I write to you, my lieblings, to celebrate loved ones, to thank wonderful bloggers and to pass the liebe (love) along to others. My kids and I made a new video, Healing Magic of Beauty, in honor of all those fighting sickness and disease, you know who you are.

In particular, I dedicate Healing Magic of Beauty to two beautiful women, without whom my world would be a darker place.

To Belinda: she battles disease, but still finds time to look up and embrace the mystery and beauty of the ever-changing sky. Then she records it and shared it with the world. You can find this brave and lovely lady at Busymindthinking.

To Aunt Mary: I also dedicate Healing Magic of Beauty to you on your birthday. You are the original magical one — the finder of four-leaf clovers, the savior of the forlorn, the wisest and loveliest woman I know. Thank you for the luck your love has always brought me. You are daily in my thoughts, and I send thoughts of healing, magic and love your way. Happy, Healthful Birthday!!

Now to some blog business of a most agreeable kind…

Bouquet

Thanks to Bullying Prevention for giving friendlyfairytales the 6-award! Thanks also to the Seeker57 for handing me a giant portion of 14 more also. They both have terrific blogs and lots to offer, and I hope you will visit them. I had previously received, posted and nominated others for nineteen of these twenty awards, and thus I will gladly use my award acceptance token.

The award new to Friendly Fairy Tales is the Seed of Light. Rules: put up the icon, thank the giver and pass the award on to five deserving individuals. I’m going to gift it to the nominees below to whom I am also giving the Liebster.

Thanks to Coach Muller for awarding friendlyfairytales the Liebster Award. He is an inspiring man with feel-good stories.

This is an award to help bloggers find new friends and to encourage other new bloggers. Liebster mean “dearest” in German.* Although I have received this award before, I have never before followed the rules or learned any German. I know, shocking of me. However, third time’s the charm, and so here goes:

The Rules: Put up the icon, thank and link-back to the giver, answer questions and pass it on like a hot cake to more 5 deserving newbie bloggers with some more questions. I’ll be interpreting Newbie Blogger liberally since I’ve seen many definitions from blogs with 200 to 3000 followers.** I’m just going to pass it on to people I found inspiring, amazing or fabulously funny, because I’m saving the rest of my brain power (limited as it is at my age) for writing. I’m not sure the questions are strictly necessary, but that’s how it was given to me, and why not?

The Liebster Award

Die informationen (the skinny) on me:

1. What makes you smile? My children, sunshine, chocolate, my hubby, oh, the list goes on and on…
2. What makes you sad? Fighting with people I love or seeing pain and unhappiness in others.
3. What motivates you? That’s a mystery. I’ve always been driven, not sure why.
4. How would you describe your personality? Buoyant, empathetic, pragmatic, creative and supportive
5. What do you least enjoy doing in life? Cleaning up bodily fluids, my own or that of any other. Yuck!!
6. What is your favorite song? Greensleeves speaks to my heart and always has.
7. What is your favorite quote and why? “Bend like the grass that you do not break.” by Kamala Markandaya — it’s genius.
8. How do you relax? Read, hike, dance, doze, tell stories to my kids or meditate in nature’s beauty.
9. What is your favorite food? Chicken Parmesan with Angel Hair pasta made by my hubby on my birthday.
10. Why do you blog? I ruptured a disc, dislocating nerves to my leg, and had back surgery. I used to go, go, go and now I’m having to stick around the house more. First, I wrote a children’s chapter book and then started writing fairy tales. People kept asking to see them, so I put up the fairy tales. That’s why I started, but I keep going because I’m addicted. I love it!

These seem like great questions, so I’m passing them on to these five dear bloggers, along with two awards: Seed of Light and Liebster. I hope you’ll give me some skinny back, but if not, I hope you will consider yourselves truly appreciated. 🙂

Samantha Winding Road
Pieces of Gravity Talking Experience
Granny’s Colorful

Here are some blumen (flowers) and baum (trees) from my wandern (wanderings) to thank my readers. I hope you will take a few moments today to feel loved. Shoot, why not every day?

Auf Wiedersehen!

Brenda

* http://www.dict.cc/german-english/Liebster.html
** http://sopphey.onimpression.com/2012/05/liebster-blog-award-origins.html
Note: Photograph of sky used with permission of Busymindthinking
Dedication: this post is dedicated to Skye, a gem of an island in Scotland, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 31, 2013

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Circus of the Impossible at Friendly Fairy Tales!!

