Friendship Award

I was pleasantly surprised last night to find that Donna from Cottage Days and Journey's had awarded me with this very special friendship award. Donna wrote about her unexpected pleasure of making friendships through the blog world and I agree with her 100%. When I posted my first blog post, I rambled a bit about why blog and whether anyone would ever read anything I wrote or if that would be my one and only post. I certainly didn't have any answers to those questions at the time. I just started typing. But now, I can't wait until I have a chance to check in with my new found blog friends. I enjoy your funny stories, your testimonies of faith, the many, many beautiful photos, and sharing in your challenges. I pray for the needs expressed by blog friends. I try your recipes. Sometime I tell your stories or jokes. I look forward to the encouraging comments that so many of you leave for me. So it is with honor that I accept this award and will attempt to allow my Lord to fill my emptiness with these traits of friendship.

This award isn’t just any award. It comes with a questionnaire. (Oh boy, another homework assignment!)

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood?
Not really. I have contact info for a couple of them and we run into each other at funerals and make promises to get together sometime. But it is usually the next funeral before we see each other again.

2. What do you value most about your friends?
You know the character traits on the cups are the things that matter most in a friendship--Trust, Kindness, Honesty, and Caring. I also value the camaraderie of shared adventures, joys, and heartaches.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards?
Most definitely! I have a few friends who I can be totally honest with about my feelings. One in particular lets me "vent". I call her and tell her, I need to let off some steam. She listens and validates the feelings and then calms me down so that I do not say or do things that I will later regret. I really am a pretty transparent person with those people who know me.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends?
Blogging, phone calls, lunch or dinner, a movie, just talking, or shopping.

I am also supposed to give this award to 5 friends. This is the difficult part of awards because everyone who visits my blog deserves it. But I'll do my best. Since I have met most of blog buddies through the photo challenge or the blogs of other blog buddies, I know many of you have already been awarded this award. Oh well, I'm gonna give it a try.

Here goes:
Karen at Faith of a Single Mom is the one who introduced me to the blog world. She is a wonderful photographer and encourager.

Brittany Dian from the Hallman Tribe has great tales and pictures to share from her friends, family, and travels.

Sally from Whispering Hope is such a sweetheart; always there with an encouraging word.

Annie from Annie's blog shares some beautiful pictures and word pictures. You should all visit Annie's blog for inspiration.

Debra from Clothed with Scarlet is a new blog friend who shares deeply from her heart.

So thanks again to Donna for her friendship and this award.