Stylish Blogger Award

This is long overdue and I wanted to let the ladies that nominated me know that I had not forgotten.  How best to say "not forgotten" than to do the post and pay it forward. 

So...  Ronnie, Justawallflower, and Angie nominated me for this award.  I am deeply grateful that the three of you chose to add me to your list.  It makes my heart smile to learn that people think good things about me - and these awards sure do show just that.  So thank you, ladies! 

And so here's the stuff...

Thank the person who gave you the award, reveal seven things about yourself, and nominate 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered or love. Then leave a comment on their blog letting them know they've been nominated.

1. I love my husband more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.  All that sappy stuff like "you complete me" really is real with us.  And what's interesting to me - before I met him, I thought things like that meant codependency which is "bad".  I now know it's entirely possible without codependency.
2. I believe that only our dreams hold us back.  If you don't dream it, you won't achieve it.  I am teaching that to my husband - his parents never taught him that - and it is incredible to watch him learn.  He never thought he could achieve anything other than what he already knew.  It's such a wonderful thing to watch him realize he CAN have that lifestyle, he CAN get that promotion, he CAN do whatever it is he wants to - if only he can dream it.
3. It's hard for me to maintain friendships.  Most all of the friendships I have ever had (in real life, not in blog-land) have always drained me and rarely leave me thinking "I want more".  I have had a few friendships that do leave me thinking "I want more" but they always fall apart, somehow.
4. I was told once that my swimming could take me to the Olympics.  I was told I was "that good".  That was, sadly, enough for me.
5. I miss my mom more than anyone can imagine.  I often wonder, now that's she's been gone for nearly seven years, what she would think of me now.  When she died, I wasn't that far out of college and I hadn't gotten into my dream profession yet.  I was still in that 'waiting-for-it-to-happen' mode that you are in after college.  Now that I am settled with a fantastic husband and a nice house and a great job, I wonder what she would think.  On the flipside, if my mom hadn't died, I wonder how my life would be different...
6. I love to drive.  It always shocks me when I learn of a girlfriend that is scared of driving.  I don't get that!  What's scary about driving?  Being scared of driving is what makes driving scary.  My husband and I "fight" all the time about who gets to drive.  I don't buy into that stereotype that "men are the drivers".  Phoey on stereotypes.
7. Which is probably why I was a Gunner's Mate in the Navy, got two science degrees, bought my own house before I met my hubby, love to mow the lawn, work in a male-dominated profession, and will probably be the career mom while my husband is the stay-at-home dad.  I hate stereotypes.  Who says women can't/shouldn't/don't mow the lawn?  Why?  Why not?

Ok, now for the hard part.  I'm supposed to nominate 15 bloggers but I am not thinking I'll have that many.  It's hard to single out people but I also know how great it feels to receive these awards.  So here are a few of my blogs I love love love - and then I will also say, if you are reading this, you are nominated.  I truly love you all; you each make my blog a fulfilling thing for me.


Drama Queen - her blog is one of the wittiest, snarkiest, funniest, most captivating blogs of all.  She is such a great person with such a great humor.  When I see her blog show up for the day, I literally get giddy with anticipation - and she never disappoints.
Amanda - her blog is one of the smartest blogs out there.  She is so articulate and interesting and it helps that we generally think alike in how life with the band "should" be.  It's also interesting to me that Amanda (and she doesn't know this) can push my buttons better than anyone else (in blog-land) which gets me thinking and moving in the right and/or better direction.
Bonnie - always super supportive and always up to something fun!
Tessirose - I just love her.  Can't say much more than that there.  She gets it.  Simple as that!
Stephanie - she's just so interesting.  She has shared with me, via comments a lot of the time, so many things we have in common.  I feel like if we lived in the same area, we'd probably be great friends.  The kind of great friendship that lasted.
Jen - I just love her, too, just like Tessierose.  She is someone who when I see a comment from her - I know it's going to be perfect.  And her blog is funny and real and intelligient and interesting.
Drazil - You all know Drazil so you all know why she's on my list.  Our blogs have led to email conversations which led to a real friendship and she touches my life in ways that few people have ever done.
Band_Groupie - hers was the first blog I ever read - and it got me into blogging.  Her blog removed all doubts about being banded.  Her blog has me in stomach-splitting laughter one day and tears the next.  And her blog, like Draz's has also led to a real-life friendship.  I can never repay her enough for how she has impacted my life.
Catherine - she also had a hand in getting me into blogging, something that has changed my life, I think, for the better.  Over on LBT, she left me a comment to a thread I started telling me to check out blogs.  That led me to Band_Groupie.  Band_Groupie eventually led me here to blogger.  And then I found Catherine's blog.  Her life is like a fairy-tale to me and I just love reading what she's up to.  I am always captivated!

I know all these ladies have already been nominated and it's because most people see the same things in these women as I do.  But these are my can't-live-without's.  My list is always changing and only grows.  I have a hard time singling out certain blogs because each and everyone that I read and each and everyone that reads me are all incredibly special and fulfilling and supportive.  So like I said, if you are reading this, you are nominated!