Well, whaddaya know. A recent Wordsmatter follower nominated this blog for the ABC (Awesome Blog Content) Award. I am honored to be considered and thrilled that someone thinks enough of my writing to pass this torch my way. That someone, by the way, is Judy, an Aussie who is navigating through life on her own blog, Raising the Curtain. She’s funny and insightful, and watching her discover herself through her writing has brought many smiles to my face.

So, what are the terms of this award? In return for this honor, I must present 26 things about myself, chronicled from A to Z, and then pass along the honor to other blogs whose content I enjoy. I’m most pleased with the latter requirement, as I love to introduce others to good reading material. Blogs, like books, are meant to be shared!

Let’s get the alphabet business out of the way first.

• Analytical. I can put the anal in analyze.
• Black licorice, the soft kind.
• Competitive in all things. (Want me to prove it?)
• Did I mention I’m an Indy Colts fan?
• Ever true. Hail Brunonia.
• Foodie. Oh, yeah!
• Germany, the land where my heart lives.
• Houser and Hudson, the names of my parents. I’m so much of both of them.
• Intellectually curious.
• Jake, the boy of my heart, my firstborn.
• Kara, the girl of my dreams, my second child.
• Learning French. Sort of.
• Marked for life.
• Never turn down a good glass of wine.
• Often forget that my life has already started.
• Prefer savory over sweet, but not always.
• Questing to find the world’s best crème brulee.
• Runner.
• Scrappy.
• Travel, travel, travel! As the song says, give me a ticket for an aeroplane!
• Usually have an opinion on the matter.
• Voracious reader.
• Wordsmith, writer, would like to write a book.
• Xenophile.
• Youth exchange will save the world, or at least your corner of it.
• Zealous, but selectively so.

Now for the good stuff: the blogs! Here’s what I’m reading these days that I think you should, too:

• People, Places, and Bling, by Theadora Brack. Her blog offers insights to Paris, but what keeps me going back are her jaunty writing style and her ability to make the smallest things seem like exotic discoveries. Everyone should see the world through eyes like that.
• The Quest for Zest, by Josh and Danielle Tuck. If you’re not a foodie now, you will be when you read this blog. Almost as much as the blog itself, I love that they’re doing this from my nondescript, Midwestern hometown, which is not known for its culinary prowess. Cheers to them!
• Gen Y Girl, by Kayla Cruz. Get over the age thing and listen to what this woman has to say. Her writing style can be a bit provocative, but reaction is what she wants–the kind of reaction that spurs constant improvement. Challenge the norm, leave the rut, and make your business better. Kayla, I’d love to chat with you someday and trade a few experiences.
• Ditching the Masks, by Christie Campbell. Christie just loves to write, and she’s willing to share her triumphs and travails, family style, so she can feed that passion. She crackles with positive energy that you don’t have to read between the lines to see. Shout out to you, friend!

I think I was supposed to recommend five, but these four carry at least that much weight. Let me know what you think. Better yet, let THEM know what you think.

Thanks again, Judy, for the award and for prompting me to do this exercise. The A-to-Z part taught me a lot!