Do you have a favorite soup? I can’t choose, I like so many kinds, from the thick chili to the clear-brothed chicken vegetable. One of my sons prefers my cream of mushroom with shiitakes and the other likes best my Queen Green Soup. Don’t tell him, but it’s a cream of blended vegetable chock full of kale, spinach and/or chard. My daughter still prefers noodles, but I’m working on her.

Today, I’m making celebration soup. I hope you will join me at the table and break bread with me over some home-cooked soup. (Lots of veggies, sorry!)

First ingredient in any soup, some food, from seeds! Thanks to Belsbror for nominating friendlyfairytales for a Seed of Light Award. The light shines on the seeds in gardens around the world. No seeds, no food. Thanks Belsbror for this award that helps us remember.

Thanks to Donicia, a warm and creative blogger, for her delivery of stock ingredients. Her Grand Award included the Best Moment Award, Semper Fidelis, Shine One, the Awesome Blossom, the Very Inspiring Blogger, WordPress Family Award, the Versatile Blogger Award,  and the Most Creative Blogger Award. I’m going to cook those together, nice and slowly for a clear, deep stock. (Since I have them all already, I’m using my award token to accept.)

Thanks to Maria M, a fabulous writer and dog lover, at decidinglybob for some spice: the Versatile Blogger award.

Now for a taste of the islands: Thanks to Bia Helvetti at childoftheisland for the Reader Appreciation Award. I am new to her blog, and I am delighted to be exploring it. Here are her words: Bia Helvetti is a Story Keeper who writes folktales and ballads based mainly around the mythology of Britain and Ireland. Whether reworking the old stories or spinning new yarns, her tales bear the mischievous claw marks of her dark humour, passionate feminism and romantic Gothic influences.

Here’s the 10 veggies: Thanks to Deo at Deo Volente for 10 more awards, some of which I’ve already received: the Sunshine Award, the Awesome Blossom, the Reader Appreciation, the Because You Are Fantabulous Award, the Versatile Blogger Award, the Liebster Award, and the Most Creative Blogger. If you don’t know Deo, you should visit him, he is a very smart and inspiring person with a lot of wisdom: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” To accept those, I will repost my award token:

He also gave friendlyfairytales three new awards: the Outstanding Blogger, The Kreativ Blogger Award, and the Your Blog Makes Us Smile Award.

Trying out a new nomination format: to some terrific bloggers, please accept the following awards, no strings attached, simply an outpouring of admiration and a desire to share the love:

KeithGarrett, please accept the Seed of Light, for your delicious ghost story poems;

LavenderMoonGirl, please also accept the Seed of Light, for your magical nature poems;

BooknVolume, please accept the Grand Award from Donicia above (or any subset), for your restful Quiet Moments;

StockResearch52’sBlog, please accept the Versatile Blogger, for your amazing photographs, like fairy tales themselves;

WindAgainstCurrent, please accept the Versatile Blogger for your science, nature and recent fall colors, sigh;

ACuriousGal, please accept the Reader Appreciation Award, love your photos and love your comments;

MungaiandtheGoaConstrictor, please accept Deo’s Big Ten (or any subset), for your devotion to endangered animals;

DiffusetheMuse, please accept the Outstanding Blogger, for your consistent great poetry;

PhotographicRhodes, please accept the Kreativ Blogger for really connecting with subjects through photography; and

KindnessBlog, please accept the Your Blog Makes Us Smile, for your constant inspiration.

I hope you will check out these terrific bloggers, who really make my reader a fun place to be. I hope you enjoyed my celebration soup. A walk in the woods is a great way to celebrate a warm meal. Care to join me?

Thanks for the awards and thanks for reading!! I deeply appreciate the lovely feedback I’ve gotten these last six months, and it has come to mean more to me than I can say. (Just don’t tell Hubby, he might be jealous!)

Warmly,

Brenda

Copyright 2013 Brenda Davis Harsham