Woo-hoo! I’m Brenda, the Friendly Fairy Tales Ringmaster, here to welcome one and all to my Circus of the Impossible!

Impossible to believe I would win 65 awards in 6 months of blogging!

Impossible to imagine publishing 37 magical stories and even 6 fairy tale poems since February 25.

More impossibilities: over 10,000 hits, visits from nearly 80 countries, over 100 people visiting my site daily, nearly 650 followers, and who knows how many likes, over 3300 at last count. I have to sit down a minute, I’m overheating and my head is swelling. Oh wait, it’s just a bug bite.

Blogging has boggled my mind and made my life into a circus of unanswerable hundreds of emails. As I told another blogger, I’m so far behind, I’m learning to like the view from back here. I love it, but holy flying wombats, is it a circus!!

Don’t get me wrong, I love every minute of it, and I’m eating it up like cotton candy. If I could split myself in two, one of me would happily blog all day long, publishing stories, poems and photographs, and reading, answering comments and loving your blogs, too. Since I’m only one human with the same 24 hours other people get, and more obligations than hair on my head, I’ll just keep plugging away: tumbling, juggling, clowning, training animals (oops, I mean kids), walking the high wire and swinging from the trapeze.

Finally, I’ll be your award juggler! Toss ’em high, watch ’em spin, high they fly, win, win, win! Don’t light the torches, I’m not ready yet! Augh, my hair is on fire!! Thanks hubby, always a good man with a bucket of cold water.

Thanks to Sawa Minori for three new awards: The I Love Your Blog Award, The Liebster Award and Because You’re Fantabulous Award. Sawa makes the most divine angels, and she is such an angel herself, she tells me I have no rules to follow. In her honor, I’m now turning somersaults, rolling like a gymnast in flowered tights. Now there’s an image.

liebster-award2

Thanks to Patty at PetiteMagique, who gave me an array of awards, including handing me right back the awards I’d given her very deserving site. And she gave me two new ones I have not received before: The You are a Miracle Award (my own!!) and the Reader Appreciation Award. Oh, no, here come the kids with cream pies, run! Smack, too late! Whipped cream in my hair. (They don’t have to laugh like hyenas!)

To show my appreciation to Patty for a bouquet of awards I’ve already received, I will use my new award acceptance token to acknowledge and appreciate them, but not display all the icons again, which feels like bragging:

Thanks to Belsbror, one of my wonderful friends from the Phillipines, whose writing rings with passion and truth, for the Awesome Blossom and Because You’re Fantabulous Awards!! I’m balancing on the high wire, with an umbrella in one hand and goat in the other. (Don’t ask!)

because-ur-fantabulous awesome-blossom

Just when I thought it was safe to press publish on this post, Belsbror gave me another award!!

the-most-creative-blogger-award2-from-deo

Holy diving dolphins, is that the knife-thrower? I’d better wrap this up! Here’s today’s short list. Nominees, you can pick any two awards/tokens above you desire, or none if that is your preference. Feel free to take the Symphony of Color Icon, and use it like an award, it saves me time. And time is precious! Consider these nominations a hug from me (you have all made me contemplate your wonderfulness recently (is that a word? It should be)):

gita4elamats JayNine toniandrukaitis

jnaima12 stockresearch52 Schelley – What Is It?!?

Thanks for joining me, one and all, at my Circus of the Impossible. I hope many wonderful impossibilities come your way, too (except for the knife-thrower)! Here are a few more glimpses of my world and beautiful flowers to show my appreciation for all you wonderful readers, bloggers, friends, and family:

With warmest appreciation, Brenda

Toe Note: Yes, those are my toes, and I included them as a tribute to Toemail, who rocks!

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 28, 2013

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Awards!, Videos by Friendlyfairytales

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My Cup Runneth Over

I have received showers of blessings. Friendlyfairytales has received so many lovely comments, praise, support and attention, that awards seem like icing. Of course, I’ve always liked icing. 🙂

The rules are partly about sharing yourself. I’m sharing something very personal today.

