I am moved beyond words (okay, not beyond, because here I sit typing words) that Debra from Mauldin Family 1 nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award! First off, I have to thank Debra for thinking of me; it means a lot, truly. Not just that she reads me and comments (thoughtfully, too!), but that she’d go the extra step to nominate me.

The Versatile Blogger Award is a peer-nominated thing (kinda like the Academy, except that we would have included Ben Affleck as director!), but there are a few rules upon accepting. The most difficult is nominating 15 other blogs for the Award. There are so many cool blogs, and many of them are not on WordPress (I wasn’t sure from the Award Rules if non-WP sites could be nominated). Also, being a writer, I’m taking this “versatile” thing a bit literally. There are some really great food and technical blogs I follow, for example, that I wouldn’t consider truly versatile; they write pretty much the same thing day-in, day-out. I kinda feel the same about photo-centric blogs: They’re beautiful but not necessarily versatile (although I do include some below).

So… (yep, yep, without further ado…)

Here are the 15 blogs I’m nominating for The Versatile Blogger Award (all will open in a separate window, so feel free to click, enjoy, and come back here later):

Add Grain On Earth – this is Sydney’s blog; he lives in Singapore; I think he was the first person to “like” one of my posts here. I just love seeing another part of the world on a regular basis. His blog is photo-centric but always includes a story (in English! Thank you, Sydney!) that puts a cultural spin on the photograph. And since Chinese New Year is coming up, now is a great time to check out Add Grain On Earth.

Rantings Of An Amateur Chef – One part traditional recipe blog, one part pithy commentary, Pat’s blog is equal parts fun to read. Oh, and I want him to cook me dinner. Oh, and he’s already been nominated for this award several times. Including earlier this week. When you’re hot, you’re hot.

Efrata Denny Saputra Yunus – Is Sydney’s blog if you gave him money to travel the world and a bit more photography training. These photos all look like they’ve been taken by some guy who works for National Geographic Magazine. But the blog is also about culture, wine and food, making it all the more yummy.

Maureen Ogle – Writes a food and beer blog, with lots of thoughtful (often humorous) asides involving travel, community, and current events and how they fit in the broader scope of what it is to be another animal on this planet.

The Living Notebook – Was the very first blog I followed here at WordPress. This fella’s posts about writing, art and self-improvement are always smart, well-researched, and insightful. My only complaint? Stop hiding behind the anonymity! Own your blog! We’ll love you either way! And I’ll never have to refer to you again as “this fella,” which makes you sound like you’re a Bichon Frise.

Okay… that’s five down, ten to go. Does anyone need a bathroom break yet?

Technically—per the VBA rules— I’m supposed to tell Debra seven things about myself. Since she nominated me, I’m gonna assume she knows more about me than she wants to!

Seven things about me (hopefully that are not in the About section of this blog):

1. I’m afraid of loud, sudden noises;
2. I’m allergic to cephalasporins… as are my kids;
3. I have a Master’s Degree in Russian Second Language Acquisition;
4. I lived in the Soviet Union for awhile… twice! (see #3);
5. I’ve performed at Lincoln Center;
6. When I was a child I wanted to be the adopted daughter of Burt Reynolds (circa Smokey and the Bandit) and Sally Field (ditto);
7. Longevity runs in my family, so my life is probably just about half over, barring an accident.

Back to blogs!

Dances With Fat – Is Ragan Chastain’s irreverent, occasionally heartwrenching journey into body acceptance and self-love in a world where most people thing that fat equals unhealthy, unsexy and unworthy. She spins everything towards positivity, including her body as she tangos and waltzes through life.

Fit And Feminist – Is Caitlin’s take on being a healthy, self-loving woman. Similar to Ragan’s mission but coming from the “skinny” side of things, Caitlin also wants women to take charge of their own bodies, minds and spirits. And not be brought down by the many judgmental and mixed messages women receive on a daily basis.

The Jiggly Bits – Dirty, adult-oriented and one of the funnies fucking blogs I’ve ever read in my life. TJB has decided to combat her own body issues with ribald humor and some of the most amazing honesty I’ve ever come across (Oh, btw, identify yourself, sister! We’ll love you either way!). You can read this at work (no naked pictures), but you’ll be ROTFLYFAO (that would be rolling on the floor, laughing your fucking ass off), so I recommend you download a few for your commute home (assuming you aren’t driving).

Naughty or Nice – This is an adult site with adult content and photos. Don’t even try reading this at work or in front of your kids. One word of caution, some of this blogger’s posts are inconsistent. Considering there is adult content on this website, I’m not entirely sure it’s legit. However, I’d like to think that there is a widowed 49 year old (somewhere in the U.K., I believe) who has recently joined the BDSM/kink scene and is proud enough to write about it. Even if this is a fictional blog, it’s a great message that it’s never to late to accept yourself for who you are.

Clotilda Jam Cracker – Subtitles itself as “The Wacky Stories of a Crazy Lady.” The blog claims to be about debt-free living and suburban gardening, but mostly it’s a hot mess. And I mean that in the best way! I’ve never dropped acid, but I’m pretty sure that if I ever did, this is the blog I would be reading. Go with the flow, and enjoy the random weird art (you had me with the two-headed turtle).

Whew! Time for another break! Get up, stretch… I’m down to the final five!

Rarasaur – I don’t know what I love most about this blog: the fact we use the same theme? that it’s named rarasaur? that the navigation is cah-razy? All I know is that if there were one word to coin this blog, it would definitely be verstile!

How I Met Ted Mosby – What’s not to love about a blog written by a woman who was born in Pittsburgh and now writes about her daily travails in New York City? Umm… are you serious? She had me at refusing to give a Flyers’ fan her phone number!

Michelle Proulx – This past weekend I was covering several cassoulet events. In case you don’t know what cassoulet is, it’s a French-style casserole that traditionally was prepared in winter when veggies were hard and meat was scarce. Take beans and root veggies, add in some duck fat or pork bits, season with bread crumbs and crinklings. This is comfort food at its best. As is Michelle’s blog. Grab a hot chocolate or cognac and tuck in for a delightful read.

Hagiographic – Is subtitled, “Location, Location, Location” and notes that the author is passed out in the Slytherin common room. As a Hufflepuff who always wanted to be a Slytherin, how could I not be  crushing after Mr. L. Powell?

And last, but not least…

Retiree Diary – Another photocentric blog by an Asian man! I’m sensing a theme here. I love how non-native English speakers do their best to reach out to those of us too lazy to learn their language. And when I retire, I want to be Michael Lai and travel the world taking such amazing pictures. After this long blog post, I think we all need a vacation!