This blog is about awards, so we begin with Mary Elizabeth Hoover Shepherd, 94, holding a special, private collection of her poetry, articles, essays and stories, including her illustrated story, “Stubby The Missouri Mule.”
Dear Mom,
During the last month, our blog has received three new awards. This time, you will be “accepting” the awards, and I will answer the questions as I know you would (without the dementia), and we will thank those who nominated our blog, and then we’ll recommend others.
With genuine thanks to those who follow us, enjoy our story and have nominated this blog, I know you will understand why we’re answering just a few of the many questions and are nominating just one new blog for each award. Here we go:
The Super Sweet Award from our friend Mack of the diary of me at http://thediaryofmeblog.wordpress.com/ Question: do you have a sweet nickname? Mary Ibeth (short and sweet nickname for Elizabeth, which was a mouthful for children). Question: which do you like better, cookies or cake? Actually, my mother used to love pies more. Now, though, she loves cookies, especially soft snickerdoodle cookies, though anything sweet and served with a smile or shared with a visitor is very nice, too.
One Lovely Blog Award from Pat Wood at http://patwoodblogging.com/ who offers great photography and insights and adventures on writing (a sample of her novel,CLEAN DEATH,can be read on her blog), and the Liebster Blog Award from Eva Rider at http://evarider.com/ whose theme is to Live your fantasy (she’s a fantasy and contemporary/mainstream writer) Question: what event didn’t you expect that made your life what it is today? Mom would say she didn’t expect to lose her husband and best friend to a long struggle with Alzheimer’s, and then also to lose many of her own short term memories and knowledge to dementia, but Life doesn’t do what we expect. Question: how do you want to be remembered? Mom would like to be remembered for her strong quiet faith, and for the people she helped and the good changes she made in schools, the church and children’s lives, for her warm hospitality and the delicious meals she fixed, and especially, for the love she shared with her family and friends.
When I visit Mom each month, I tell her about new blogs I’ve discovered, and sometimes I’ll read her special posts that I think she’ll enjoy. We will share some of our new favorites now, and recommend that you all visit their blogs soon:
http://claudiapage–bookie.blogspot.com/ for One Lovely Blog Award. Claudia’s Page covers writing, tea events, antiques and collectibles, interesting Kansas places, and delightful pictures to enjoy again and again!
http://poeticparfait.com/ Christy Birmingham’s “Poetic Parfait” for The Super Sweet Award. Christy lives in Victoria, British Columbia and writes personally and professionally. She compares poetry to a wonderful dessert you just can’t pass up, and her photography is wonderful!
http://lanternpost2012.wordpress.com/ for the Liebster Award. Daniela is the Lantern’s Keeper at Lantern Post; she has amazing photography poetry, prose, quotes, book and movie reviews, and reflections. To visit her blog is to take an amazing journey.
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Mary: the same beauty, two ages
The cover of the book Marylin put together for her mother ~ selected poems,
articles, essays, stories, and the illustrated story, “Stubby The Missouri Mule”
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 