The 500th Daily Graff! (Awards Day)
09/24/2012 § 29 Comments
The Daily Graff has appeared every weekday since November 1, 2010.
Panorama of the lake at the Chicago Botanic Garden. (Click to enlarge.)
THE EXCUSE FOR NOT ACCEPTING AWARDS BEFORE NOW
Keeping up with a weekday blog plus a full-time day job has kept me from complying with the rules for accepting 8 peer-to-peer awards for which The Daily Graff has been nominated. When I saw that the 500th post would fall on a Monday, I decided to spend some time over the weekend completing the requirements for the awards.
THE PENALTY FOR PROCRASTINATION
To comply with the rules for the following awards I would have to (1) tell 57 things about myself, (2) nominate 60 other bloggers for the awards, and (3) notify them. This would cause a complete meltdown, so after listing each award, I will nominate three blogs for each.
NOTE TO NOMINEES: I would be the LAST person who would want to obligate you to do more work, so consider the nomination how much I appreciate your blog. Whether or not you comply with the rules is up to you. Click on the award URL in your category to grab the award icon for use on your site.
The following 6 awards include the ones that require me to “tell X things about myself.” I will list the awards, say who nominated me, and then tell 15 things about myself at the end of the list.
ALL AROUND WONDERFUL BLOG AWARD
Nominated by Jackie @ Project 365 Challenge in 2012
http://postadaychallenge2011.com/2012/02/07/award-from-all-around-wonderful-blogger/
Rules: Nominate 3 bloggers. Notify them.
1. Photographyofnia
2. Garden Walk Garden Talk
3. Jakesprinter Sunday Post
VERY INSPIRING BLOGGER AWARD
Nominated by Cathy @ Comments from Cathy
http://cpgutierrez.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/the-very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Nominated by Leanne @ mindfulness4now
http://mindfulness4now.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/the-very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Tell seven things about myself. Nominate/Notify 7 bloggers who keep the blogosphere a very beautiful place.
1. Mental Coaching AB: 365 Days
2. Energy Medicine & Chronic Illness
3. ASPIRE. MOTIVATE. SUCCEED!
KREATIV BLOGGER AWARD
Nominated by Marianne @ Mental Coaching AB: 365 Days
http://marianne365days.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/celebrating/
Nominated by Frank @ A Frank Angle
http://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/on-genuine-versatile-and-kreative/
Tell 7 things about yourself and nominate 7 other bloggers. Notify them.
1. David Heilman
2. Rancho Reubidoux
3. Dark Pines Photo
LIEBSTER AWARD
Nominated by Mondrak @ Alastair’s Blog
http://kattermonran.com/2012/06/15/an-award/
Choose 5 up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. Notify them. (The following are beyond “up-and-coming” but are seriously “under-discovered.”)
1. Designrevolver
2. The Shooting Doctor
3. Daniel Mayes
THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD
Nominated by Mondrak @ Alastair’s Blog
http://kattermonran.com/2012/07/17/sunshine-blogger-award/
Tell 10 things about yourself and nominate 10 other bloggers. Notify them.
1. Good Morning Mary Sunshine (Joy’s blog that I just discovered this week!)
2. A Frank Angle
3. The Blog of Funny Names
ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD
Nominated by keerthika @ Wealthymatters
http://wealthymatters.com/2012/07/22/wealthymatters-recognized-as-one-lovely-blog/
Tell 7 things about yourself and nominate 15 other bloggers. Notify them.
1. Little Trot – trot with me
2. Life as I See It
3. Laughing at Everyday Life
THE 15 THINGS ABOUT MYSELF (for the above awards)
1. I am in my 60s.
2. I have been married for 30 years and have 2 grown children.
3. I have 5 siblings and had 42 first cousins just on my Mom’s side alone.
4. Being part of a big clan is an important part of my identity.
5. My oldest friend is 102 (I have known her for 34 years)
6. I am conservative on some issues, liberal on others.
7. I have worked for 34 years as a course editor/developer for a university.
8. I took advantage of an early buyout and retired 6 years ago but had to go back to work after 16 months.
9. My wife and I share one car that has almost 200,000 miles on it.
10. I am co-chair of the meal committee at church (cooking dinners for 25-200 people and overseeing a Thanksgiving potluck for 400).
