I dreamed the other night I was training to be a couscous caller.

For those of you who don’t know, in fine wine bars/restaurants, a couscous caller calls, "Couscous!" to the kitchen staff when someone orders a bottle of wine. This alerts the staff to bring out the bottle of wine. (I never figured out how they knew which bottle to bring or what the mediterranean dish had anything to with wine calling, but it did.)

I had just began working at this wine bar/restaurant, and the couscous caller was not very good. In fact, he was terrible. (You see, a couscous caller needs good intonation and volume. It combines opera with the beer salesman at a baseball game.) This guy had a scraggly voice. It was not beautiful. So the owner decided to train me for the job.

The owner was Robert De Niro.

***

Danica over at The Journey of Danica Favorite awarded me with the Premio Dardos award. I looked up "dardos" in the dictionary, but alas, it was not to be found. Danica tells us on her blog the Premio Dardos honors blogs with "cultural, ethical, literary and personal values." For that I am deeply honored.

For this award, I nominate:

Seedlings in Stone–blog by author L.L. Barkat; she thinks deeply about grace, its implications in our lives, and its implications on how we treat others and the earth. As an added bonus, she shares her thoughts poetically.

Aspire 2–blog by author Sandra Glahn; Sandi is Lewisian (as in C.S. Lewis) in the way she connects reason and creativity. I can always count on Sandi to challenge me and to express her views in thoughtful, thought-provoking, and kind ways. She is generous in mercy and exceptional in love.

in a mirror dimly–blog by author Ed Cyzewski (I just realized all three of my nominations are authors, which is fitting since they are all brilliant thinkers). I’ve recently discovered his blog through his book Coffeehouse Theology (a good read). It seems we’ve made similar theological journeys, so I relate well to what he writes.

***

Tanya Dennis also nominated me for an award, the Proximity award, which means:

"This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space,
time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These
kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in
prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of
these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give
more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers
who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into
the body of their award."

To be declared charming delighted me. I’m honored to be called a friend by Tanya, not only because she’s a Jersey girl (making her worthy of greatness in itself), but because she’s a caring and creative person. When I began blogging, I didn’t expect to find such wonderful friendships, yet here you are, and I’ve come to love you not just in the "God loves you so I do as well" sense, but in the phileo, endearing love. I will not nominate 8 as I should, but 3:

They Hang Like Paper Lanterns–blog by Erin Teske, artist, co-founder of Soul Per Suit, and beautiful person; we met in the cyber world via Sandi Glahn and recognized in each other kindred spirits. When I made a trip to her neck of the woods for a conference, we were able to meet face-to-face (over pumpkin cheesecake–at least, I had pumpkin cheesecake). She is the type of friend who makes me feel safe. She exudes creativity from her very core; it affects everything she does. I cannot say enough of her heart, mind, and soul, all of which glorify God in amazing ways.

Just a Minute–blog by Michelle Pendergrass, horror writer, and the most loyal person you will ever meet. I don’t remember how I found her blog, but not long afterward, we met in "real" life at a writer’s conference. Instant friendship. She was the oatmeal; I was the water (I don’t really know what that means, but go with it). She’s kept me sane (or kept me insane when others have tried to make me sane) in the writing world. I can count on her (I began to write "for . . ." but realized I would not have time to finish such a long list). Besides being funny, godly, and honest, she writes amazing stories that take me into God’s presence. She opened my eyes to true horror writing.

a warrior princess and a set of wings–blog by Sarah Winfrey. Doesn’t the name of her blog tell you why we’re blog-friends? Sarah is sincere, authentic, imaginative, and lovely. I imagine if Sarah lived near me (or I near her), at parties, we’d be the two in the corner whispering to one another, chatting with the trees out the window, and adorning the other party-goers with elfin ears and fairy wings. I’ve had the opportunity to read some of her novel, and it takes you into the heart of the hurting. This is Sarah: she goes into the heart of the hurting and holds them closely. She’s a healer.

I’ve prayed for each one of these 6 nominees as I typed their blurb. Thank you all for how you have touched my life.