With the holiday season comes blessings galore and a time of giving/receiving thanks, giving/receiving presents and giving/receiving awards! The blogosphere is bursting at the seams with ways of sharing with others that which is so graciously received.

http://catnipoflife.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/thoughts-on-the-easter-lily/catniplogosm-6/Doesn't that make the blog awards more special that any other? Think about it: you don't put them on a shelf, display them behind glass doors, store them in a box, hide them in a closet or hold onto them to use later only to eventually have them become used up, tattered, torn or wasted away.

http://catnipoflife.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/thoughts-on-the-easter-lily/catniplogosm-6/What do you do? You pass them along, pay them forward, share with others to be shared with others who share with others and the beat goes on.

There is definitely something to be said about this virtual world of ours: it is a world of sharing, caring and preparing: Sharing around the world, Caring for others, Preparing for the future. Whatever endeavor you are engaged in at the present moment or seek in days to come, there is always someone willing to tell you his or her story which will in turn provide a beacon of light down a sometimes dark highway.

So, without further adieu, let's get to the next award...one that requires very little demand and keeps on giving.

Believe it or not…

Yes, an actual “current” Blog Award!

http://nackynice.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/its-your-time-to-shine-blog-of-the-year-2012-award/

Thank you Sharla Shults,catnipoflife for my first nomination of the “Blog of the Year 2012” award. Thank you Raani York for my second and for my third,rosemaryadkins@extraordinaryireland.com and Lori Foroozandeh http://teepee12.wordpress.com/. As you will learn in the information to follow, catnipoflife has earned Three Stars. Micki Peluso has earned four stars.It is amazing how many wonderful, creative and talented bloggers there are in the blogosphere.
I’m guessing, no actually I know, that every single blogger I’ve met in my blogging journey so far should have this award. As with the receiving of any award, the difficult part is deciding who will be on the receiving end.
So here is what you need to know about:

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

(This has been copied word for word for accuracy. It is suggested you do the same...makes posting easy!)
Do you know a blog that deserves an award?
Do you have special blogs that you love to read?
Which blogs do you bookmark and follow?
Would you like to give them an award this year?
Then the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award is for you!
The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
2 Write a blog post and name/tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page Blog of the Year 2012 Award and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5 You can now also join The Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…
Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!
Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!
‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Badges
There are six badges for you to collect – you can either ‘swap’ your badge for the next one each time you are given the award – or even proudly display all six badges if you are lucky enough to be presented with the award six times!
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Need to know more? Check out the FAQ page
And Congratulations! on being chosen for the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award!
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‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – thumbnails
Here are the 6 awards in thumbnail size for your sidebar – feel free to Right Click and save any of the images on this page:
So there you go those are the rules and the name of the game.
The blogs listed below possibly have at one time or another bestowed and/or received an award from catnipoflife or her sister site, Awakenings. Some responded with the utmost gratitude, some do not venture into the award arena and some simply did not respond. Those of you who enjoy playing I look forward to your own post and those of you who chose not to that is okay, too. I have fulfilled my desire to let you know how deserving you truly are and how much you mean to me. :)
For those of you who want to play, the ball is in your court!
[BTW If you want to play and I have somehow missed you, I hang my head shamefully but will raise it proudly and promptly add you to the list!]
raaniyorkca