The Psalms were some of the earliest spoken poetry I ever remember hearing. My beloved mother passed away when I was four years old. Perhaps my imagination provided me this, but if I have any memories of her voice left, it would be of her saying these words, giving me an abiding love of poetry and also a sense of security beyond my own family:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul…

My current quest for combining poetry, nature and stories harkens back to those early, peaceful memories of safety. In the spirit of thankfulness for blessings, past and present, I want to, yet again, share a brand new movie (my third ever!! I hope they are improving!!), made by my kids and I, called Water of Life:

Thanks to the Mobius Strip for the Super Sweet Blogging Award. Dreamwalkeramrita is a great artist and writer, and her blog is worth a visit.

Thanks to White Rabbit’s Gallery and The Mother of Nine9 for a new Sunshine Award. Both of these bloggers add sunshine to my life, and would add sunshine to yours, too!

Thanks to Reocochran for gifting friendlyfairytales a whole bouquet of awards from which I could choose, and she told a lovely story about the bouquet she carried at her first wedding. Since I already have received all these awards, instead of gathering up those tokens, in her honor, I’ve made this acceptance token:

Thanks to Ajaytao, who visited me with a Super-Sized Award Portion, and I’ll put the icons up because they are new to me!! Many bloggers already know Ajaytao, but if you don’t, you are in for a real treat. He has a loving, wise vibe surrounded always by beauty in thought and nature.

Notes on Awards: Liebster means dearest in German, and this is given to newer bloggers. Semper Fidelis means always faithful in latin and represents fidelity and love between blogging friends. The others are pretty self-explanatory.

Thanks to Terry1954, whose goodness shines through in every post, during the good days and the bad, while caring for her brother Al. I’m honored to receive an award she has created, the Excellence Award:

If I follow all the rules, I would be posting awards, sometimes several a day, and I would have no time for writing and creating, and soon I would be sad, and getting awards would feel burdensome. Plus I would bore all of you with the minutiae of my life answering all the questions. I do want to share the love with other great bloggers who have given generously to me of time and attention, and who daily make my cup runneth over with joy and love. If I haven’t named you, it is simply dinner time and I ran out of time. I also can’t name over 600!!

To all the lovely and talented bloggers nominated below, I give any awards they have not received above, and I also give my own created award, the You are a Miracle Award, because you are! To me, you have been the most amazing, encouraging and talented community. I could not have imagined a better world to join.

Without further ado, the very deserving nominees:

busymindthinking
anelephantcant
Old News
mrsbearfoot
Glorialana
Jon Petruschke
petitemagique
Ola Ciezak
lauralistar
Professor VJ Duke
belsbror
Mona
Paula Williams
Jessica Hagan
ksbeth
Oldest Daughter …
beingnenne
Eva PoeteX
cindy knoke
The Hook
jacquelinemhadel

If you maintain an award-free blog, don’t feel any regrets, this is just my wish to share the love with you. No obligations need accrue, no dire events follow from not accepting. Please do share the love with others if that is your way. And have the loveliest of lovely days!

A few flowers from my wanderings to thank all my readers, near and far:

May kindness and mercy follow you all the days of your life and may you live happily ever after. 😀

The End (for today)

With great affection, Brenda

Note: The video Water of Life is dedicated to my mom, who I believe would have loved my blog.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

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August 17, 2013

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ABCs of Fairy Tales

Thanks to Kintal (http://kintal.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/abc-award-nominees/) for nominating friendlyfairytales for its second Awesome Blog Content Award. Here is the ABCs of Fairy Tales again for all my new friends. Thanks to the King and Queen of Kintal! Peace, Love and Joy to all of you!

Friendly Fairy Tales

Thanks to TwoScamps for giving friendly fairy tales its magical third award and inspiring the

ABCs of Fairy Tales

A – Alchemy, Albatross, Ancestors, After, Alone, Air, Aloft, Awkward, Ashamed, Angel, Aged, Aspire, Afar, Arbor, Aladdin;

B – Beauty, Beast, Boast, Bested, Bird, Ballad, Bilious, Bold, Beggar, Book, Before, Backward, Beanstalk, Boots;

C – Castle, Cinderella, Cowboy, Catkin, Cape, Charming, Children, Crown, Curse, Chase, Cat, Caper, Canter, Command, Charcoal-burner, Cendrillon;

D – Dragon, Dungeon, Dwarves, Doorway, Disguise, Dream, Different, Dance, Delight, Donkey, Dell;

