Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you, thank you, thank you, my darling and best beloved Erika, for awarding me this badge of honor. I blush. I swoon. I crave a toasted coconut donut. This certainly gives me something to live up to with my blog posts. 

Now. As per Erika's instructions, I will post the "rules" of this award-meme, which I am trying very obediently to follow. (Just so you know, it's very hard. I find it challenging not to rewrite arbitrary rules, but for Erika I'd do most anything. Even mind my manners.)

BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD RULES (ahem)

If you choose to accept the award you must:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
2. Copy the award and paste it to your blog.
3. Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.
4. Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.
5. Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.

Alright then. Here I go. In perfect compliance—

1. Gratitude and thanks I have taken care of. Permanently. In my side bar. Go ahead. Try the link. Erika's the most. You must love her.
2. Done and done.
3. Seven interesting facts about me? Since Erika didn't quantify "interesting," how about:
• The last new friend I made was on Monday, a beautiful intelligent little black cat which I named Thatch and claimed for my familiar. Not that I'm a witch.
• I have a brand new set of false eyelashes. Do you?
• Sometimes I just have to kiss flowers. And I often compliment trees.
• I am within easy walking distance of fresh toasted coconut donuts.
• I am keeping two secrets with expiration dates: April 30th and May 17th. I am keeping a much bigger secret that I may never be at liberty to blab. 
• I am supposed to be writing a short play right now. Rehearsal is tomorrow, at my house.
• I have two superpowers: my sense of smell and my fantastic peripheral vision. I have used one of these to fight crime. The other just keeps me out of trouble.
4. 15 Beautiful Bloggers I have discovered—PLEASE NOTE: This is in no way an exhaustive list of my favorites but a mere sampling (alphabetically arranged!) of the blogs which consistently make me glad to be alive. I have intentionally left off links to the "Provo All-Stars" (who may or may not all live in Provo) with whom I am ever and always in love, because there are more than 15 of them I would wish to mention, and so I think they deserve a list of their own at some future date):
• AudioPest (here is the best discovery of my life)
• Becoming Something (calls it like she sees it)
• C Jane Enjoy It (arguably a Provo All-Star, but she's really global property by now, ain't she?)
• Elsa Mora (positive, bright, creative, loving, happy energy—such a gift)
• Evening at the Authors' Table (mmmwah!)
• Hawaiian Magpie (mmmwah!)
• Jenny's Journal (mothering as art, art as mothering)
• Justin Hackworth (always reminds me how much I love people)
• Opacity (an eye for beauty that I understand all the way down to my cells)
• People Running, People Walking (my word sister)
• Resurrection Fern (there is beauty all around)
• Sweets (a beautiful classmate of yesteryear, rediscovered)
• Tollipop (just plain stuck on you)
• Tropical Velvet (mmmwah!)
• Wish Jar  (I want to be like Keri Smith whether or not I grow up)
5. And now I must make contact with these heroes of beautiful blogging....