Tickled Pink, or is it orange?

The emotional actress gracefully makes her way towards the stage with her Ferragamo shoes and shawl, tears streaming down her face.  Her huge smile showing her perfect white teeth accented by her flowing purple and sequined gown.  The crowd tries to hide their giggles as she trips up the steps to the stage, but she doesn't care,  "I;d like to thank the academy for this award..."
No, I'm just kidding, but you'd think that's what happened by the emotions I felt when I got this award from my friend, Daisy over at Compost Happens.  See, I've always been a middle of the road kind of gal.  Average grades, second soprano in the choir,  I just don't really like to stand out in the crowd too much.  But as you all know, I've been in a little bit of a rut lately, so when I got the note from Daisy that I won the Sunshine Award, all I could do was cry.  Yes, cry.  How damn nice.  Exactly what I needed, a ray of sunshine in a cloudy time.
But, then I got a little scared.  I mean this is a big honor.  I'm not used to getting awards.  What do I do?  What if I don't hold up to the criteria?  God, Judy, calm down, you're going to give yourself a coronary!  Sometimes I'm such a spaz (do you think spellcheck will catch that one?).  So anyway, this is the criteria that I cut and pasted from Compost Happens:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post (right click and save),



Pass the award on to 12 bloggers,


Link the nominees within your post,


Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

I mean really, it's not all that difficult and I'm freaking out about it.  The problem is, is that again, I'm new to the blogosphere and don't even read twelve blogs.  I absolutely love most of the blogs that I do read. but feel that this is a very special award and do not just want to give it out to everyone I know, just because I know them, you know?  So, anyway, this really took a lot of thinking on my part, and I have decided that since I do everything just a little bit differently why should I break my track record now.  I really hope it is okay with Daisy and I don't get kicked out of the Sunshine committee or something, but I have decided that I will still just pick my favorite blogs to give the awards to, there will just be fewer of them.  So, without further ado, here are my absolute favorite blogs, the reasons why they deserve this award in my opinion and links to them (in no particular order):
Mom-Not Otherwise Specified is a great blog by a mom with a child with Autism.  I actually stumbled upon this blog because of a story she had written about Dierks Bentley and her son.  It's funny, I sort of felt like I was intruding at first because I have three healthy children and I thought it was geared more towards people with autistic kids, but it has been a very enjoyable blog on many levels.
Picnic Basket Crafts is my friend Tiffany's blog.  If you read my blog regularly, you will recognize her name because she has some really great handmade products that I absolutely love, helps me with the recycling program at our middle school where she is a great science teacher and has been an A number 1 supporter of my business ventures.  Her blog has some really funny things like "From the mouths of babes", you know quotes from her seventh graders or her own kids, etc.  Check it out, it's great,
On the Road with Jim and Pat, yes, this is nepotism at it's very best, or is it?  This is my parent's blog that my Dad writes to keep everyone up to date on their travels.  They travel the country in an Eagle bus that my Dad has converted into a home for them while they travel to various bus conversion conventions and Mom does Stampin' Up! seminars and Dad sells his fire suppression systems that he invented for these homes on wheels.  I hate to admit this, because obviously he's going to read this, but I didn't stay current with their blog until I subscribed by e-mail.  To be honest, I figured that the blog would be too technical for me since my Dad is such a "Genius" (we all used to roll our eyes when my Grandma always called him that again and again and again...) but it really is a great blog to read about their journeys and things that are happening around the country and the different kinds of people that they meet.  It even has a map on it that shows all of the states that they have traveled to in the bus, not too many left to cover!
Speaking of homes on wheels, I got to thinking of a friend of my Dad's who helped me out on a previous post about saving energy and I really like his blog, so I wanted to mention it as well.  Our Odyssey is another blog about living in the tight quarters of a conversion bus.  What I really like about Sean's blog is that they try very hard to live green and they do it in grandiose style.  They have some really neat videos on the blog that give you a tour of the bus and it is really beautiful.  I absolutely love the one about the pets, the idea to have the cats litter box underneath the bus so that the cats go through a cupboard door, go downstairs to do their business, Sean cleans the box from the outside of the bus and off they go.  Ingenious!!!  Although I am somewhat new to the blog, from what I gather they live on the bus full time, and also travel to volunteer for the Red Cross.  Very impressive people.
Homestead Apprentice is my neighbor Mishaun's blog.  I know that she has a partner in it as well, and I enjoy all of the pieces that are written in the blog, but that is how I came upon it.  You know, these gals really get it.  They know what life and family and happiness is all about.  They sometimes make me look like a schmuck for eating regular food off the shelf (LOL) because they make everything from scratch, but they really inspire you to go that extra step to be one step closer to self sustainable.  It really is possible.
And, I really wish that I could include in this list my friend Daisy over at Compost Happens because I really do enjoy her blog, but she already received the award which doesn't surprise me one bit.  She always makes sure to pass the sunshine along, I don't think there has been a day that has gone by that she hasn't left me some kind of nice comment and I'm not even positive how she came upon my blog, but I'm sure glad she did!
So, I'll say it again, the list may be short, but it is also sweet.  these are some great blogs and people that write them.  So, thanks friends and family!!!!