Sunday, September 7, 2014

One Lovely Blog Award

Thank you Alona from Lonetester HQ  for nominating  me for the "One Lovely Blog Award".

I write my blog posts to record my family history research and photos for other family members and future generations.  However, it is wonderful to be recognised by fellow bloggers.  I will always be thankful to Alona as she inspired me to commence blogging in 2012 when she initiated the  Family History through the Alphabet Challenge.



The Rules for the "One Lovely Blog Award";
  • Thank the person who nominated you and link to that blog
  • Share Seven things about yourself - refer below
  • Nominate 15 bloggers you admire (or as many as you can think of!) - also listed below
  • Contact your bloggers to let them know that you've tagged them for the One Lovely Blog Award

Seven things about me (that you may not know)

  • I can't help myself, I always plan things.  Always have!  I remember as a child, planning in advance how many jobs that I needed to do to save enough pocket money for a particular toy.  I really do believe that you make things happen by planning.  I can't remember ever doing anything spontaneously.  Does that make me boring? Or organised?
  • I am progressing on my Genea-Bucket List and am currently planning a trip around UK to complete family history research on my ancestors.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  • I am totally uncoordinated and have no sense of rhythm but would love to learn how to dance.  
  • Since I was a child, I have always liked doing puzzles and still do at least one or two puzzles every night (Sudoku is my current favourite).  Maybe that is why I enjoy family history so much? It's the hunt and solving the puzzles that I enjoy!
  • I cannot sing and haven't tried since my son, at 2.5 years old, told me to stop singing nursery rhymes as I sounded like "a strangled crow".
  • I cannot cook......well I don't cook......and am very lucky to have a wonderful and supportive husband who does all the cooking and most the cleaning.  
  • I love to travel.  Through planning, budgeting and saving, I have been fortunate enough to visit 21 different countries (and have plans in place to visit a further 5 countries within 12 months). As long as I am physically able to, I will continue to travel and regularly complete review on Tripadvisor.


15 Blogs I read regularly

I subscribe to many different blogs (I was surprised to see that it is over 100!).  I work full time (over 55 hours most weeks) so am always behind in my reading and do not always comment (sorry). I deliberated whether to participate in nominating blogs as there are so many good blogs (with many already being well recognised). I don't want to offend anyone who I omit.  I think Pauleen was very smart not to nominate.  However I have decided to nominate blogs that may be lesser known to my followers and those who have been very inspirational to me.  I apologise if your blog is not listed below but there are so many good blogs out there that inspire me and I cannot list them all. 

In no particular order;
  1. Yes, Virginia, There is life after retirement - I first started reading Denise's blog during the 2013 A-Z Challenge.  I really enjoyed reading about her travels and new places.  I continue to follow and read her posts.  She is articulate, intelligent, often amusing with some wonderful photography......so everything that I enjoy.
  2. 5000 Poppies - I want to draw attention to this blog. The organisers are planning on "planting" a field of poppies in Federation Square Melbourne in April 2015, to commemorate all Australian soldiers.  I have made a start but aim to crochet poppies (before March 2015) to remember each of the ANZACs in my family tree.  There will be a future blog post about this.
  3. My Grave Place - Bill takes photos of cemeteries and churches around UK.  I enjoy his photography and hope to one day take photos of the cemeteries in UK where my ancestors lie.
  4. Spud's Daily Photo -  This is Bill (above) again.  He takes photos from around UK.  As I intend on visiting UK one day, I am always interested to see the sights. I enjoy taking photos too so appreciate good photography, which is natural and shows day to day images.
  5. Travels Through my Past - I feel that Liz's blog is similar to my own, remembering ancestors and recording family history for future generations. 
  6. Craft Gossip - In particular the crochet patterns - I like to crochet (when I get time) and have this site bookmarked. 
  7. Postcards Then and Now - I always enjoy looking at before and after posts and this is a very interesting and easy to read blog
  8. Family Tree Frog -  Alex is well known to many but I felt that I needed to include her as she writes the way I would like to.   To me, it seems that she writes the way she would speak.  She is interesting and amusing and although I have never met her, her writing makes me feel that she is an old friend.
  9. Edes-Orban Family - This is a relatively new blog for me but I have enjoyed reading about Hungarian and Romanian Family History and want to read more.  I have family from this area, which I have not yet started researching.  Yes, I really do need to reduce the length of my blogs as it seems that the blogs that I read are all shorter, succinct but interesting.
  10. Many of you would already know fellow geanea-blogger Jollett etc but I must also include Wendy's blog as I read it regularly and always enjoy it.
  11. Memorabilia House - Alona nominated me via her Lonetester HQ blog and I nominate her right back for another of her blog posts.  What a great idea to have a blog especially dedicated to the history or family memorabilia.  I have started to catalogue them but one day would like to do the same thing as Alona.
  12. Yvonne's Genealogy Blog - Yvonne's post are well researched and easy to read.  I tend to write too much in my posts but Yvonne has the ability to make a post inclusive and interesting but short enough to read quickly.
  13. Avoca during World War 1 - This is a new blog by Ann but one that I am following.  I am interested in anything to to do with Australians in World Wars and as I have family who came from near Avoca, these are posts that I want to read.
  14. From Helen V Smith's keyboard.  Helen is very well known but I include her here as I find her very inspirational.  Helen works full time but somehow manages to be very active in the genealogical community.  She has assisted me several times with research and inspired me to commence doing studies in genealogy, which I am enjoying immensely. Thank you for your support and assistance Helen.
  15. Sepia Saturday - Last but definitely not Least.  Sepia Saturday would have to be my favourite blog post on the internet so I need to include it.  Such a wonderful inspiration for so many of my posts.   I have been inspired and challenged to research and blog about so many tops that I would not have otherwise, except for the weekly Sepia Saturday prompt.  They are such a wonderful and friendly group of members. 