11. I raise Streptocarpus under lights (first one, “Bristol’s Tie Dyed,” bloomed nonstop for two-and-one-half YEARS until I had to divide it). See link to Flickr photostream in right-hand menu on home page.
12. My main hobbies are photography, gardening, and cooking.
13. I published a book of humorous letters in 2010 (available in a 2nd Kindle Edition–see link at left on home page).
14. I’m still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up (“editor/course developer” isn’t IT).
15. The Daily Graff is the most rewarding thing I have ever done!
THE AWESOME BLOG CONTENT AWARD
Nominated by Otto @ Münchow’s Creative Photo Blog
http://munchow.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/more-rain/
Use the alphabet to describe yourself. Pass on to as many nominees as you wish. Notify them. (Meltdown here)
A. ALWAYS looking for inanimate objects, plants, or animals that can “Talk.”
B. BIRTH CERTIFICATE has been authenticated.
C. CHRISTIAN (member of an evangelical congregation for 30 years this Oct)
D. DETERMINED never to miss a weekday post.
E. EAGER to learn new things.
F. FAILED to reach my potential
G. GRATEFUL for family, friends, and my BLOG FOLLOWERS (shameless patronizing)
H. HIGH on HUMOR
I. INTERESTED in everything
J. JOHN (of the opinion that there should be at least one in every building)
K. KREATIVE (speller)
L. LOVE simple, quiet moments
M. MINDFUL of my limitations
N. NOT as fit as I used to be
O. OPEN-MINDED
P. PUNS, PUNS, PUNS!
Q. QUESTIONING my mission in life
R. REALLY concerned about the state of the world
S. SINGING lets me SOAR
T. TRYING to work out my relationship with God
U. UNDER stress much of the time
V. VERY glad for the Internet that allows me to reach an audience
W. WORRIED about money (but if “money talks” it could show up on the blog)
X. X-TREMELY grateful for my BLOG FOLLOWERS (more patronizing)
Y. “Y” did I decided to jump through all these award hoops
Z. ZEN-LIKE settings help me to gear down.
THE SUNSHINE AWARD
Nominated by Turber @ Follow Me Into The Darkness Of My Mind
http://looserornot.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/follow-me-into-the-darkness-of-my-mind/
Nominated by Nizy @ Nizy’s Life Compendium
http://nackynice.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/sunshine-blog-award/
Answer 10 questions about yourself. Nominate 10 other bloggers for this award. Notify them. (The 2 sets of 10 questions had some overlap, resulting in 15 unique questions. Too difficult to pass this award on.)
1. Favorite color: GREEN
2. Favorite animal: CAT
3. Favorite number: TWO (no. of children)
4. Favorite non-alcoholic beverage: ICED TEA
5. Prefer Facebook or Twitter? NEITHER (blogging friends are the only virtual community I need)
6. Passion: PHOTOGRAPHY
7. Prefer giving or getting presents? GIVING on Christmas, GETTING on Birthday
8. Favorite pattern: WOOD GRAIN
9. Favorite day of the week: SATURDAY
10. Favorite flower: ROSES (I have a rose garden)
11. Favorite Christmas movie: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
12. Favorite time of year: SPRING
13. Favorite time of day: MORNING (I’m up by 6:00 or 7:00 even on weekends)
14. Favorite physical activity: GARDENING
15. Favorite vacation: THE BEACH
In addition to the above awards I had previously complied with the rules for the following awards:
THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD
http://thedailygraff.com/2011/11/25/the-versatile-blogger-award/
THE READER APPRECIATION AWARD
http://photographyofnia.com/2011/12/15/what-a-nice-award/
THE CANDLE LIGHTER AWARD
http://photographyofnia.com/2012/01/10/8872/
(enough celebrating)
Congratulations dear John. It was a wonderful post to read more about you
Thank you and also Thank you for thinking of my blog too. Love, nia
Congratulations!!!!!!!
thank you for the shout out, that was very nice…
Loved reading things on you. I must say tho. the biggest LOL you gave me was on this one tho…
B. BIRTH CERTIFICATE has been authenticated.
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Here’s to another 500!
