Nice Smile!

Part I

The "Nice Matters Award"

Verilion at A Wanderer in Paris and Jeni at The Passionate Palate have gifted me with this mischievous cheshire cat Nice Award. Thank you Jeni & Verilion! I like it very much, as I tend to be a good blend of nice and mischievous myself. Balance is important, you know. If you look closely at the picture, there's mischief in the cats eyes and smile, and a snake wrapped up in the cats tail around that tree trunk. Someone else will have to explain the umbrella to me, but I like the way it looks, and I'd walk down the street under it, if there was rain.

I shall pass this award on to a few of those who I believe to be well balanced in both Niceness and Mischief.

La Cubana Gringa ~ one of the funniest and most honest writers I have ever had the sheer delight and thrill to read. A lady, a doctor, a lover of cheese and a Brit, a San Francisco girl, a lightening sharp wit, and a brain that doesn't stop. Betcha can't read just one post.... oh, and fair warning: NO CONSUMPTION OF LIQUID OR FOOD WHILE READING HER BLOG; there's a real good chance that there will be no controlling it.

Ally at Tangerine Zest ~ Formerly of Crazy Dust in my Coffee fame, this woman is absolutely worth every single minute spent on her blog. Sassy and sweet, strong and funny, wise and smart-Ally, this one always makes me laugh, makes me think, makes me smile. So glad to have you back, lady- you were missed. **Just now she's featuring a "Tell me something I don't know" contest.... definitely worth a look!

Loretta at Failed Painter ~ If you rolled all the women in "Steel Magnolias" into one woman, it would be this woman. She is a brilliant artist and writer, her heart is bigger than Australia, her mind is as deep and wide as the ocean around that country, and she never fails to reach me on many levels. What a diamond in the rough.

Molly at Molly Bawn Chronicles ~ Words to live by, places to see, life to laugh at, cry over and share as each day zips past us... it's all here. Molly is a woman who looks at the world in a way that opens windows and doors for everyone else, she is many things I admire in a truly good woman, from top to bottom. No one is perfect, and she doesn't pretend to be, but she's got a good grip on it all, and I learn a lot about who I am, who we all are, and where we could be from her.

Jules at Thinking About is another great California girl. Her blog is peppered with great humor, keen insight, family devotion and good introspect. Always interesting, current and insightful! Love this one.

Chesca at ExSkin Diver is a realistic, sassy, funny, sweet, oh so very thoughtful, devoted mother who is always right on the edge of everything and always takes my mind, heart and humor to new places. What an adventurous, cool, exciting and awesome lady!

Christina at Single City Chick is definitely in the right group here! Smart, deep, fun, definitely sassy and a lover of good words; this is one of those places I know I can find good book, a good laugh, and a good look at life. A girl who speaks Scarlettese in many ways, this is one not to miss!

Some Pink Flowers at Some Pink Flowers, a wanderer like me, who loves to travel and see and experience, and who has just been to a wonderful ball... she snaps photos of the coolest things, and takes us on delightful excursions to the most interesting places. LOVE visiting her page!

And the only gentleman to make this first list: Pawlie Kokonuts at The Laughorist - an irreverent, intelligent, very funny, word play genius baseball fanatic scamp. Got all that? It's not even close to everything, but what a fabulous playground for my brain, what a great place to visit... think and play. Sheer gold. He's also one of my favorites because he likes to slide Latin in here and there throughout his posts. Ex Nihilio. Love that!

***GO ROCKIES!***

Part II

The "You Make Me Smile Award"

Bonnie at Words from a Wordsmith was very kind and gracious and has bestowed this lovely smiley flower award on me. Thank you so much, Bonnie, that's very sweet!

Here's to some of those people who make me smile constantly!! No limits this time ~ I'm going to put my nose in the air and give this to as many people as I want. Humph! Time to bend the rules in half again ;o)

Sognatrice at Bleeding Espresso
Irrelephant at Irrelephant
Kay at As It Happens
Jon at Writing in a Vacuum
Seamus at Shameless Words
Sarala at Blogaway
Diana at Piffle
Pearl at Humanyms
Jeni at The Passionate Palate
Rel at Under the Microscope
Kelly at My Utopia
Cleo at Confessions of Cleopantha
Caroline at Caroline Smailes/In Search of Adam


***And a very special and honorable mention to Neil at LAEvanesce who is a wonderful poet and very good writer, as well as the newest member of The Shameless Lions Writing Circle; for Neil and his lion Cheshire, Viaggiatore and I are very excited and proud to give both of these awards. We've been cheering him on and hoping that he could become a member, and it finally happened! Welcome to the circle, and congratulations!!***


And now... to play along with Moon Topples Phoctober, let's go for a walk to the park and see a statue called "Resistance". On the day that I went, I got a lovely surprise. There were glittery soft pink lipstick kisses all over the sculpture of this woman. All over her face, her back, her bottom, her arms, her breasts, her hands... everywhere. Lots of love. Perhaps if you click on the photos, the kisses will show up.