One Lovely Blog Award: Thank you!

I am very grateful to be nominated for One Lovely Blog Award by two bloggers whose posts I enjoy very much: thisfloridalife, full of great insider tips for all the best central Florida has to offer from a native who loves the place, and joytourandtravel, a tour company’s treasury of travel advice that’s bound to inspire bouts of serious wanderlust. Thank you!

There are rules: (1) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog. (2) List seven random things about yourself. (3) Nominate 15 other lovely blogs.

Bee balms!

Seven random things: (1) I love the smell of ripe, just-picked raspberries–it takes me back to the endless summer days at my grandparents’ country house. (2) My native language is Russian, but it is not the language of my ancestors. (3) I have always been indifferent toward sweets. (4) The crazy-awake shape of crimson bee balm flowers makes me happy. (5) I grew up 2,200 feet above sea level and, at a gut level, feel slightly lost in flat, open places. (6) I am increasingly uneasy with heights–a new development. (7) My favorite travelogue is I Wonder as I Wander by Langston Hughes, describing his travels in the 1930s Russia, Soviet Central Asia, segregated American South, Cuba, Haiti, Japan, China, and Spain (during its civil war)–his experiences were breathtaking, and he captured them beautifully, bringing an open mind, curiosity, and his own background.

My lovely 15: In my three WordPress months, I’ve been grateful for lovely momentary escapes through these wonderful blogs:

• http://nicfreeman.com/, a travelogue by Nic Freeman; I love the way Nic explores a place: through its food, music, and long, leisurely walks
• http://sandstoneandamber.com/, Ania’s lapidarium of impressions, images, and musings inspired by her travels–each post is not just a journey through a place but a journey through time, events, and lives who shaped it
• http://witchinkitchen.wordpress.com/, Jess Schreibstein’s beautiful and beautifully written blog about food, friends, and wanderings
• http://notesplusultra.com/, where James chronicles his travels–he is a wonderful writer and photographer
• http://thirdeyemom.com/: travel, culture, and social good–a winning combination!
• http://thehistorytourist.com/, a history-lover’s journey through time and sites that helped shape the United States
• http://bombaychowparty.wordpress.com/, ambrosial adventures and happy accidents in cooking and eating in Mumbai
• http://cosytravels.wordpress.com/, Danish organ player and a Belgian language teacher decide to explore Europe by car–their adventures are both a great read and a useful guide for your own off-the-beaten track escapes
• http://letterfrombritain.com/, an anglophile’s dream blog, a collection of posts by a team of British bloggers–quirky, dry, and witty, naturally
• http://virginiaplantation.wordpress.com/, a blog following one couple’s journey to open a historic bed and breakfast (I can’t wait to see the plantation next year)
• http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/, it’s a joy to read about Lesley’s adventures–she does such exciting, daring things, despite her fears (to many of which I can relate)
• http://chasingbutterfliessunshineandfreedom.wordpress.com/ by Giana, an Irish transplant to Spain–I love her interpretations of weekly photo challenges
• http://patbean.wordpress.com/, Pat travels through the United States in her RV with her dog, birdwatching, hiking, observing nature, and writing about it
• http://thesoulshines.wordpress.com/, begun as an account of a volunteering trip, this turned into a way of life for an American economist in Columbia
• http://owlandpenguin.com/, a couple moves from Chicago to Philadelphia and begin to explore their new home (and all around it)