My blogging friend Ray, a talented photographer living in and posting from New Orleans, nominated me this week for the Creative Blogger Award, a thread running through the WordPress community in which bloggers give props to fellow bloggers while also sharing a handful of quirks or facts about themselves. Like the telephone game, the Creative Blogger Award seems to be morphing as it travels; some postings of the rules call for seven facts and an unspecified number of nominations, while others call for five facts and 10 nominations. All call for a link back to the nominating blogger, which really is the easiest part for me.

The post accepting the award is supposed to be entitled “Creative Blogging Award,” and it is supposed to stand alone. Just to prove that you don’t know me as well as you think you do, I’m actually going to follow that rule. (Although, proving that you do actually know me, my motivation for following this rule is that I need to get this week’s post out and move back to my other work because, yes, #amwriting, still….) Since the other rules of the program seem to be – adjustable, I’m going to edit them down to this: five facts and two nods – a total of seven required items. Really, let’s not get too carried away here. We’re blogging, for Pete’s sake.

Before getting to the fun facts and nominations of my own, though, I have to give more than just a link’s worth of nod back to Ray. Over the three years of writing jenny’s lark I’ve been lucky to build a group of steady followers and also of steady, supportive commenters, most of whom have blogs of their own. Ray is one of the blogging friends I count on not only for support but also to keep me in line. He’s quick to let me know when I’ve crossed a boundary that maybe needed a bit more reflection. His comments are always thoughtful, respectful and insightful. Also he is funny and ironic in his humor. His view of New Orleans is sometimes pretty, sometimes heartbreaking, and always real. Here’s hoping the hipsters don’t run him off. Thanks, Ray, and cheers to you.

Now, on to my Five Facts and Two Nods.

1. To borrow from Jessica Zafra, I am deeply in love with humanity, but I don’t actually like people all that much.
2. I have never watched The Godfather from start to finish; I hope this statement will be true all the days of my life.
3. I know all the words to American Pie, but I get the verses confused.
4. I will never be a bona fide foodie because I do not like weird meats (sweetbreads, blood sausage, any cut of beef or pork that has visible fat, with the single exception of bacon).
5. I was petrified of thunderstorms until I lived in Omaha.

As for the two nods, my nominations for the Creative Blogger Award, I offer you these:

1. The beautiful photographs of Fred Rife, another of my blogging friends whose camera talents will be self-evident; and
2. The quirky, off-beat Adventures of Claudia. If you liked Mr. Bill from the good old days of SNL, I suspect you’ll enjoy Claudia.

I like both of these blogs for very different reasons. Both are indeed creative, and their creativity often gives me new ideas – or at least gives me a gentle tap when I’m in a rut. Neither blog is particularly suited to keeping The Creative Blogger Award going, which hopefully makes it a gift without obligation. (You’re welcome.)

Cheers and happy week. Now, back to writing-writing….