Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Bring me sunshine

Fans of the unforgettable Morecambe and Wise will, I hope, forgive me for borrowing their theme song for the title of this post. It sprang irresistibly to mind when I opened Google Reader yesterday to find that my friend Croixblanches of Nowhere-on-Thames had kindly passed on to me the Sunshine Award she had recently been given.

Longer-term readers of this blog probably know by now that I sometimes sit a bit lightly to the conditions attached to many blogging awards. Today, however, in gratitude both for the award and for the real sunshine which has so brightened up the past week, I will be a good girl and do as I am asked. After thanking the kind giver, I am to choose 10 bloggers, who, in my opinion, “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere” and then answer a few simple questions about myself.

I recognize that not every blogger wishes to receive awards, in which case please feel free to decline. It’s even possible that some have already received it and are running out of space on their virtual mantelpiece. The main thing is that I’m given the chance to highlight some of the blogs I enjoy and offer them for further exploration, so, without further ado, here are my choices. They come from near and far, some are long-established, others newer and still small. Some post very regularly, others quite infrequently. The one thing they have in common is that I enjoy reading each and every one.








Kamo Lady    



Now for the questions – 9 rather than 10 for some reason, but I'm not grumbling. J

Favourite colour:  Blue, ever since I could pronounce it, though I'm told I look good in coral pink.
Favourite animal:  Cats, by a mile. When we stop travelling we’ll have cats again.
Favourite number:  
Whatever age I’ll be next birthday.
Favourite drink:  During the day tea, in the evening red wine. (OK, I cheated)
Facebook or Twitter:  Neither. There aren’t enough hours in the day.
Your passion:  DH and my blog - an offshoot of my primal passion for reading.
Giving or getting presents:  Let’s be honest here – both.
Favourite day:  
I’m retired and getting on a bit, so every day I wake up feeling well is my favourite.
Favourite flowers:  I particularly love spring flowers such as snowdrops, primroses and bluebells, but if I had to choose just one flower, it would be the old-fashioned scented rose.

Now it’s over to you, both to explore and, for the recipients, to accept and pass it on if you want to. Enjoy...

46 comments:

  1. Congrats on the Sunshine award.
    I also love cats and can't figure out why people like Facebook and Twitter. They seem such a waste of time but then I guess they could say the same about blogging.

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    1. Thanks, Rubye. I still miss having cats around and make friends with other people's whenever I can. Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't use the main social media. Another reason I don't bother with them is the inability to use a pseudonym. I value my privacy.

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  2. Hello Perpetua:
    Many congratulations [again]. 'Perpetually in Transit' brings permanent sunshine not only to our lives but also to those of your many readers.

    We too love cats, and still miss ours who now have been dead for some years.

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    1. Thank you, Jane and Lance, for those very kind words. I also enjoy the chance to share some of the lovely blogs I keep discovering.

      Why am I not surprised to learn that you are also cat-lovers? One of the hard things about living in more than one place is the inability to have a cat or two.

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  3. Congratulations, Perpetua! The "Sunshine" award is well-deserved for your very inspiring blog!

    And cats are, indeed, wonderful. We treasure our three who are very much a part of our family!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy. It certainly added to the glow of the sunshine we've been revelling in for the last few days and are about to lose again. Sigh....

      I know you are another cat-lover and I always read your posts about your cats, past and present, with great pleasure.

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  4. Well deserved award Perpetua...your blog always brings a ray of sunshine into my life.

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    1. Thanks, Astrid. I can say the same about yours which is why I was sop pleased to pass the award on to you. :-)

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    2. Except I don't know what I'm supposed to do now...I'm sort of new to this blogging stuff. I'll try to figure it out :)

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    3. Sorry, Astrid, I didn't spell it out clearly enough in my post. The usual procedure is to thank the giver and link to their blog, choose the blogs you want to pass the award on to and link to them and finally answer the questions. Some bloggers like me sometimes sit a bit lightly to the more onerous conditions. :-) The real purpose of any blog award is to highlight blogs you enjoy and give them a chance to be discovered by more readers.

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  5. Well deserved. Look just how many new bloggers you have inspired!

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    1. Thanks, Fly. This inspiring and being inspired (as by your blog) is one of the many aspects of blogging I find so enjoyable and satisfying.

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  6. Your blog always brings me sunshine... and I will accept gratefully! It'll take me a little while to choose my ten sunniest blogs, so don't be surprised if there's a delay til I post.