16 comments:

  1. If you blog is nominated, please don't feel that you need to participate. I just hope that you get more readers.

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  2. Oh Sharon...you've said such lovely things about my blog. Thank you. I don't think you're boring because you plan things. I think it means you are interested in lots of things but know that time is limited. What's that phrase? Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Not that you have to "succeed" at everything but I am constantly amazed at how time just slips by and before you know it, you're 50 and you still haven't done all you've wanted to do. You have to plan to do it - put a date on it or just accept that it probably won't happen. So much other stuff fills the gaps - stuff like housework - sigh. Look at all those lovely places you've marked on the UK map - what fun you are going to have! Polperro in Cornwall has to be one of my all time favourite places - that's my hot tip. I went there when I was 10 - very Enid Blyton The Secret of Spiggy Holes type territory - there be pirates and caves....arrrrrrr.

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    1. Oooh I loved Enid Blyton so will put Polperro on the list as we will be spending a lot of time in Cornwall as many family originated in the area. Thanks for the tip Alex.

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  3. PS I've had a look at all the other blogs and am in absolute awe of that poppies project and a bit embarrassed that I didn't know about it. Being a knitter, I have printed out a pattern and will get straight on to it. Thanks for sharing the other blogs too. All really interesting.

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    1. Aussies are so supportive! They started with a goal of 5000 poppies and now think it will be closer to 50,000! As well as contributing, I intend on going to visit and photographing the "poppy field"

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  4. Sharon. That's a great list - quite a few new blogs for me to check out.

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    1. I did not enjoy choosing just 15 as there are just so many wonderful blogs out there that should be recognised. I listed a few of my "must reads" but tried to highlight some newer and different blogs too.

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  5. Sharon, what a sweet thing to say about my little blog! You've made my day and acknowledged what I was aiming for - not too much text to scare readers away (lol) but still interesting for them to stay awhile and read :)

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    1. I always enjoy reading your blog Yvonne and hope that I can follow your lead.........but I always seem to have too much to say!

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  6. Oh Sharon, Your blog is absolutely a LOVELY blog in every way. It's so attractive to look at, but the content always stands out and makes 'LOVELY" seem inadequate to describe your contribution to family history and blogging in general. Being included in your list challenges me to do better. Thank-you!

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    1. Thank you Wendy. That is so nice of you to say but I feel the same about your blog, which is always an enjoyable read.

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  7. Sharon, thank you so much for this nomination, we, the Sepia Saturday team (Alan and I) are honoured indeed. I hope you don’t mind that we won’t be tagging but this does not diminish our sense of pride when you tell us that we have inspired and challenged you in your research.

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    1. That is fine Marilyn. I didn't expect you to continue the "chain letter". I wanted (needed) to recognise Sepia Saturday as I really am appreciative of your prompts and support.

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  8. Sharon, your writing is charming and gracious. I have enjoyed visiting these other lovely blogs.
    Thanks for the kind words about my blog.
    Diane

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  9. Thanks for the kind words about my Avoca blog Sharon. Which families from teh Avoca district are you interested in? Regards Anne

    And congratulations also for the nomination for Inside History's top 50 blogs

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