Quarters and Change

Today’s take on MAD is a bit different than the one we normally travel. In this case, we are discussing the people who make a difference in the blogosphere. Despite mundane arguments to the contrary, the virtual world is one which truly does MAD in the flesh and blood world, every single day.

Even before the overhaul of the Trophy Room, there were a few awards left hanging out which I had not gotten around to properly accepting. They are from many different places…and not just the blogosphere. Let’s look at what M3 has garnered in this quarter, beginning with the specialty awards. These are the non-chain letter, no hoop jumping awards.

The summer was bright for many bloggers. Two such bloggers awarded M3 with summer time honors:

Deb’s Art & Blog passed the sunshine with the Sunflower Award:

She made this digital painting for all of the visitors and frequenters of her blog and supporters of her art. If you are not already following Deb, stop by and browse her enormous collection.

Cat Forsley was equally sunny with her award of the Summertime Heart:

If you have not been by one of Cat’s blogs, you are missing out. She is truly a bright spot in the blogosphere who, if left to her own devices, would personally hug everyone she reaches.

My darling sister, Val, gifted me with another pair of Eternal Wings:

QBG ~ Tilted Tiara is a wonderful mix of all things controversial. Bring your philosophy hat. If you are smart, you will wear the red one.

A friend on Facebook, who is not a blogger, awarded M3 The Wake Up Award:

Social media is often a mixed bag of people you adore and those you wonder how in the world you ever approved a friend request. It feels really good to be recognized by those who take what is on M3 to other venues. Knowing the caveat for this award is: For those who take the things no one is willing to talk about and broadcasting them.

All these ladies are tremendously supportive of all the pies I juggle in an average day. To each of them from the bottom of the sweet part of my heart, I award Mantra’s Heart.

New Ones

In the realm of the awards offered to blogs for certain posts, themes or overall appearance in the blogosphere, there are a few which M3 has garnered this quarter. Let’s name them first (as close to in order of appearance as I can manage) and jump through hoops after. Shall we?

The Hobbler of Plays Well With Words awarded the Diverse Blogger. Hobbs brings you an interesting take on life, disability, fun, flash fiction and nearly any other subject you can bring to the conversation. Worth a read.

This award comes with no official hoops.

Noeleen of Words Fall From My Eyes and Wendy of Wendy’s Works both awarded M3 with the Sisterhood of World blogger award. This one is a seven secrets award. For those of you who may have missed these two lovely ladies, a cruise by both blogs will be enlightening.

At WFFME, you will get the first glimpse at a memoir in draft. It is a path of discovery. Noeleen also hosts Vodka Was My Muse. It is a vlog on the road to recovering from alcohol. Her smile is infectious.

Wendy, my dark and lovely fictioneer, is the head wench of Wendy’s Works. Accomplished author and frequent holder of Insecure Writers Group meetings, Wendy is a barrel of laughs, a vast well of insight and the reigning queen of creepy. And she is not hard on the eyes, either.

Another beautiful lady who awarded M3 is Sue of Mystery Coach DSI, bearing the One Lovely Blog award. With loads of life experience, Sue is coaching her way to the happiest life possible with self-realization. Looking at why we do things, how we communicate and what comes next is only part of the bill of fare at her blog.

While this one normally has seven secret strings attached, this particular model does not.

Val tagged me with two new awards. One is a head scratcher, and the other is a revealer. The Booker Award will be addressed below with five books, and the Seven Secrets Award will have…wait for it…seven secrets. Stop by QBG ~ Tilted Tiara and see what my gorgeous sister is reading these days. To say it is enlightening is an understatement.

And on to even more light bringing, her secrets are fun, eclectic and demonstrate some of the ways sisters can be so very alike for all our obvious differences. She is far more private than I have ever dreamed of being. Ever.

Repeat Performances

One of the awards M3 has received a number of times, six total now, is the Sunshine Award. Quite a few of you were here to flash with us and receive one of three different versions of the Sunshine Award. All of those flashes will be in the fall edition of the Flash in the Pan book. (If you have not sent me an about me, now would be a perfect time!)

Cat and Val both awarded M3 the Sunshine Award. The questions have morphed since the last time we did this one, so I will answer those questions. Be sure to check out their answers.

