Category Archives: special occasion

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

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I want to thank a talented young woman who writes the blog Its My Life http://kelseyrexroad8494.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. bloggerIf you are a young woman who likes fashion and makeup you must check out her blog.  She will provide you with tips and reviews that are perfect for the up and coming fashionista. I was one of 4 nominees and I can’t thank her enough for her kind comments. This is what she said: This is not a beauty blog, but I love seeing the pictures that are constantly being posted, they are beautiful. I love photography, so this blog is one of my faves, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

So glad you like them! The photos are my favorite part too.  🙂

Now for the rules:

Rules

  1. Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you
  2. List the rules and display the award
  3. Share seven facts about yourself
  4.  Nominate fifteen other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated
  5. Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you

Let’s see, 7 facts about myself????

  1. I’m more than a cat lover. I love all animals.
  2. I believe life is an adventure so the rough spots along the way are there to give you a challenge and make you stronger to enjoy the good times.
  3. I love to travel. Although I am trying to visit all 50 states I also want to go to Costa Rica, Galapagos, Australia, Africa and Egypt. (And that’s just for starters.)
  4. This blog started out as a travel blog but has evolved to so much more.
  5. The blogging experience has introduced me to so many wonderful people (virtually) and enriched my life. (This is a totally unexpected benefit)
  6. I am blessed with 2 brothers, a sister and my mother for family. (And more nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and extended family)
  7. Growing up in the Adirondacks  my family said we weren’t “hillbillies’ , we were “ridgerunners”

The hardest part of these awards are the nominations. I work full time , write this blog, manage dustyroadsphotos.com and dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com and dustyroadsphotos.etsy.com . So that doesn’t leave a great deal of time to explore other blogs. Many of the blogs I do follow are photography blogs. But so much for excuses. I won’t have 15 blogs but the ones I will recommend are wonderful and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

My nominees for the Most Inspiring Blogger Award are as follows:

  1. Learn More every Day written by my virtual friend Patty. Patty shares photos, travels and the highs and lows of life. She has overcome sadness and moved forward with grace and strength. She is an inspiration so this award seems a perfect fit.  http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/every-city-usa
  2. One of the first blogs I followed and one of my first supporters who has stood by me through thick and thin is Homestead Ramblings. http://homesteadramblings.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/ezra-meeker-and-the-oregon-trail . Her posts are full of history, family, pictures, foster pets, biblical insights. Her stories often have a moral and are often presented with gentle humor.
  3. A Budding Photographer  who works really hard at his craft is my friend JR. He has shown up in some of my posts. He has a blog too, a photography blog. You should check out his work. http://www.jrstjeanphotography.com
  4. Another Photographer’s blog that I enjoy not just for his fabulous nature photos but also because of the witty stories he tells about each picture is http://phillanoue.com.
  5. Places Unknown is another photography blog. The owner travels often and takes wonderful travel photography. He even has a Mystery Location on Fridays. Fun! http://placesunknown.com
  6. Do you like ruins, vampires, the Emerald Isle and all things Celtic? Then you will love the ruin hunter, Ed Mooney’s photo blog http://edmooneyphoto.wordpress.com
  7. And last but not least is a blog about one of my favorite states, Maine. http://mainerchick.com has posted stories about Maine weather, restaurant reviews . poems and more. You never know what you’ll get from this versatile writer.

There are several other blogs that seem to have fallen by the wayside that I really miss but since they are inactive or gone I can’t nominate them. 🙁

I hope you enjoy my nominations and help keep the blogging community growing.

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day Thanks

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As we enjoy the wonderful weather and a day off from work to barbecue and party, take a moment to give thanks to those brave men and women whose sacrifices make our life style possible.

Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their lives that we might have ours. For them there is no tomorrow, no second chance at life or love, but thanks to them we have our life, our freedom and our chances to live.

Remember those who returned but suffered unspeakable injuries to body, soul or mind. Brave men and women traumatized by their injuries or the injuries to others that they witnessed or perhaps by the actions they had no choice but to take.

But these actions and sacrifices paid for our freedoms. They kept our shores safe. They stood up for our way of life.

As I think about Memorial Day and all that it stands for I am grateful to all who have done their duty to safeguard this great nation and our freedoms but I am sad too. I feel for the families left behind or the soldier who once able-bodied is now missing a limb or worse. My heart aches for those who returned so stressed and traumatized that although their body is sound, their emotions and  feelings are forever scarred. This is the price we pay for our freedom. This is the price our soldiers paid for us.

On this Memorial Day honor them, thank them and pray for them. Keep safe those who even today are  fighting for freedom in foreign lands. Pray that someday we will gain the wisdom to be able to put down our weapons and live in peace and respect throughout the world.

Always remember…

A Milestone

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WOW! I finally did it! I published my 1000th post on aroundustyroads.com! I almost missed it too until a little notification from wordpress popped up to let me know.

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The exact post was  “Sky High in Gatlinburg”. That’s a real milestone.

Cheers!

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Now I just have to do it all again. Thanks for coming along for the ride. 🙂

 

May Day

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So what did you do yesterday? May 1st, May Day, is supposed to be a Spring Festival. In my mind I see sunshine, flowers, and children dancing around the May pole or at least playing with those long, loopy ribbons.

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May first around here was more like April 1st. Rainy again but it did warm up in the afternoon. Still anyone dancing around a Maypole  today would have to be puddle jumping too.

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May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane. The maypole dance comes to us from the Druids of the British Isles, with May Day—May 1—being the second-most-important holiday of their year, because it brought with it the Beltane festival and the observation of pagan fertility rites. May 1 was seen as the beginning of a new year, and fires were lit as part of the celebration.

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As Europe became Christianized, the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, and All Saint’s Day.

I’ve never seen a Maypole or a Beltane celebration but I think a nice sunny day of dancing and flowers is just what we all need these days.