I was very touched to be nominated for this award by the very talented poet, Helen Valentina of http://helenvalentina.com/ because it was founded by the equally talented writer, Briana, at http://whenibecameanauthor.wordpress.com for bloggers out there who are especially caring and loyal to their friends. An honour indeed. I was cited by Helen as “one of the most generous bloggers I have ever encountered, a true inspiration as a person” – a very humbling citation, for which I thank her from the top and bottom of my heart!

Rules:
Post a picture of the award somewhere on your blog.
List five things that make you happy.
Choose 5 people to nominate who have been a virtual shoulder to cry on, checked in on you when they knew things were rough, or have always been there for you.
Comment on their blogs to thank them and let them know you nominated them.

Things that make me happy:

1. My beautiful daughter, Isla Ness, who is lovely inside and out and of whom I am immensely proud.

2. My equally beautiful partner, Anita-Clare Field, who is the most extraordinary soul, and who makes me happier than she will ever know.

3. The work we do together and our plans for the future on our food website: http://www.loverofcreatingflavours.co.uk – a website Anita set up just 9 months ago on her mobile phone, using one thumb, when she could not sleep for the agony of an external fixator weighing 3k being attached to her arm to mend her catastrophically broken arm by literally pulling the bone back together..I urge you to check it out and follow, like the other 1.9-9.5+k hits on the blog or the 5k+ unique visitors we get to the site each and every day…

4. Our families and friends who are all immensely supportive.

5. The voluntary work I do, particularly in hospitals. You get as much back personally out of doing voluntry work as you put in…strange but definitely true…

My nominees:

I would love to be able to nominate all my blog followers for sticking so loyally by me! You are all heroes for that alone in my book… Everyone I follow in return are deserving of an award like this, but I shall stick to the rules!

1. It may be a cheat but my first nominee is Anita-Clare Field of http://www.loverofcreatingflavours.co.uk for a truly inspirational and informative cookery blog…not just a depository for recipes..it is so much more than that….and she is the truest, most loyal friend one could hope to have.

2. My dear friend Nicola Rigg, she is creative director of an equine site which is wonderful if you are a horse fan! She is at http://www.troton.com/ and has been an amazing friend in good times and bad.

3. Raymond Ferrer of http://urbanwallart.wordpress.com/, an inspirational artist who paints raw emotion on a page and is quick to support others in their creative endeavours.

4. The wonderful, resourceful, Amy Young Miller of http://vomitingchicken.com/, who reminds us of the importance of friends and family.

5. Alessa Bertoluzzi of http://www.carolinaheartstrings.com/, for a very interesting, eclectic blog that amuses and expands the mind, and for being very generous to her fellow bloggers….i