Friday 17 October 2008

Should I make a speech?


I should probably start with a couple of apologies: first of all to all of you because over the next week or so I won’t have much time to post a blog, to read your blogs or to comment on them.

Do not fear: I shall return – but for the next week I am effectively performing two jobs for the price of one so will probably be starting early, finishing late and generally climbing Mount Email on a daily basis – except for Thurdsay evenings when I will be starting my new 6 week art course with Mad Penguin Lady (MPL)

MPL is from Holland and three years ago I did a similar course with her – Life Drawing – in which I created one of my few masterpieces “Butt Naked Bloke #1” (does what it says on the tin really). I call her MPL because shortly after the final session I visited an exhibition of her work and she had painted a giant Penguin that stood rather taller than I did (and I’m 6ft)

Secondly I should apologise to Lisa (Lisa’s spot): a couple of weeks ago you gave me an award – I’m still not sure exactly what I did to deserve such an honour, but it has been on my mind ever since and I have been spending a lot of my spare time thinking about it.

How does one respond to such a thing? The instructions on the award say I should post it on my own site and then pass it on to eight other people who write blogs.

This is something of a serious issue – because I generally don’t respond to the kind of email that tells you that if you forward it to twenty of your closest friends within two minutes of reading it you will receive the bank details of a Saudi Sheik including his PIN (by the way – why do we refer to it as a PIN number? What do we think the N stands for anyway??)

So – I now read rather more than 8 blogs and each one is listed on my places to visit list and each one means something to me: so the problem is how to make the decision on who to include.

And here’s my response: to you eight listed below and for the reasons I have given I award this award. Much like Tony Wilson (manager of Factory Records) is alleged to have done on the last night of the Hacienda night club I order you to ransack the list, do with it as you will but to go forth and create new and glorious things. Pass it on if you want, the choice is yours.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael (always going, going, going on beyond) and Lisa (Lisa’s Spot)

SERVICES TO LITERATURE: Honour (The Art Of Practice), Michael (always going, going, going on beyond) and Anne-Marie (Mightier Than Any Sword)

INSPIRATION AND STRENGTH: Lisa (Lisa’s Spot) and Lydia (Writerquake)

THOUGHT PROVOCATION AND INTELLECTUAL CONTENT: all of you, but particularly Clandestine Samuri (Life, The Dynamic), Honour (The Art Of Practice) and Lydia (Writerquake)

MOST SADLY MISSED: A. Stageman (Eyes Closed, Jazzing)

BEST NEWCOMER: Bhudda (Bhudda of Hollywood)

For those I had to miss – I apologise. Do not think less of me for this – I cherish your words and thoughts.

See you soon

9 comments:

michael.offworld said...

Thanks so much for this honour. I'd like to thank my mother for buying me my first Franklin W. Dixon novel. I read it in one night and knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Then we got cable and I forgot all about it.

pohanginapete said...

I'll second your awards — I've visited most of them and agree strongly. Your own award's richly deserved too.

Lydia said...

Awww, you really got me with this one. When I read that you'd received the (well-deserved) award and had spent some time thinking about it, my first thought was that I'd have the same reaction. You are so kind to include me with other bloggers I admire.
". . . do with it as you will but to go forth and create new and glorious things." Well, OK! I truly will do my best to do so.

Thanks, friend, and enjoy the heck out of your art course with MPL.

Anonymous said...

No, no, seriously, I.....didn't think I'd win. *pulls out acceptance speech*, I just, I want to thank God for making all things possible, I want to thank my family, the cast, the producers, the director, I want to thank the company............

I'm just kiddin'. Thanks for the award. I'm going to visit the other sites you listed.

raccoonlover1963/Lisa Myers said...

You deserve the award. Don't sell yourself short! Thank you for your kind words. I will re-post the award on my blog. I think you are the only one who has had such nice things to say about my blog. I thought it was hilarious a couple of months back when you left a comment on my blog about my photos. You asked if I took photography classes or was it "just bloody natural talent". It's natural, I never took photography in high school. I didn't want my father to have to spend that kind of money on a new camera and everything else that goes with it. My photography actually started almost 3 years ago when my husband bought me a Kodak Easyshare with printer dock and editing disk. He told me the other day that he is very jealous and proud of my photography, especially since I acquired the Canon EOS D30.
Take care and have a wonderful week.
(((HUGS))) Lisa

Unknown said...

I thought Lydia made some kind of mistake when she wrote my I got an award. But here it is! I'm giddy as a school girl. Actually somebody reads my blog and even likes it!
You made my day. Thank you!

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

Thanks all for your words and michael and samurai for making me laugh!

Pete - my one regret was not finding a category for you, so take this response as a Services To Nature award!

Keep up the good work all of you :)

Anne-Marie said...

Hungry Pixie, congratulations and thank you. It's my first blog award and I do believe that's a wee tear in the corner of my eye!

I'm bah humbug about putting memes and awards on my own blog. However, if I wasn't bah humbug you'd receive the "thought provoking and intellectual content" and "services to literature" awards.

Now let's all have a group hug!

Roxanne said...

DFTP, thanks for the lovely words. You were one of the first bloggers that I communicated with - and your words have always been of encouragement to me ... so I'm thankful for your blog kinship!

We look forward to your return. It is strange to come back to world of blogdom after being away for a while. I felt like I missed so much! You'll have to share what your experience is like ... I'd like to compare notes.

Group hug indeed!