Questions and Answers

For the Sunshine Award, the answers to the questions which did not change, have not changed. Check them out, as I was surprised how many got them wrong last time! The new questions and answers are:

1. Favorite Christmas movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I fell in love with the soundtrack of this movie before it was available in my area on…VHS. I watched it on loop as I slept for nearly eight months. (Yes, OCD manifestation.) I know the dialogue and lyrics, literally, in my sleep.

2. Favorite time of the year: Nighttime.

For me, the elements do not do much for either my mood or my disposition. The daylight, however, does. Between the hours of 2300 and 0500 are my most productive times, regardless of how much I accomplish in all the others.

3. Favorite time of the day: Asked and answered.

4. Favorite physical activity: For the sake of decorum, dancing.

I have won awards dancing. It is my sport of choice. It is also very good therapy for what ails your spirit or body.

5. Favorite vacation: The few which are just Bear and I.

6. Love or Money: Love. I can always make more money.

7. High salary or job satisfaction: Job satisfaction

I had to make that choice many times. I much prefer to save the therapy money by choosing job satisfaction. In essence, this is an easy choice. Happiness is far more valuable than any benefits package.

8. Television character you adore: Hawkeye Pierce.

I do not watch television, but I do own several seasons of M*A*S*H on DVD. It is my all-time favorite program, not just for the comedy, but for the deep social commentary.

9. Favorite music: Rock ‘n’ Roll, far and away.

In its varied forms, I listen to metal, classic and new age. None of that stops me from the blues, jazz, New York club music (from the turn of the century) and classical. I love the violin.

10. Favorite type of movie: Ugh.

With a library of over 600 movies, my favorites are varied, to say the least. This is a fluctuating top ten, with only three which travel off of it in favor of new loves:

  1. Nightmare Before Christmas
  2. Alice in Wonderland (original animated Disney version)
  3. Original Sin
  4. Merlin
  5. The Wall
  6. Shawshank Redemption
  7. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
  8. The Meaning of Life
  9. Gone With the Wind
  10. Kiss the Girls

In flipping through the DVD carrier, I found at least this many more representing spaghetti westerns, horror, absurdity and art. All of which are regular visitors to the Blue Ray player.

Books

For the Booker Award, I have to name five books I love (which let me skip a Sunshine question). This is another adventure in eclectic.

1. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart.

I am a huge Arthurian legend buff. Her treatment of the story through the trilogy was brilliant and has left a lasting impression on me.

2. The Iliad & The Odyssey, by Homer.

Other than The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, no other books have more influenced my style of poetry than Homer’s.

3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey.

I would not find out how little of this book was fiction until years after I read it; at which point, I read it again. I was as amazed, awed and revolted as I was the first time, but for very different reasons.

4. Sphere, by Michael Crichton.

His books make excellent movies, but the books are actually better. He is one of only a handful of modern authors I have read more than one of their books. This was probably the toughest choice for me because I also love Rising Sun, Jurassic Park, Timeline and Prey.

5. With a Tangled Skein, Piers Anthony.

After volumes upon volumes of sci-fi fantasy, Anthony’s look into the Incarnations of Immortality was both refreshing and introspective. Inspiration hides in some of the strangest places. This series was one of them.

And just so you know it is not all about the cerebral and pondering, the two most read books in my house are Napalm and Silly Putty (George Carlin) and Uncle John’s All Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, 13th Edition (Bathroom Readers Institute). Okay, so maybe it is all cerebral and pondering.

Secrets

Back a few sections ago, I admitted not being a very private individual. This makes the whole revealing secrets about myself nearly impossible, as I do not keep secrets of my own. Therefore, rather than tax my brain and your patience, I shall reveal trivia which may pass for secrets if you squint hard enough.

Although the aggregate number of secrets I should reveal resembles the number kits, cats, sacks and wives met on the road going to St. Ives, I am going to stick with seven.

1. I was voted ugliest in my class for seven consecutive years. No, not elementary school.

2. Someone who had not seen me in more than 20 years walked up (on crutches with a full leg cast) to me , called me by name and said he would recognize me anywhere. I had a crush on him in the fourth grade.