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    1. Thanks, Catriona and I'm so glad you'll accept. I look forward to seeing your post when your 'back to work after the holidays' rush dies down.

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  7. Wonderful! Your award and the introductions of new bloggers.

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    1. Thanks, Rosaria. I appreciate it and there are so many blogs out there worth mentioning.

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  8. How fun the song and skit was. I'm smiling here as the sun is streaming in. We broke all heat records for May 28 here yesterday, Perpetua, but the sunshine is a joy to behold today - especially when it comes with your award nomination and learning 9 things about you. Congratulations! I'll have some enjoyable moments visiting a few new blogs in the next few days as well. Well done!

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    1. Thanks, Penny. I'm so glad you enjoyed the clip of the much-loved Morecambe and Wise. They were hugely popular in Britain for many years and their Christmas specials were the stuff of legend. :-)

      I don't like to think how hot it must have been with you to break records like that, but, as you say, sunshine is always lovely to see. Have fun exploring...

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  9. Dear Perpetua - What a lovely surprise it was to learn that you were offering me a Sunshine Award. I have never received a blog award before.
    I hope that you will not be offended if I only half accept it. The difficulty I have is selecting other blogs to pass the award on to. A fuller explanation will be on my blog in a few days time. However, thank you for nominating me, I do really and truly appreciate it greatly♥ I look forward to visiting the other blogs mentioned.

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    1. Rosemary, I'm so glad you are pleased to have an award and as I said, what you do with it now is entirely up to you. I don't want anyone to feel obliged to do anything they don't want to. The main thing is that your lovely blog was highlighted as it deserves and, I hope, will find more appreciative readers. :-)

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  10. Many thanks Perpetua, but since I have already received this award from Chubby Chatterbox, I think I have to decline! But congratulations to you -- you are indeed a ray of sunshine!

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    1. Thanks, Broad. I guessed that some of my recipients would already have received it, but I didn't have time to check everyone's sidebars and past posts to find out. Don't bother returning it, just tuck it away in a drawer as a spare. :-)

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  11. Your award is well deserved. I always enjoy reading your posts while I have my morning bowl of porridge. Thank you as well. I will accept and have to think about the blogs I will choose. Some have already been chosen by you.

    I have already played around and just learnt how to add a "blog address" to a post and discovered that it is an amazing 13 months since my first very hesitant post

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    1. Thanks, Susan. As I eat my morning bowl of porridge in future I shall enjoy the thought that at the other side of the world you do the same. :-)

      I'm glad you will accept. If you're anything like me, doing an award post like this will be a great opportunity to learn more about how to do links and other technical things. Don't worry about an overlapping choice of blogs either. Your blog has a largely different readership and this will give those particular blogs a chance to be read yet more widely.

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  12. I do thank you for including me in the list of other recommended blogs, Perpetua. I have previously accepted the award, but it is a pleasure to be highlighted on yours! I think the absolute best part of the awards is exactly that...spending some time perusing recommended blogs! I think you are most deserving of anything associated with "sunshine." You are consistently a breath of fresh air. And I do hope you keep some warm sunshine for a while and can enjoy yourself outdoors! Blessings, Debra

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    1. Thanks, Debra, and I'm delighted to have the chance to highlight your thoughtful blog. As I said to The Broad above, I guessed that some of my recipients would already have received this award, but I didn't have time to check everyone's sidebars and past posts to find out. Just move everything along that mantelpiece a bit and add the spare. :-)

      Sadly the sunshine over here is gradually disappearing, just as the Jubilee weekend approaches. Typically contrary British weather! Sigh....

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  13. Very well deserved Perpetua. I do agree with you about Facebook and Twitter. I wish they hadn't invaded my life. I am on FB..under duress really, but it does enable me to see photos uploaded by my daughter just minutes after they have been taken. As for Twitter..yes again I was encouraged to join but I don't use it because I simply don't get it!

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    1. Thanks, Ayak. I've always kept away from FB because DH wasn't happy about its security and also because I didn't want my full name and details everywhere on the internet. It helps that neither of our children has joined, so there is no feeling of missing out if I'm not on it. As for Twitter, it too wants my name and like you I just don't see what it is for! This way I still have time to eat and sleep. :-)

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  14. I am glad I managed to "get" you with this award, Perpetua, as your blog is always a very sunny place, and you've given me lots of support and encouragement on the road to bloggerdom (is that a word?). Nice that this little round of awards came at a time when we finally have some REAL sunshine, too!

