Somehow, without my noticing, I have reached my one year blogoversary. WordPress let me know, and I was actually surprised. I’ve hardly noticed the year passing, I love the WordPress community and publishing. I even find myself thinking about attending BlogHer, although the likelihood is low, given my three kids need my time.

I started blogging without much clue, just putting stories up to make it easier to get copies to requesting beta-readers. Over the last year, I have been welcomed by other bloggers, who have become friends, you know who you are! To take a snapshot of progress, friendly fairy tales has 1379 followers and 36,293 hits since June from 103 countries. I have published nearly 50 fairy tales and over 110 poems. That averages about one story and two poems a week. I have had such fun sharing and hearing back from readers of all ages. I counted up all the likes laboriously some day after I passed 10,000 total and not since. No idea how many like I have now, as WordPress is keeping that knowledge pretty tight these days, but I know I have 8,123 comments. Holy Mackerel! Thanks WordPress, for all the information you do give, it’s more than I can process most days.

I have also collected well over a hundred awards, and I have even more thanks to share for these:

Thanks to A Collection of Writings, who aside from adding beauty to my life, has also given me the Because You’re Fantabulous Award.

Thanks to Maria at DecidinglyBob for nominating me for the Lighthouse Award. Hands down, the most adorable German Shepherd online!

Thanks to oawritingspoemspainting for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. She is a talented photographer and artist, and I hope you will visit her. Thanks to AleciaWrites for nominating me for the versatile Blogger again. She is a new friend, full of energy and humor. Thanks to Rose Red, for nominating me a third time. She is a lover of the singer Pink. Me, too!! LOL

I was nominated for the Sunshine Award six times. Firstly, thanks to Melanie Jean Juneau at Joy of Nine9 who gifted me with the Sunshine Award in the darkest, shortest days of the year. She is a radiant, contented mother of nine, with barrels of good sense and an unerring artistic sensibility. I like her immensely!

And secondly, thanks to Spiritbath, who nominated me again, and said these words to the nominees that are still ringing in my ears: “Thank you guys for being exceptional bloggers and shining lights in our universe!” Wow, moment of silence in appreciation for such wicked cool words….

Spiritbath is on a quest to share spiritual motivation they encounter on their journey to a more meaningful and desirable life than their former pursuit of being masters of the universe (read: investment bankers). And thirdly, thanks to Louise at BabyGatesDown, a Canadian with a great sense of humor who I would love to hang with and drink red wine, possibly accompanied by a plate of pasta with dark chocolate to follow. Mmm, I’m getting hungry here in the sun. Fourthly, thanks to Jackie Smith, published author of Cemetery Tours, and all around great writer, for nominating me again. Am I getting a sunburn? Fifthly, thanks to Robin at Witlessdatingafterfifty who is a great teller of tales about special people, and a sister of my heart. Sixthly, thanks to Bill at CopingwithCOPD, who deals with serious illness, with an open heart, steadfast courage and a wonderful spirit, especially considering he’s the runt of his family. 😉

Morgan at BooknVolume gave me a new award made by Patty at PetiteMagique, the Field of Flowers Award. This award gives  a whole field of flowers to other bloggers as appreciation for value they give the blogger, which is a very sweet gesture.

Both Morgan, a talented poet, and Patty, an-all-around magical and talented blogger, are great friends.

Thanks to HappyCat13 for making me part of her sisterhood of cool women bloggers. Us crazy writing sisters have to stick together! She likes fiber art, cats and camellias, who doesn’t like those?! Livingwithshadows then made me part of her sisterhood. I wish we could sit down with a cup of tea, and I could meet her two dogs. 🙂

Thanks to Belsbror who gifted me with three. First, the Dragon’s Loyalty Award for loyal readers and commenters and, second, then the Inventive Blogger Award and the Shauny Award for Blogging Excellence. Belsbror is a Philippine blogger with amazing stories from his life, and great writing, too.

      

Thanks also to Kerry at Winding Road, who topped up my stars for Blog of the Year 2013. I soaked up way more stars than I deserve, but thanks all the same to you!! Kerry is a wonderful mommy blogger, who also offers guest posts on Freestyle Friday.

Thanks to Marlyn at Kintal who has created a new award and given it to me, and I am deeply honored to receive her new award, the Paragon of Fine Arts Blogger Award.

I hate to admit, I’m not a rule follower with respect to blog awards, although I prefer to give thanks rather than refuse them outright. I’m no longer planning to nominate, though, I just can’t find time to go through and do the work for all the awards (25 of them!!). But I may drop by and leave a present on your blog.

As far as I’m concerned, all bloggers who toil without pay deserve support and reward. If you want any award above, consider yourself awarded it, and link back to me here! You DO deserve it!! The rules are available elsewhere if you feel moved to follow them. Just follow the link, or google the award to see how the rule-followers roll.

And as instructed by Marlyn for her new Paragon Award, I will follow this one rule. She directs me to put up something that shows my love of art, so I will post this painting. I used to walk by these buildings, everyday on my commute many years ago. One day I took my watercolors, stopped and did my pitiful best to record a scene that used to lift my heart, daily:

Last but not least, thanks to Lost in the Labyrinth who gave me a fistful, seven in one go! Six of them, I have already gotten and passed along in the past, they are the Reader Appreciation, The Dragon’s Loyalty Award, the Versatile Blogger Award, the Shine On Award and the Most Influential Blogger. I’ll use my award acceptance token for those. Here is the new one with a cool name, the Cracking Crispmouse Bloggywog Award.

There you have it, a new year, a fist full of awards, and a lot of joy!! Thanks to all the fairy tale lovers, you make my day, daily. If you made it this far, and you are still reading, you deserve a medal!! To say thanks, here are a few pictures from my vacation.

    

     

     

     

Hugs, Brenda