E – Elf, Equestrian, Enemies, Equal, Escape, Everyman, Elemental, Ephemeral, Estuary, Elongate, Elegant, East;

F – Fairy, Farmer, Fisherfolk, Flying, Forest, Fortune, Frozen, Feast, Family, Fire, Frog, Flowers, Flax, Famine, Find;

G – Ghosts, Genius, Gnomes, Gingerbread, Glass Slipper, Gold, Genie, Goose, Gander, Grace, Giant, Goldilocks, Gift, Godmother, Goblin…

View original post 389 more words

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Brenda Davis Harsham

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August 17, 2013

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Celebration Symphony

Making blogging like a fairy tale, wonderful people have joined voices to give me this amazing symphony of awards.

Thanks to those gifting me recognition and honors, but also to all of my readers, commenters, followers and friends, who keep me going with your warmth and attention!

In celebration of summer, I want to remember all those who take care of the children. All the parents, whose children are near and far, young and grown. And to all the children who love their parents, might not have children of their own yet, but still love the kids in their lives. All the people who are not the birth parent, but are heart parents, who nurture, love and support their adopted children and friends. To all the grandparents, big and little parts of the lives of their grandchildren, but holding them in their hearts. And to all the music teachers, tutors, camp counselors, swim instructors, life guards, camp administrators and staffers, wow, you are amazing!!

Caregivers aren’t perfect. We all make mistakes, but there we are, day in and day out, helping protect and raise the next generation. I celebrate all of you! You are all miracles! Today I’m granting the You are a Miracle Blogger Award to some good blogger friends who are there for their children and/or grandchildren. I hope you will check them out, they rock.

mummyflyingsolo
Emily at fortuitous
Apronhead-Lilly
Lady Fi
BeWellandHappy
The Mother of Nine9
Scottishmomus
Icecreammama

I know so many more of you are out there, and I want you to know you are miracles, too.

I also have thanks to pass along to Julianne Victoria at Through the Peacock’s Eyes, for a duet of amazing awards: The Versatile Blogger and the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award. She has so much wisdom at her site, I hope you’ll visit her. Then Funny for Nothing came in on the last chorus and performed the WTMR Award in an amazing guitar solo! I’m thinking Eric Clapton meets Joshua Bell and the devil goes down to Georgia.

To Ajaytao, bless him for his peaceful presence, has contributed a lilting trio: the Most Influential Blogger, the Inner Peace Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger (WOW! Three powerhouses!!).

Morgan at BooknVolume performed a wonderful duet, followed by another lively rendition of the same two awards by Megan at Creative Magic. Thanks to both magical, wonderful women who have powerful words and great images. Thanks to them, friendlyfairytales is hearing the wonderful music of the Versatile Blogger and the WordPress Family Award.

And last, but not least, a new friend has given me a unique appreciation award, thanks to SoundEagle! It means a lot to me to be honored by such a multi-talented person! You won’t be disappointed if you visit him and check out the swimming koi. 🙂

I hope music surrounds you and makes your day joyful! All this music has lifted my soul high.

What virtuosos you all are. I’m privileged to be gifted all these honors.

I started my blog to make it easier to share my writing with my friends and family, because photocopying was getting expensive. I really did not expect to reach any other audience, but when the first email came, announcing a complete stranger thought my story was awesome (Thanks again Len at Kraken’s Wake!), I was hooked. Yep, I’m even friends with the Hook now. I love this cyberworld I share with all of you, you’ve changed my life forever.

And, by now it’s tradition, some flowers for thanks:

May all your endeavors bear fruit and may you shine with the glow of health and sun! And be blessed by the fairies!

Warmly, Brenda

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 7, 2013

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Miracles

Today, I’m celebrating miracles, because that’s how I’ve chosen to live my life. I’ve survived high winds, close losses, car crashes, surgeries, floods, financial disasters, rejections untold, unwanted advice, criticism, ridicule and chronic pain. I’m still here writing, celebrating life and I have all of you to thank for buoying me up, day after day. Thanks for making me part of your world and for encouraging my writing. As for my newest flood, a deluge of awards… yes, you guessed it. Another award posting, woo-hoo!

The first award is near and dear to my heart, but I’m not accepting. Rather, I’m creating. I’m dedicating it to Elephant at Elephant’s Picture Book, whose idea it was that I come up with my own award to pass out.