3. I have buried more friends than some people will have in a lifetime. It is a silver-lined cloud.

4. If the Earth was flat, I would have dug through to the other side. I have moved more than 100 cubic miles of dirt with machines and dump trucks.

Truck with attitude.

5. I make up for 50 Americans who have never been in a wreck. The average American is in two, with the second one being fatal. I have been in more than 25. I have only been the driver once, and it was a read end wreck at a stop light. I remember every time I get in the Beast why I drive something which weighs more than two tons.

6. When the time comes I can no longer write and type (which is quickly approaching), I will have a full-time transcriptionist. No software on the planet has my command of the English language, or all the other ones I routinely add to the mix.

7. If I could change one thing about the world, it would be to open everyone’s eyes to how their routine behaviors are self-destructive and sabotage others, regardless of intent.

Winners!

I have five sets of winners in this post:

First, Mantra’s Award goes to the ladies first named. Take it with my love.

Second, the Sisterhood Award goes to the ladies who frequent M3…yes, even those whose appearances are few and far between:

Jen, Barb, Tess, Val, Cat, Wendy, Laurie, Deb, Gail, Tina, Angie, Red, Noeleen, Sue (Mystery Coach), Norma, Lizzie, Sue (Dreamwalker), Janet, Christy, Lisa, Becky, Robin, Alexandra, Johannah, Candy, Novroz, Conny, Tanya, Rachael, Soma, Lorre, Mia, Cha, Lauren, Colleen, Gloria, Dianna, Shenni, Mandy, Emily, Deb (sis), Julie, Maria, Andrea, Karen, Karen (PFD), Tiffany, Jenn, Janice, Teresa, …who am I missing?

Third, if you are willing to answer questions or reveal secrets or books, pick up your copy of the Booker, Sunshine, Seven Things and/or One Lovely Blog awards.

Fourth, to grab the Diverse Blogger, you need to name your favorite three topics on M3. Do not cheat and tell me the category names. What kind of topics…perhaps, name a post or two?

