Monday, January 24, 2011

Anatomy Of A Blog Post by an Unreliable Narrator

Frontispiece


Preface


After a busy weekend of travel, post-holiday family gatherings, and lots of bubbly, I return to a box brimming with mail and good news. A while back, I mentioned that I believe writing comes with a certain responsibility. Turns out, in the blogosphere, there is an undertaking I hadn't contemplated. I've seen them on sidebars, or twinkling on posts, a little recognition from fellow bloggers known as: Blog Awards.

Over the weekend, I received not one, not two, but three awards (really! no kidding) from two very kind and generous bloggers; and it is now upon me to pass the same along to other deserved bloggers. Before I do, there are some prerequisites/responsibilities (for real) that go hand-in-hand with receipt of these honors; which include, among other things, writing something meaty about oneself. The big reveal. Whoa...  well, you can kind of get the gist of it here. And maybe below...

Introduction and Acknowledgement


Let me begin this Monday's post with a tall-glass bubbly toast to Ms. Barbarba L. of Notes From The Second Half who received and passed along to me the above Life Is Good Award, and The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.

And another sparkly toast to Ms. June with the luscious locks, from Aging Gratefully for receiving and passing along to me the Stylish Blogger Award.

Thanks so much, ladies for this nod, and a nod back at ya. Well Done.

Part I - The Rules and The Two Award Winner 


In the case of the Life Is Good, and The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award, from Barbara the requirements are:
1. Thank and link back to the person that gave the award;
2. Answer the 10 survey* questions;
3. Pass the award along to other bloggers whom you think are fantastic 
(as many as you'd like); and,
4. Contact the bloggers you have chosen to let them know about the award.

Random Photo Break





*The Survey Questions (I'm listing them and answering them below - but don't include my answers as part of the requirements unless you are me and I am you. And I don't mean to make light of thisall three awards are an honor bestowed by serious bloggers who I faithfully follow—but I have, what you call, survey issues):

1.   If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing this?  If you aren't anonymous, do you wish you started out anonymously, so that you could be anonymous now?   Answer: I didn't blog anonymously at first, but now I half do, and I don't know if I shall again. In short, I have an identity issue. It's not a crisis, sometimes I just don't know who I am and how I want to blog.
2.   Describe an incident that shows your inner stubborn side. Answer: Absolutely not. I refuse to.
3.   What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror? Answer: I try very hard to never really look at myself. Why in the world would anyone want to do that?
4.   What is your favorite summer cold drink?  Answer: Wine. Always wine. Hot, cold, lukewarm, red, blue, green or white. Wine.
5.   When you take time for yourself, what do you do? Answer: Is this supposed to be a G-rated Q&A?   No, yes? Really? I absolutely won't answer this one either.
6.   Is there something that you still want to accomplish in your life? Answer: Holy cow, what don't I want to accomplish? I mean I still haven't jumped out of an airplane, or walked a tight-rope, or mounted a bull (at least not that I remember). 

7.   When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person or always ditching? Answer: I don't remember attending school. Kidding, I do, I just don't want to remember attending school.
8.   If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what would you see? 
Answer: Seeing my babies for the very first time. This, followed by a blurry streak of denial, refusal, absentmindedness, insanity and wine. All, utterly poignant.
9.   Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog, or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people and events? Answer: Both. But this is not always the case. Sometimes it's difficult to differentiate between the two. But whether I'm writing about me or others it is usually obvious if it's fact or fiction. Sometimes it's neither, and sometimes it's impossible to tell.

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read a book or talk on the phone, which would you do and why? Answer: It depends who the person is at the other end of the line, or the book I want to read. Sometimes I like to do both of them at the same time. Neither the caller nor the book would be the wiser.


And the Winner is....    Ms. Lin Ann of Vittles and Committals!!! (Applause.) (Now get up - standing ovation.) Lin Ann is a newbie foodie blogger, and my bestie friend. Check her out. She's gets around, people. In her garden, I mean. Sheesh. Where are your minds today?


Part II - The Rules and The One Award Winner (but you deserve two)


In the case of the Stylish Blogger Award from Miss June at Aging Gratefully, the requirements are:



1.  Write a post about the award including a link back to the donor;

2.  Share seven things about myself; 

3.  Pass it on to fifteen seven one blogger I've recently discovered.
Ya, I broke the rules, reducing the pass-along to one,  but feel free to bestow the award to whomever you please...

So, about the seven things in #2 above:  (Must I play by the book?) Since self-disclosure is like self-flagellation, I'm going to refer you to Part I above to satisfy #2 here. And I'll give you this:



And the Winner is... Dennice at Fringe. (Applause) (More standing ovations.) If you take a peek at her blog, you'll understand why. Go. See Dennice. She's fabulous, and she is creating some fabulous artisan wear.



Postscript


This is all true. Every word of it. And I am not often an unreliable narrator. Only when it suits me. I am now permitted to place the awards on my sidebar. Really. You'll see them there. 

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for these thoughtful awards. To the recipients: kudos to you. You can both grab your awards in the Frontispiece. 

Gosh we bloggers work for our awards. ;)

10 comments:

  1. Congrats, Jayne! --you deserve all the accolades and many more! You are, indeed, stylish, sweet and above all, have a great and funny mind! XO

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  2. Well done Jayne!

    Lovely to be awarded and rewarded.

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  3. Congrats you and thanks for the introduction to the other bloggers - Looks like I got a lot of reading to do :)

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  4. Congratulations, Jayne! Well deserved. And thank you so much for my award! It'll be posted soon! xoxo

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  5. Congratulations, Jayne! Well-deserved recognition for your wonderful blog.

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  6. Congratulations on the awards. It's nice to get them - at first. Maybe later on, too, if you have a better disposition than I do :-)

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  7. Much thanks for the well wishes and congrats, Everyone! It is nice to get a little recognition now and then, and also to have the opportunity to pay it forward.
    Thanks again, for all your support! :)

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