Tribal blog love

So a few days (maybe weeks?) ago SITS had a Saturday "sharefest" post about finding your blogging tribe. It's a wonderful concept and one I've loosely adopted over that last 18 months or so. It's common sense to scratch the back of fellow bloggers who take the time to read and comment, but it's also extremely rewarding.

I've found fellow mothers (and parents as well as non-parents) whose experiences mirror mine and make me feel normal. (Did you hear that? I feel NORMAL in all this head-up-my-ass-what-the-hell-am-I-doing parenting thing because of others' willingness to share and open up. What a spectacular thing.) My blogrolls to the left are a compilation of blogs I adore and read all the time, blogs that I aspire to be when I grow up, and blogs that are like me. They are also bloggers who are loyal followers and commenters who most definitely deserve reciprocal support and blog love.

Take Foxy at Foxy Den. She's a fellow Austinite who has been around almost from the very beginning. And her blog is so very different from mine I might never have found it based on my usual haunts, and I would have missed out on her scary Valentine's Day Exorcist moment or where to find an Edward Cullen doll (Toys R Us, in case you were wondering). If it weren't for the powers that be in the blogging community t hat had brought her my way I would be missing out on her quirky sense of humor and laugh-out-loud posts.

And she even gave me an award back in October; this awsome "Over the Top" badge. How cool is that??


So of course I'd like to pay it forward to some other bloggers I respect and enjoy:

Cypress Sun - A creative woman and mother searching for balance, finding beauty and poetry in her journey and generously sharing it with the interwebs.
Pink Bliss - Ex-pat in Scandanavia, newly-minted lawyer finding her way with two fluffy cats, a husband, and an alluring wit.
The Wifey Blogs - Honest, funny, uniformly engaging in her writings, Gabrielle doesn't hold any punches as she works through her thoughts and life.
Unfortunately Peanut Butter - Ex-pat in the Netherlands, Renee (or Pinkypie as she's known as on Twitter), is thoughtful and brave as she learns to push her own boundaries.
Amber Page Writes - Amber writes about her husband and daughter with a clear, loving, droll voice. There's a vision of her personality in every line.

And likewise, Gabrielle of The Wifey Blogs also passed on an award back in December. I'm really touched because there are, literally, endless bloggers to choose from, but she added me to her list.



I'm supposed to pass this on to 10 bloggers, but I'm going to instead pass it on to the handful of bloggers with whom I've exchanged a bunch of email, chats, and/or Tweets. Their thoughtful responses, willingness to engage and open up, and outright friendliness have really helped me to keep my head above water the last six months. So, thank you, ladies. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Loukia at Mrs. Loulou
Amber at Strocel.com
Brie at Capital Mom
Elisa at Globetrotting in Heels
and One-sided Momma

Basically, these "awards," are really just the internet version of me calling you up and asking you to go to dinner or grab a cup of coffee, because isn't that what we do with the people in our lives that we admire and appreciate?

And last, but not least, Noble Savage (one of my very favorite bloggers whom I highly esteem) tagged me in one of the easiest memes ever. I just have to share things that never fail to put a smile on my face. (I'm not going to tag anyone specifically, but I'd love to know what does it for you. Lemme know if you post it on your blog and I'll link up to you.)

• Hollis' tense body freeze followed by a chortle whenever he toots
• My tempurpedic bed
• Horse
• The sound of my grown up husband giggling like a little boy in spite of himself
• Attie Poo McJigglechops, the wonder-nephew.
  

First "bird."

So, thanks everyone. I look forward to more blogging lurv with all of you in 2010.