Thanks, Tammy. Didn’t want the Birthers to question my right to pun.
Perhaps we’ll all stop procrastinating, someday.
I have never known you to procrastinate about being my most faithful commenter.
John, congratulation on all the awards and your 500th post – well deserved! Thank you for my nomination, I feel honored. I am also very happy,
. It was fun to get to know you a bit better, and keep blogging!!! //Marianne
Thanks, Marianne. I might get tired of doing this SOMEDAY, but as long as I can hold a ball-point pun . . .
Your “Kommentar” arrived from WordPress in SWEDISH! I finally noticed the smiley and your imbedded e-mail address and matched it up with your smiley above. Otherwise I was at a loss as to what “Alla kommentarer till det här inlägget:” meant, until I compared that phrase with other WP notices. **
Thanks for kommentar-ing and smiley-ing!
** At first I thought, “It’s going to KILL me not to know what the person said!” (And all the time it was just you smiling.)
John, I blog both in Swedish and in English. They are totally separate, but sometimes the two languages get mixed in a non funny way,
. I hope you can read this…
Yes, your message came through in my native tongue this time.
Congrats John on all your awards and a bigger congrats on 500 posts! That truly shows dedication. I enjoyed reading the little bits about you and thank you for nominating me for an award. I never won anything before WordPress. I have met some wonderful folks via blogging. I may not always have a droll or witty comment, but your daily posts always bring a big smile. Thank you!
You weren’t tongue-tied about LAST week’s posts (you put as much thought into your witty comments as I did into the captions).
Congrats, John! I enjoyed reading the special things about you. Congrats on staying married for 30 years. Many laugh and shake their heads thinking that staying married for that long simply means you’ve been determined to stay together even if it kills you–as if marriage is some sort of prison sentence–and sometimes it can feel like that! However I prefer to view your long-standing commitment to your wife as proof of your love for God and acknowledging His standard for a marriage relationship: dying daily to one’s self as Christ died for the Church. Marriage is not easy, and many of us have failed. The blessings of staying together are too numerous to list, but a very basic one is when the children and grandchildren come home, they will be at the one home where love is. (P.S. Thank you for that nomination!)
Joy, one of the songs we chose for the soloist during our wedding was “Love Is Commitment and It Binds Me to You.” During the times when the feeling of love was strained, I always remembered that song.
Thanks a lot John for your nomination – I’m flattered! Will be posting a new post today so keep watching this space
Saw it, Daniel. When I saw the high quality of your writing and your range of topics, I was puzzled by how few people left comments or “likes.” You deserve a HUGE following. This insightful, well-illustrated post really grabbed me:”What if the Internet had an ‘OFF’ switch?” http://danmayes.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/what-if-the-internet-had-an-off-switch/
Thank you John for thinking my blog ,I really appreciate your work
and more power to your blog my friend …cheers
Jake, your blog deserves all of the admiring followers that it has. You are one of the shining lights of the blogosphere.
Not only congrats on the awards, congrats on your 500th post !!! Nothing like a dose of simple humor to spark the day … and everyone needs that! … and thanks for my recognition!
BTW – Doing one big award post is my style as well.
My life would not be complete without your “Angle,” Frank.
Thank you so much John for honoring GWGT with an award. Your blog was rightly awarded and much congratulations to you on this and 500 posts. I learned so much about you in this post, but share your ‘overload’ complying myself. I was surprised at your car. That is an achievement and very good for the environment.
Thanks, Donna! We’re not keeping the car going due to environmental reasons. Money for car payments would be hard to come by right now.
Hey, that is as good a reason as any. But it still helps out the environment. Since I mostly work from home, it is like we only need one car too.
Congratulations on all your awards and rewards be they virtual or tangible and all are well-earned!
Thanks, David. By cluing you in yesterday at church I kept you from being shocked over how much I had procrastinated.
Well done on the multitude of awards and your 500th post
Thank YOU for nominating me for 2 of them!
I want to thank you for the award….
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