Before I get to the first recipients, I hope you know that each of you are a miracle. You radiate magic and love. I’m privileged you share it with me. For all of you, I’m creating this new award: You are a Miracle Blogger Award.

This award comes with no rules or obligations. This award is for bloggers who inspire, who rise above, who survive, who triumph, who struggle or who just live. Bloggers who choose to live as if everything is a miracle. Here are the first bloggers to ever receive this award:

Terry1954
Apronhead-Lilly
Reocochran
Lifeonwry
The Mobius Strip
WishIWereHere
Ms. Vee
Ajaytao
WorktheDream
Simple & Interesting
Tigress00eyes

You have touched my heart.

Simple & Interesting dropped by in the wee hours with the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I hope any of the recipients named above, who have not gotten this award and would like it, will take it, too!

Thanks to Klove, who came to my party, and danced like a rock star. She scooped six golden awards and handed them back to me. She’s a miracle of love. Anyone who wants can link to the party site and scoop up to six awards. I’m offering them up liberally, having gotten them again makes me feel gluttonous. Please share them!

A last thank you to all my readers, big and small, new and old, happy and blue, don’t think I’ve forgotten you. Come on a walk with me:

With deep admiration and appreciation for the brilliance of all of you,

Brenda

P.S. Woo-hoo, this is my 50th Post!!

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 4, 2013

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Awards!, Videos by Friendlyfairytales

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Let’s Party Like Teenagers!

Friendly Fairy Tales is throwing an award party, and YOU are invited. Cupcakes, frozen drinks and crudite for all! Let’s all dance like teenagers! Okay, maybe not like teenagers. Let’s Dance with nature! I made another movie, my second ever, just to share a dance with all of you. (Thanks Number One Oldest Son who played the violin for this movie!)

While you munch a few carrots and sip your fruit smoothie, let me spread some love and scatter some magic.

Thanks to MichelleMarie at Tell me about it, peek a boo to you! You sure do shine on all of us, your art is gorgeous, thanks for sharing your glow! Here’s a virtual cupcake, let’s make yours dark chocolate with layers of amaretto- orange frosting. I know she like Oreos, but perhaps she will take a cupcake this once.

Through My Eyes amazingly awarded me the Shine On award even though we were new friends! You need a very special cupcake: strawberry lavender cream-cake with curls of caramel. With you as inspiration, I plan to invite some new friends as guests of honor.

Thanks to Jesse Robben who accepted a couple awards and lobbed them right back at me, the WordPress Family and Team Membership Awards. For you, I have a double decker cupcake — vanilla bean and belgian chocolate with chocolate mocha-cream frosting.

As for Scottishmomus, she invited me to a sleepover. Sigh of longing. For you, I have an apple-peach torte with blueberry spearmint sorbet on the side. Thanks for these two: the WordPress Family and Best Moment Awards.

And Belsbror gets big thanks for another great award — the Versatile Award! My heart is going pitter pat! Love your stories, and your vibe! For you, a cupcake tour de force — in the shape of a race car, with strawberry racing stripes and oreo wheels.

Mummyflyingsolo, the award Queen, awarded me the Best Moment award, and then made me tear up by telling me that reading my stories are some of the best moments of her day. Oh, I’m getting teary again, this calls for a very special treat — Vermont Sea Salt Caramels for multi-layered sweetness with a savory kick.

Since, I’m partying, I’m also breaking all the rules. I know, I know. Call the cops and tell me to turn down the music. We’re having way too much fun here at friendlyfairytales for the rules today. Satisfy your cravings and dance with the dragon (Shh, don’t tell anyone who hasn’t watched the video that it has a dancing dragon).

Here are some guests of honor, who can scoop up any awards they wish:

DeirdreMariePhotography, I’m head over heels for her!

A day in the Life, with a bucket list to die for and a month to do it!

CupcakesnSunshine, go girl-power! Love your lists of fabulous girls!

Callingonangels, we all need love! You are so right!

Blossom, where haiku is blooming.

Thetreegrows, whose pictures make my soul expand!

Scottishmomus, because one good turn deserves another. 🙂

Myeverydaystruggles, because she has a sassy side that appeals to me.

Klove, who gets the struggle and feels the love anyway.

DavidIonelRomulus, who has beautiful images and words.

ImpossibleisNothing, whose findings make me laugh.

