Time to Enjoy The Best of This and That

The 1st of the Christmas Amaryllis bulbs makes an early showing.

My new found friend, Healthy Gardener, gifted me with the 'Best Blog Award' and invited me to pass this along to 15 favorite blogs I've recently discovered.

I met Gloria through Blotanical, purely by searching for South Dakota bloggers ~ because that's where I was born and raised. And, while I wholeheartedly agree we can bloom wherever we are planted, there's also a deep connection with people who's roots are wiggling around in the same familiar mud as you.

The 2nd of the Christmas Cactus gals joins in the fun.

It got me thinking about Thanksgiving ~ I always give thanks for the usual important stuff. This year I'm also giving thanks for one strange thing that needs a bit of clarification: TIME!

The whole concept of having 'enough time' is foreign to me. I work full time, I have a demanding volunteer second job, an all-consuming 'full time' passion toward gardening... then there's the horses... squeeze family into that mess and, well, you get the picture.

This 3 year old unpredictable Poinsettia has taken her usual stance toward the holidays: Undecided. Sporting half red leaves, half green leaves ~ she has 1 month to get with the program.

I've never had a moment to spare. Until now.

This year, life is suddenly manageable. For the first time since I became addicted to blogging way back in 2006, I can take leisurely strolls around the blogosphere, meeting new people and learning all sorts of new things. Because, this year, thankfully, I have some free time!

* This list is in no particular order ~ except for the first one because it's pretty dang cool to have a concert pianist as a friend...

• To the Minnesota Gardener who took a deep breath and a leap of faith and put it out there... filming herself performing a Schumann Sonata.
• To the savvy silly sisters, Just-a-Mere and Iron Needles, who get me laughing on the best and worst of days.
• To the Empress of Dirt for her neat perspective on pretty much everything.
• To A Corner Garden who's cozy posts and cute dog, Heidi, always entertain.
• To The Village Voice who's yummy recipes have bailed me out of more than one sticky wicket.
• To the Totally Inept Balcony Gardener who is anything but.
• To the Sunflower Ranch who's Writer Challenges keep me on my toes.
• To Gardening with Grace who just so happens to live in Oregon, my favorite spot in the universe. Bonus! We both love Clematis flowering vines.
• To the Backyard Farm who not only has cute chickens, she grows as much of her own food as possible.
• To Flower Hill Farm for lovely photography and interesting stories, whenever I need an escape.
  
• To the Shady Gardener because I have no shade so she teaches me a thing or two.
• To Flowers and Weeds for her fun tutorials and highly entertaining new garden project.
• To the Witless Wanderer who hasn't lifted a finger on her blog in oh so long but I know why... she's writing a novel!
• And, last but definitely not least, to the Darling of the Dahlia Society, Karen, who's fine eye for flowers and fur is a joy to behold.

THE FINE PRINT:
If you want to participate, please grab this award and then pay it forward to 15 of your favorite recent blog discoveries. If you don't want to participate, please don't feel any pressure to do so.

Please note ~ this award asks that I highlight 15 blogs. There are many more I wanted to list. Some I didn't list because you already have the award. Some I didn't list because I know how popular you are and you'll no doubt get the award from someone else! Some of you don't want the awards! And so it goes...