The Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given by bloggers to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity while spreading sunshine in the blogging community.

And with that lovely accolade, I want to thank Simone, affectionately known as the wheelchair teen – https://thewheelchairteen.home.blog/ for nominating me. To think I spread sunshine would be such an honour. (And I love sun-flowers!!!)

So, now to follow the rules (I’m not good at following rules, so I have to get a bit nerdy now…)

Rules

1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
3. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
4. Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award, write them 11 new questions and notify them about the nomination.

I think I’ve done 1. and 2., so now I’ll do my best to answer your questions, Simone –

1. What was a defining or significant moment in your blogging experience?

It’s been a bit of a plod-along for me – I’ve been on here for a long time, but I still feel like a beginner. I’m only just beginning to get ‘like’s on my posts… I think adding photographs created more interest, but perhaps I’m just not saying what people need to hear. I guest the defining moment was setting up the word press to first share my poems and my book, but every week that I go to write a new post is significant and has a little skip of glee in it, as I press ‘publish now’.

2. What’s your favourite place that you’ve ever visited?

I think it has to be the little simple chapel in a remote sand-dune in Llannelli, where I met Jesus, when I was 12 years old… and I went back and met Him again the following year! 😀

3. Who’s your favourite disabled or neurodiverse character?

My first response was Christopher Reeve, who I fell in love with when I first saw Superman, when I was about 14 years old. I didn’t know what neurodiverse meant so had to look it up, so now my answer has to be – my first born son, who is one of the most transparent, delightful characters I know.

4. What’s one thing about society that angers you?

One thing? Injustice! (Greed, deceit, abuse of power, discrimination, poverty, violence…)

5. Do you love or hate poetry (or are you somewhere in the middle)?

That depends who writes it. I write poetry. Sometimes poems come to me – I like my own! 😀 I love some poets and lyricists, because I like the intensity of imagery and the rhythm, but some poets are so complex in their big, obscure words, that they lose me. I will include a poet I like in my nominees.

6. What was the last thing that made you smile?

Reading that question made me smile! (I smile a lot!)

7. What’s your favourite quote?

I suppose it’s the only one I can remember – “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins” and I like the addition I saw on a fridge magnet – “because by then you are a mile away from him and you still have his shoes!!!” LOL.

8. Name one thing that’s always guaranteed to help you relax.

My deep breathing exercises.

9. What’s your number one tip to new bloggers?

Write for yourself only, and if others like it, that’s a bonus, but don’t write for them, even if you remain Billy-no-mates, or have just select, super-special followers, like me!

10. If you could choose a best friend to bring to life from any book that you’ve read or film or television series that you’ve watched – who would it be?

My favourite ever film is “The Dark Crystal” and I would love to have one of the mystics as my friend.

11. What makes your blog special?

That’s difficult! I write because I write and I share it as a blog in the hope that it blesses and resonates with other persons out there… so what makes it special, is people like you, who interact with me and my posts and make them significant to somebody other than me. So, short answer – connection.

Next Task is to nominate up to 11 new bloggers – not sure what ‘new’ means, so I’ll nominate at least one poet I like and some recent additions to my friends on here…

My Nominees – all who “who inspire positivity and creativity while spreading sunshine in the blogging community.”

1. Tina, whose poems are thought provoking and inspired by hope in the Son himself. https://pippispoetry.com/

2. Natasha Nkandu, another poet I have recently discovered – honest and warm, whose heart bends towards the sun. https://sunrisefriday.wordpress.com/

3. Susan, whose raw, honest words cause my heart and prayer to rise and it’s in the dark corners that the light shines brightest. https://simplysusan.blog/

4. Fay Ann, another gritty, straight-talking poet, who blooms for Jesus. https://fayannswearing.wordpress.com/

5. Deborah Marie, who teaches great little lessons and reminders to check my heart. https://greatisgodsfaithfulness.blog/

6. Elizabeth, who always surprises me with something fresh and I’m sure she’ll have sunflowers in her garden. https://teandpaper.ca/

7. Matt, because he makes me smile with his generous and encouraging spirit and I always delight to read his very gracefully human blogs. https://jesusluvsall.wordpress.com/

and lastly for today,

8. Ruelha, whose lively, narrative poetry reflects her big, smiley heart and who uses great image quotes that I like to borrow! https://ruelha.com/

There are so many whose blogs I read and who inspire me in different ways, but these I choose today, or I’ll still be doing this at Christmas and the sun-flowers will be long past their best!

Lastly, My questions: –

1. Who or what inspired you to start blogging online?

2. Tell me your favourite Bible story

3. Do you sing or play any musical instruments? What?

4. What person has most inspired you to be creative?

5. What line would you most hope to read on your epitaph?

6. What is your favourite game?

7. If you could have a dinner date with any person who ever lived or lives, who would it be?

8. What favourite dish reminds you of home?

9. What city would you most like to visit? Why?

10. If you could wave a wand to solve just one problem in the world, what would it be?

11. Will you please forgive me for asking so many questions? 🙂

Image Citation: https://ionimage.nl/sunshine-blogger-award-nomination/