Thursday, May 31, 2012

Versatile/Eclectic Blog Award



Irene Latham awarded Swagger and four other blogs her variation of the Versatile Blog award she received. She dubbed it the Eclectic Blog Award. She says "eclectic" seems more "artsy", like it's "getting to the source of things."

Here are her rules:

  •  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy. 
  •  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy.
  •  Next, select 5 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. 
  •  Nominate those 5 bloggers for the Eclectic Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site. 
  •  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 5 things about yourself. 
So thank you, Irene. We will play now. For our recently discovered or regularly followed eclectic blogs:

Juliet Bond picked The Debutante Ball. This six-year-old blog is run by a group of debut authors. A recent post by Molly Backes talks about the kinds of mementos she likes to keep, and how those things reveal a lot about her character.

Jon Egan and Kathy Cannon Wiechman both selected Rich Wallace's new family blog Active Happiness. It's a collaboration between Rich, his wife Sandra Neil Wallace, and his sister Lynda Wallace. It came into being after this threesome decided to publicly answer the questions they say they've been receiving for years about how they are all so happy despite: getting divorced, being a single parent or step-parent, losing loved ones, and leaving high profile jobs and living on less.

Regina Gort's eclectic blog pick is WIP because we are all works in progress. Rebecca Grabill is raising four kids and writing. She just finished her MBA at Hamline. Regina enjoys the motherhood stories she shares and the book reviews. She says Rebecca struggles just like the rest of us, but has a voice all her own. 

Kim Van Sickler was turned on to Gypsy Ink by editor friend Kate Kyle Johnsen who referred her to this awesome post. Blogger Leanna Tankersley is married to a Navy Seal. She's an author, mother, and workshop and retreat provider. She's very reflective, no matter what the topic, and that gives Kim lots to chew on. (The fact that Kim's married to a (now retired) Army Ranger makes her feel a special kinship to this fellow military wife.)

Rich Wallace nominates Letters of Note as his eclectic blog choice. This ambitious blog publishes historical postcards, letters, faxes, telegrams, and memos like the heart-felt letter author James Baldwin wrote to his 14-year-old nephew decrying the progress made against prejudice in 1963.

Melissa Kline champions Indiepreneur Power, a blog that bills itself as providing "positivity, inspiration and know-how aimed at empowering you to thrive in your unique, authentic, and  inspired livelihood." Recent blog post: How to Jump Off a Mountain!

To fulfill the last requirement, the Swaggers will reveal one interesting factoid about us:

Juliet Bond once danced naked in front of thousands of people in a college production of the musical "Hair".

Kathy Cannon Wiechman was once babysat by Rod Serling of "Twilight Zone" fame.

Jon Egan is alive today despite dying for more than five minutes when he was a teenager. 

Regina Gort collects vintage cookbooks. Her favorite is "The Husband Holder" and includes a recipe for meat cups.

Kim Van Sickler used to sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus.

Rich Wallace is the reigning New England 200-meter track and field champion for 50+-year-old athletes.

Melissa Kline is a miniaturist who uses her modeling skill to create tiny replicas of the people and settings she writes about.

13 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. I really want the recipe for "Meat Cups."

    Naked dancing and Hair... "What are two things that Jon misses terribly?"

    How scary was it when Mr.Serling told you to hit the sack and did he use the voice?

    Did you actually sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus or was it like when I sing with Dean Martin when he comes on the radio?

    Rich, I just hope I can walk 200 meters when I'm 50... or am I already 50, man I get so easily confused nowadays!

    Melissa, if you were to miniaturize me would ya be able to use artistic license to make me 25 again?

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    1. Mr. Serling only watched me for a couple hours at his home while his wife & my mom worked on some project, so bedtime was not involved. I was only 3, & I remember sitting in a big chair watching him work at his desk. Every time I moved, the chair creaked, & he looked up at me. He scared me, so I spent the whole time trying not to move (while I attempted to count all the books on his shelves).

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    2. Kathy, sounds like he terrified you! So he lived up to his billing. Jon, I was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus and sang at Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center under the direction of conductor Robert Page and even performed a few concerts with the world-renowned Maestro himself, Lorin Maazel. That's back when I was 12-14.

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    3. Oh, duh, Jon. And the story about your "death?" That was a football injury, right?

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    4. I was actually attacked by a silver haired leprechaun who accused me of stealing his bottle of whiskey, and here I thought they only had gold to protect!
      During the ensuing battle the little bugger managed to get me in a Dublin Double Death Choke Hold and the rest as they say is fantasy...

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  3. John and Kathy, THANK YOU for choosing activehappiness.com. Wow, that was so nice to read. We love your blog, too!

    Lynda

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    1. I've loved meeting you, Lynda, through your blog. It's such a fun site.

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  4. We've followed through. Thanks!

    http://activehappiness.com/2012/06/thank-you-swagger-writers-group/

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  5. Looks as if links in comments aren't turned on, so I'll just let you know that our thank you post (along with some of our favorite blogs and surprising facts) can be found on the activehappiness.com home page. We had fun writing it. Thanks again!

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  6. Thank you for selecting Indiepreneur Power for the eclectic blog award. It is a great honor to be recognized by a group of writers with such talent!

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