And the Award goes to...

Val, a creative writer and artist and an incredibly generous blogger whose blog is Absurd Old Bird, bestowed upon me the venerated Liebster Award. “The Liebster Award, you say? What is that?” And, more importantly, “How can I get in on that action?”

Very innovative bloggers create their own awards. They are special bloggers who know how to: 1. create their own Official Award images; 2. have the entrepreneurial spirit to create a unique way of recognizing their peers and devising rules around said recognition; 3. feel empowered enough to, like Nike reminds us, “just do it.”

The objective of the award is to bring recognition (translation: visitors/subscribers) to the blogs that are worth a read/view but for some reason don’t seem to get much attention. New Liebster Award winners then “pay it forward” by passing the award on to five other blogs, thus recognizing them. Apparently the award is something of a delightful hot potato–not meant to be coveted, but tossed around to spread the viewership/subscribership heat.

Five blogs with fewer than 200 subscribers are targeted for this award. Since most blogs I visit don’t display the number of subscribers, I’m shooting in the dark. But I’ve been doing that all my life…

I tell you, Mr. I can't see a thing. Could someone turn on the lights in here?

Liebster means “beloved” in German. Even though I’m in America, I think it still applies; so I feel honored that Val thinks my blog is so special that she beloves me in German. From what I gather, I’m now supposed to let last year’s abnormally tall Miss America fit a tiara on my over-spray hair, grab my flotilla of long-stemmed red roses and walk gracefully down the runway while smiling and waving with silent joyful tears sparkling in my eyes. No. Wait. Wrong Award Fantasy. Sorry.

And all I ever really wanted was world peace...but this will do.

These are the blogs and bloggers (among the legions of talented, creative people I’ve come to know in the past 4 months) who I feel are worth visiting, but who may not have as many visitors/subscribers as their hard work and talent deserve:

Word Salad (Derek Berry)

The Cvillean (Big Al)

Serendipity for Molly (Molly)

Diana Douglas (self-evident)

What the Fluffy? (WTF) (O. Leonard)

Up To Random Thoughts (Phil)

Oops, I chose 6. But Val only chose 4, so it all evens out if my pre-school math skills are in tact.

Sure, easy for you, Little Girl. You have all those educational programs, software and calculators. When I was your age, I had Romper Room, coloring books and nothing but my own noodle to memorize complicated mathematical formulae like 4 + 6 = 10 and 10/2 = 5.

So go forth and take a look-see at these fine bloggers. Now they have been dubbed “beloved” in German by me and can choose to toss the potato Lieber Award to other bloggers deserving of recognition.

Now that's one beloved hotsy-totsy tater. Don't be afraid to catch this one, Liebster Award winners!

Again, thanks to Val for beloving my blog and me–we are, after all, one in the same.