it on. I won’t be insulted if you don’t want to accept the award…I just want to recognize you as an important part of my blogging community! Also, I’ve previously nominated some of these people for the Liebster Award. If this applies to you, tough! I love you so much that I’ve nominated you again! ❤

Sammy D. at Bemuzin – sorry, Sammy – I’m gonna nominate you for this one for all the love you leave me on my blog!
Ava Quinn at Tongue In Cheek – ha! My last sentence in the paragraph above applies to YOU!
Misty from Dancing in the Weeds – you’re so amazing that you get another award!
Michelle Stanley – always sharing other people’s posts, you’re a great team reader!
Marie at Every Day is a Miracle – we met during the A to Z Challenge and your blog is fantastic!
Roxy and Tigerlino from Purrfect Kitties – always clever, cute, and supportive!
Laura Barbosa – I love her artwork, and she let me post one of her paintings here for Fine Art Felines Friday!
Stephanie Bird at Stephanie’s Studio – I also met Stephanie through the A to Z Challenge and have been blessed by her visits!
Jay from Running In My Head – who very kindly just nominated me for another award (working on it…)!
Michele from Angels Bark – I just love this blog, and the passion with which Michele advocates for animals.
Sheena from Not A Punk Rocker – I don’t know if she reads my blog, but I read hers. Love the 80’s references and honest writing!
Laurel from Alphabet Salad – Reading this blog makes me happy. I love her tangles – they are inspiring and creative!
All the critters at Cascadian Nomads – Again, I don’t know if they know my blog exists, but I love reading about their travels with pets, and how you can safely do the same!
Indywrites at Eloquent Articulation – I was mesmerized by her A to Z Challenge posts about women in India. Amazing.
Tammy at Diary of a Middle-Aged Misfit – Again, a more serious A to Z Challenge topic (WWII), but incredible writing.

And finally, all I need to do is finish this sentence:

A great reader is…someone who not only loses herself in what she is reading, but also finds herself as well. She relates something about herself to the words she consumes, and connects on a very personal level with the writer. In the words of Marcel Proust:

Every reader finds himself. The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.”