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    1. Thanks, CB. Very glad to have been of service. :-) You know how much I enjoy blogging and it's a privilege to introduce others to its pleasures. Sadly the real sun has disappeared behind thick clouds here today, but its memory lingers on....

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  15. This award thing is new to me, Perpetua, but I thank you for including me in your post. I also thank you for yours, as I thoroughly enjoy it.I'm not sure what to do if I accept, but I shall. Thanks again.

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    1. You're very welcome, Bonnie and I'm glad you've accepted. As I said above to Astrid,the usual procedure is to thank the giver and link to their blog, choose the blogs you want to pass the award to and link to them, and finally answer any questions. Some bloggers (like me) sometimes sit a bit lightly to the more onerous conditions. :-) The real purpose of any blog award is to highlight some of the blogs you enjoy and give them a chance to be discovered by more readers. If you do that, you pass the pleasure of discovery on.

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  16. A well deserved award Perpetua, and I have enjoyed blog hopping between those you recommend that I do not already follow. Janice.

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    1. Thanks, Janice. Blog-hopping is fun and I'm constantly amazed at the variety and quality of blogs I discover in this way. The only problem is running out of time to read and comment on them all....:-)

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  17. Well deserved, and thank you for this sunny post - it cheered me up!

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    1. Thanks, DB. I'm glad you enjoyed it. With the sky now shrouded again in dark grey clouds, we need all the sunshine we can get. :-)

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  18. Oh wow, Perpetua, I've just discovered mine down the list. Lots of sunshine to you - yours is so deserved. I do tend to sit a bit lightly on blog awards meself. All the blogs I read on my blog list are special and I can't choose between any of them. Thank you I do love that little button so would it be alright if it was taken as read that any one on my blog list is worthy of the award?

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    1. Thanks, Molly, you're very welcome and I'm sorry I didn't have time to go round telling everyone they'd been given it. As I said above, I've happily reinterpreted blog awards in the past and invite my nominees to do the same if they want to. Please help yourself to the button and do with it as you think fit. :-)

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  19. Congratulations Perpetua on your award. I’ll take a look at the blogs you mentioned. I enjoyed reading your answers. I also love cats – but, my pet of 14 ½ years passed away last month. She was a lovely cat and I miss her. Fortunately we still have our male cat, and Cody is a dear.

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    1. Thanks, Vagabonde, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's good to know you are another cat-lover, but I am very sorry to hear about the death of your pet. They become so much part of our lives and we miss them dreadfully when they're gone. I still have very fond memories of all the cats I've had over the years.

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  20. Dear Perpetua, congratulations on your award. I so enjoyed your responses to the nine questions. You have such a sense of wonder about you.

    And thank you also for including me in the list of those to whom you are "passing the torch." As soon as I complete the final postings on social justice and my life, I'll answer those nine questions and choose other blogs to compliment as you did.

    I"m so glad to learn that you love cats!

    Peace.

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    1. Good evening, Dee. I'm so glad you're feeling well enough now to read and comment. Thank you for your kind words and for accepting the award so graciously. I shall look look forward to reading your answers and exploring your recommendations in due course.

      I am a cat person through and through. Though I recognise the lovable qualities of other animals, cats have my heart.

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  21. I am terrible about accepting awards so you are not on your own. I think I have three banked up that I must post. Eventually. I am pleased to have discovered yours though, even if sunshine isn't in abundance over there right now.

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    1. Thanks, roughseas. Certainly the real kind of sunshine seems to have vanished here for the time being, but we're having plenty of fun with the grandsons indoors instead. Glad I'm not the only one who appreciates awards, but doesn't always do them quite as intended.

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  22. Always nice to have a little glimpse of a fellow blogger

    Domestic cats we do not agree on I'm afraid - bird killers to me I'm afraid

    But as for Facebook or Twitter - I'm with you there.

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    1. Thanks, Mark, I enjoy awards for that reason too.

      I'm very aware that not everyone feels as I do about cats. Over the years I think our very rural cats have caught far more mice than birds, as we never feed birds anywhere a cat could reach, but sadly the same can't always be said for urban gardens.

      Facebook and Twitter? Can't see the point....

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I welcome your comments and will always try to respond to them. Thank you for reading.