Fifth, you are the reason any of these awards ever come this way. I appreciate every one of you who visits, comments and shares the M3 posts. For all of you, I award you the Best Follower Award. Take it with my many thanks for all you do to make M3 a wonderful, exciting place to work. By far, The M3 Readers are the best audience in the blogosphere.

 ~~~~~~~~~~


 

I hope you have had an award-winning week. You Make A Difference in my life. 

If you take an award, please link back to this post so I can find your awards show!

If you gave M3 an award you do not see here, please kick me squarely in the inbox. 

Just a bit of business: New poll and enter to win a copy of Selso’s book (last Writer’s Spotlight…link right down there on the left).

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
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58 Comments

  1. Dear Red,
    I have never been to one of your awards shows before, and this one goes way beyond my imagination. You deserve all of the awards bestowed upon you, and many more such as the kindness award, the brilliant award and the MAD award. Thank you so much for the mention, and I will proudly wear my Best Follower Award around the Blogosphere, and the Sisterhood Award. We are all one here, and I call it home.
    Gailxxx
    Gail Thornton recently posted..The Girl in the Iron Lung, a memoir – Book TrailerMy Profile

    Reply
    • I like the thought of all being one. As i believe in collective consciousness, it is a very comforting idea <3 Glad you like your awards 😉 xxx

      Reply
  2. Becky Champ

     /  September 20, 2012

    Although I am a fan of everything you write, I quite enjoyed tonight’s post (not only because I was mentioned, either. lol). I love to get to know things about people like you shared with us tonight. I used to love when people would post things like this on FB. I find it fascinating to see how much I have in common with people. You’re one unique woman, Red!

    As for your use of construction equipment, I am quite jealous. I enjoy all things like that. I’m a power tool fanatic for the most part, though. I drive a Ford Escort, because it’s good on gas, and I am poor.

    I have only read one of the books you mentioned, which is, of course, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Personally, my favorite book is “Riding the Bus With My Sister” by Rachel Simon. It is about a mentally handicapped woman who enjoys nothing more than riding the bus all day everyday, and her sister accompanies her for a few weeks. It’s a true story, and touched my heart deeply because my aunt, the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known, was mentally handicapped. They call it “handicapped” but I don’t think there’s anything handicapped about. She wasn’t good at math, but she could do a bunch of things way better than I could ever do.

    As for The Nightmare Before Christmas, that is one of my all time favorite movies, too! As a child, I also had it on VHS & I would watch it all of the time, no matter what month. Seeing as how you like metal, I hope you’ll enjoy this rendition of the best song from the movie.

    Thank you for mentioning me! You’re a good woman, and I am blessed to have you in my life! You’re so insightful on so many different things.

    Reply
    • Just keep the power tool thing a secret until after you are married, Bec. It is cause for penis envy. Russell was always jealous I had far better tools.

      That is a great book. I read it not that long ago, but enjoyed the premise. As cheesy as it is, they are all handicapable. Being different in one area does not ever mean you are deficient as a human or you do not far outshine the majority in other areas. Judgment sucks.

      Glad to see you tonight <3

      Reply
    • Cool. I love this song and my children know all the words. One of my daughters has the cast as her cover on FB. This one and Sally’s song are my faves. <3
      Red recently posted..Writers Spotlight: Selso XistoMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Super cool, Red.

    However do you manage to come up with innovative ideas like this? From the moment I start reading at the top of your page, you always get me engrossed in it with some amusing or interesting discourse.

    … Thanks for mentioning my name too. 🙂

    Reply
    • You are welcome, Mandy. On awards day, I try to keep everyone engaged. As to the ideas, I am pleading OCD…Yes, I am sticking with that 😉

      Reply
  4. Red, Red, Red, where does one start commenting on this post?

    Oh well, let me start by mentioning my two current fav books …. “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel (which is soon to be a movie, urgh!!!) and “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” by Muriel Barbery.

    I can’t even begin to list my fav movies but I can’t help but give mention to the one I have watched over and over again …Dumb and Dumber
    Friggin Loon recently posted..Clean Freak ChameleonMy Profile

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    • LOL! Heard of Pi, but not Hedgehog. After all this time, I have never seen D&D, although I do have the soundtrack…which I do like. 😉

      Reply
      • OMG Red, Dumb and Dumber is the ultimate movie for career killing. It took Jeff Daniels nearly a decade to resurrect his credibility and Jim Carrey ….well, his was there for the taking anyways. It is so incredible bad it is funny.
        Friggin Loon recently posted..Australia Pays $40 Million For UN Seat BidMy Profile

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        • That is hysterical. Jim Carey is probably the reason I never bothered to watch it. I can only name three movies he has ever done that were worth sitting still for 20 minutes to watch. Two of them, he wears a mask…

          Reply
  5. Tiffany W.

     /  September 21, 2012

    🙂
    Thanks for the shout out! Hugs to you!

    Reply
  6. Congratulation for all those wonderful awards. I love reading what you said about those who have given you awards.

    Voted as the ugliest?? that’s a mean poll.

    Reply
  7. Red,
    How could any writer, and axiomatically reader, miss this post?
    You are well loved for not only your sage advice, kick-ass snark, ginormous (I fucking hate that word but am compelled by the spirit of the baby jesus to use it) heart, wonderful use of vocabulary and naturally your prose and observations.
    Loved the sneak peek into your secrets and likes. Seems we have many of the same authors on our bookshelves and musicians on our turntables. Perhaps we should feed the poor bastards today.

    High five for the recommendations on other blogs as well, am fairly well acquainted with several.

    A smile, thank you and curtsy to you and your world.
    xxx
    Miss R recently posted..Burning Man Delayed… and Defiled.My Profile

    Reply
  8. Thank you so much for all those lovely compliments Red. Queen of creepy….I love that!
    Wendy Reid recently posted..New Award – Sisterhood of the World Bloggers AwardMy Profile

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  9. Nice awards show, but I was hoping for some Muppets or something. All kidding aside, you know what makes this site so appealing is the diverse crowd, I think. I don’t read everything, but I am amazed at the interaction you get here. Good stuff, really.
    Derek Mansker recently posted..Does this sound entertaining to you?My Profile

    Reply
    • I have always said it. M3 has the absolute best audience in the blogosphere…and most of social media as well. The interaction not happening here happens there. To get this disparate a group together without infighting means a lot to me.

      Reply

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