Not 'THE' Best

I cannot accept the 2009 Blotanical award for 'Best Virginia Blog'...

...without saying at the outset that I truly believe ALL of the VA blogs nominated (and many that were not!) are deserving of this award. It's not possible to choose just 1!

But in keeping with the tradition of the Blotanical awards (now in it's 2nd year), I cannot turn this away and give it to someone else (Janet, The Queen of Seaford;  Racquel, Perennial Garden Lover;  Les, A Tidewater Gardener, or Catherine, Gotta Garden). It would be just plain rude of me to do something like that, don't you agree?!

I honestly feel no more worthy of this honor than anyone else, but having received (what I'm sure were) just a couple more votes than the others, it is just good manners to say that I DO (humbly) accept this award and am sending sincere thanks to all of you who put in a vote for my blog, 'Thanks For 2 Day'. I have placed it  on a  separate page and feel completely honored by you guys;-)

Today I want to say, thank you to my  Blotanical friends! And to Stuart Robinson, Blotanical's founder, thanks for your wonderful garden blogging community!

Words and photos by Jan Huston DobleThanks For 2 Day.

Honored and Humbled

As a garden blogger and Blotanical member, I've been pretty lazy and 'absent' for most of the summer. I spent a lot of time getting to know so many of you when I first joined Blotanical. There were so many hours spent in front of my computer, visiting your blogs and leaving comments, excited every time you'd 'fave' my blog or 'pick' one of my posts. I never missed a chance to comment back or fave you in return (if I had any faves left)!

Then the summer arrived and with it, time to 'play' outdoors! As the months rolled by I've spent less and less time visiting all of you and it's gotten to the point where I haven't picked your posts in quite some time. I haven't even said 'thank you' to those of you who continue to pick my posts! And I'm amazed and shocked to find that my blog is still receiving 'faves'...even though I haven't taken the time to welcome any of you newest Blotanical members!


I feel appreciative, and most humbled by these acts of kindness...because I know what it feels like when you first join Blotanical and just how 'precious' those faves are! After all, you are only allowed so many in the first place, and when you give someone one of your precious faves, it seems only appropriate that they at least take the time to visit you and leave you comments in return! I have to say, I haven't been good about doing those things lately, having withdrawn somewhat from much of my previous activity.


HOWEVER, I am greatly honored by every 'pick' you give one of my posts, and by every 'fave' you give to my blog. What's more, I want to say THANK YOU to every single Blotanical member who nominated "Thanks For 2 Day" for an award, placing me among the top 5 finalists for best blog in Virginia. It really is not a small, insignificant thing, and I want you to know that I do not take this lightly! For your giving spirit and your vote are acts of kindness and faith, on your part. I am again humbled and realize that I haven't been giving as much as I am receiving. I do intend to change that in the future, by visiting many of your blogs more often!

The weather is getting a bit chillier here in northern Virginia, and playing in the garden is becoming less and less 'fun' these days, so I will be starting to spend more and more time playing on the computer and on Blotanical! Please know I appreciate you and thank you for your faith in me. If I haven't 'met' you yet, or stopped by to welcome you to Blotanical, please come over and visit me so I know who I've neglected! I've been a Blotanical member for almost 10 months and have loved every interaction I've had, and found something fabulous on every blog I've visited. With so many more blogs and so many more people to meet, it seems to get more difficult to stay on top of everything...but I am going to try to get back to my previous level of blogging, visiting and commenting. All of us, in one way or another, have things in common, and I look forward to many more moments sharing with each other!


And finally, thanks for your votes. I know I don't deserve them, and that's why I'm humbled and honored!

--Today I am thankful for blessings beyond measure;-)



Words and photos by Jan Huston DobleThanks For 2 Day.

Friends

I have to give credit where credit is due. And come clean, at the same time. Way back in the winter one of my first blogging friends, Kim, gave me a special friendship award: and at the time, though honored, I didn't write a post about it. I was trying to keep my blog 'personal' and fill it with posts of personal photos and writings, only. Well then, I received a lovely gift from Karrita, as part of a pay-it-forward activity I chose to participate in:

I didn't post about that, either. I felt that it was a nice gesture to give and receive, and I didn't need to discuss it in public. Then, you guessed it, Jenny gave me an award!

How honored I was, and still am. But did I write a post about it, nope. It wasn't that I didn't feel appreciative. I certainly did...but I was feeling funny about the whole thing and didn't want to make a big deal of it on a post. Instead, I put the awards in my sidebar. Can you guess where I'm going with this? You guessed it! I just received another award. This time it's from Janet :

I decided it was about time to just come clean and tell you all about how special these people are and how thankful I am for the actual friends I've made through blogging. This has become not just a 'garden journal', it has become a 'journal of my friends'. Anyone who visits and comes back again is a friend already-but those who stick with me and still haven't removed themselves from my followers list is indeed a friend!

Many people choose not to participate in nor accept awards. It's become very obvious to me that blogging is more than just 'journaling', it's sharing-and that includes making friends. I've enjoyed making friends! At the same time, I've had a horribly difficult time deciding who I would give these awards to. I have chosen to accept them but I truly believe all of my blogging friends deserve these awards and I'm not here to pick favorites. I hope no one is offended by this, I just can't do it. I hope you'll all remain my blogging friends and followers, as I will yours! So with that thought in mind, I want all of you to look at these and pick up whichever award suits your fancy. I've decided to devote a separate page for these, that can be accessed from my profile page on Blogger. You are my friends and I look forward to reading your blogs and viewing your wonderful garden photos.

Thank you all;-)

--Today I am thankful for garden blogging friends.