Please comment and you may find yourself able to throw your own party. 😉

I’m not sharing things about me, a girl has to keep a little mystery. But here are some gifts from my magical world, to thank all my readers, commenters, followers, friends and fellow fairy tale lovers:

Warmly and with deep appreciation for all of you and WordPress, too, Brenda

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

July 26, 2013

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Awards!, Videos by Friendlyfairytales

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Journey toward Inner Peace

“Each one has to find… peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

A special thanks to Donicia’s Thoughts, who gave me the award of Inner Peace, inspiring me to make my first ever movie. She has so much to offer the world, I hope you will visit her.

The only rule in accepting the Inner Peace Award is sharing your thoughts on inner peace. For me, inner peace is not a destination where I find refuge, but a journey I start anew each day. I created a movie to share peacefulness. I hope it gives you a quiet space to find your inner peace. I believe we all have the capacity to find peace.

I dedicate Journey toward Inner Peace to WordPress, which has given me an opportunity to realize my dream of publishing my fairy tales. I also dedicate this short movie to all my readers, followers, commenters, and visitors, new and returning, and other fairy tale lovers like me.

I gift this award to any reader who is also on a journey toward Inner Peace. You all deserve it! Accepting it may lead you to finding a measure of inner peace, just by contemplating it yourself, and what it means to you. Even if you do not accept it, I hope you will accept my wish for you to share peacefulness with me, if only briefly.

In case you don’t have time for the movie, the poem it contains is also here:

Journey toward Inner Peace

Rain falls,
plants grow,
lakes swell,
oceans churn.
Life flourishes;
contemplate peace.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

July 23, 2013

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Sauce for the Goose

I’m feeling a bit saucy today. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Don’t be a goose, take a gander at this delectable sauce — composed of delicate hints of the Versatile Blogger Award, a dash of the Loyal Reader and a smattering of Team Membership.

Heartfelt thanks to Belsbror and SimonOworkman, who both separately awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. Belsbror has great stories, very moving and descriptive. I like his analogy of a blog being like a tree, you should check him out. SimonOworkman has a very engaging and lyrical writing style. I like his caterpillar poem very much.

A double dose of thanks to Jessica Hagan for the piquant Loyal Reader and Wonderful Team Membership Awards. She has inspiring photographs of flowers, butterflies, bees and cats. My appreciation of nature grows every day with the privilege of seeing it through her eyes.

Details about me: I took the last photograph here hanging out of my car window. My three kids and I think up new stories constantly. My middle child has written a fairy tale and wants me to publish it, and I will be proud to do so one day soon. I walk most mornings, and my skin burns to a crisp in the sun, so I usually wear a large-brimmed hat. I have loved fairy tales all my life, and I try to approach every day as if it will be magical, full of beauty and wonder and have compassion when the clouds come. I never expected to enjoy reading the blogs of others as much as I do. Thanks all of you for participating in this exotic, global wonderland.

Now for the swag, here are 14 lovely bloggers who can take home the above three awards in their goodie bag (dig it or ditch it, it’s up to you):

Len, my first reader and most loyal follower. He’s an artist, a dad, a writer, a loving husband, an artist and a student. I can’t imagine more versatility, loyalty and team membership!

Travel Sized, an experienced traveler with lots to share, and a deep appreciation for nature even to the point of camping!

Ed, another loyal reader, who also has a deep connection to nature and has fantastic photos.

Wildersoul, a new friend, who has a cool coloring book for kids — not just more princesses and trains. Love especially her Celtic knotwork and video of her coloring.

Donicia, an old soul in a beautiful young woman, has been a great reader and encourager. I love her photos and quotes. Bless her for being part of my community.

Whyilovewesttexas, another great reader, has a great appreciation of nature.

PacificParatrooper, is a treasure trove of history about World War II in the Pacific and all aspects of life in that time period.

Windup-Razor-Chronicles by Son of Sharecropper is a delightful amalgam of fishing, shaving, poetry and amazing photos.

Basho and Jung, is the Haiku king! Love those pink ears on his gravatar, too. Always a giggle.

Dagny at Serenely Rapt, has inspiring writing, poetry and prose on a beautiful site.

Old News has a brilliant archive of some of my favorite comic strip artists, visit if you need some belly laughs.

Vit Peyr, whose photographs amaze and inspire me, is worth a visit. A look is like entering a fairy tale.

