Gee... me?

I've been secretly admiring (alright, coveting) the Thinking Bloggers that everyone else seems to have. And then, one of the most thoughtful bloggers out there (seriously, he has three of these) has bestowed one upon me.

So, this is actually a double honor. A Thinking Blogger from Gunfighter.



Gee.

Thank you for associating a thought with this blog.

Now, my job is to thoughtfully bestow this honor to the blogs I admire. Some of my favorites already have one (or more than three) so you'll have to just know in your hearts or via telepathy that I admire you.

Nuren Xintan - it means Heart to Heart Talk in Mandarin and perfectly captures both Jenn's photography, writing and research. She is a Fulbright Scholar based in Nanjing. She is interviewing women about their work. Or as she writes: “how rapid economic development and reemerging traditional cultural beliefs are currently affecting women’s work.” But I'm addicted to her photography. She has images that have stayed with me. She has an incredible eye and composes photographs just beautifully. Plus, she doesn't edit her images. Which makes her even more incredible.

Something to say; about life in the Netherlands - [I'm cheating here and using parts of a previous write-up] Jenn lives the ex-pat life in Holland with her husband and three children and sees life from the glass is really full perspective. Jenn is truly one of the kindest and most pleasant people I've met, ever - in person or via the Internet. I don't mean that as an insult and her concern about people's perceptions of her life has stayed with me for days. I take it as a challenge to be a tad less bitter.

Jodifur - While she masquerades as the classic "mommy" blog, Jodi is actually a firecracker and techno wiz. Her site has inspired me to be a better blogger (which means I'm still pitiful - don't blame her for my site). She also works an incredibly difficult job which makes her humor, love of wine, and joy in parenting all the sweeter.

The Ambassador Returns - Aside from being funny, talented and really, really smart, Ken is living in New Orleans. It is a great American city that deserves and needs to be rebuilt. If the US could rebuild Europe under the Marshall Plan after WWII and is rebuilding (snort) Iraq now, then we should be able to rebuild New Orleans. Ken writes about that, about being an HIV+ gay man and what it all means today.

Following Lingling as she gives lymphoma a beatdown - this is a nomination that doesn't expect any effort on the recipients' part. I have been amazed at the poetry describing exhaustion, the honest descriptions of fear and what if. This is blog that celebrates life while honestly chronicling treatment, recovery and hope.

So if you haven't visited these folks, click on over. They make me think and hopefully you will too. Plus, see who makes the top four think. And just show Leeanne and Daniel some love.