Wish I were here, has amazing stories and pictures from all over the world, and is a great reader.

Jeweledfrogcreations has inspiring designs with an endearing whimsy.

For all readers, these photographs are dedicated to all of you. I’m grateful to all of you, you’ve helped me transform friendlyfairytales from a dream into a rewarding reality. Each one of you has lent me some magic, given me encouragement and welcomed my stories with more affection and attention than I ever expected. Thanks for being part of my world.

I hope that wherever your eye is drawn, you find the beauty and magic there. I see beauty and magic in all of you.

Peace, love, joy and magic!

Brenda

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

July 11, 2013

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Awards!

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It’s Raining Awards at Friendly Fairy Tales!!

Although on vacation, I took a few moments while my flat tire is being repaired, to share this rain shower of awards with you. My children are reading books, riding the carousel and planning our lunch destination.

Thanks to Getting Rid of Boredom for the Sunshine Award. No one should have to suffer from boredom, and we all benefit for this cool blog’s search for all things fun and exciting! 🙂

And thanks to Leslie Jo at Tales of Wild Boomba for the Super Sweet Blogging Award. Leslie Jo never fails to make me laugh. She’s a great writer, who knows the magic of involving the reader.

Thanks to Ajaytao for his trio bouquet of super awards!! I hope you check out his site, he adds beauty and inspiration to your life and makes an ordinary day extraordinary.

A bit more rain fell on my way home with a newly repaired tire. Thanks to Blueribbonfair for making me officially part of the very nice WordPress Family! I hope you will visit her post, she has great arts and crafts and photographs and more!

I’m spending my days with mermaids, leaping fish, and pirates. My children have been laughing, my husband smiling and our days have been fun, despite rain, clouds and last night’s flat tire. Pointing our noses into the sea wind, we are peppered by salty spray. During moments of free Wi-fi I also was inspired by fellow bloggers, whose photographs make my mornings and evenings blossom with story ideas. To say a special thanks to commenters, followers, chance visitors and fairy tale lovers everywhere, here are a few pictures from my vacation, which has been stellar!

I’ve decided to take a vacation from the rules, and I will perhaps visit and nominate you for your very own rain shower of awards. Your odds of this happening dramatically rise from your commenting here. 🙂 Meanwhile, I will work on a new story involving a Dwarvish clan shaman and some magic beans inspired by VitPeyr’s top 5 sunrise. I hope you visit him, too, he has amazing photographs of Australia.

Peace, love, joy and magic to all of you!!

Brenda

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

June 18, 2013

Posted under

Awards!

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Cupcakes for Friendly Fairy Tales!

Thanks to Megan at Creative Magic for friendly fairy tales newest award (drum roll, please): the Super Sweet Blogging Award! Woo-hoo!! Megan has a great vibe. I hope you’ll check out her creative site, and if you need the rules, she lays them out beautifully at her site.

Super Sweet Q&A:

1. Cake or cookies? Both? Home baked chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Preferably one that bends on the way up.

2. Chocolate or vanilla? Yes, both in chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday morning with all my family, groggy but present.

3. Favorite sweet treat? Chocolate mousse served family style in Paris.

4. When do you crave sweet things the most? When I’m awake.

5. Sweet Nick Name? I call my daughter Sweetpea, which I hope counts even though it’s a flower.

And now for a baker’s dozen Super Sweet Bloggers to share the swag:

Heather’s Photography; Jessica Hagan; In my hands;

Caleephotography; Maxima; Timeless Travelers;

Gatitudenist; Bearpawprint; Mary Gilmartin;

Let it come from your heart; Getting rid of boredom; Zen Scribbles; and

Kissed by Starlight.

Once again, I am delighted to thank all my readers who bear with these long award postings and keep sending me good vibes. I love the likes, the comments and the follows. I love to see what you are up to in your part of the world. Welcome to any new-comers. All these awards are proof to me that dreams come true, and magic exists in places besides my imagination. I wish you all a magical day filled with sunshine, fluttering butterflies and joyful smiles from loved ones. If those are joys to save for another day, then I send virtual hugs and scatter fairy dust in your general direction. And send a few pictures from my wanderings…

This rainbow was captured last night after the heavens opened and a waterfall cleansed the pollen from the earth. My camera was not adequate to fully reveal its amazing glow, but only to give you this glimmer.