The Sunshine Blogger Award

Saturday morning, I received an unexpected recognition from a fellow writer on Substack. Thank you to Kevin Nash with his Morning Musings, and The Spiritual Walk, for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger award.

It’s a peer-recognition award given by Bloggers to other Bloggers who are deemed creative, positive, and inspiring.

I am truly honored to be a recipient and, in turn, I nominate the following writers for this honor:

John E Dobbs, Paul Christopher, Jerry Foote, Charles R Jarvis, Larry Edge, Kate Dreston, Pat Branning, Leah Halpert, Judy Bonn Blank, Shell Norman, and Donna Bradley-Brown. The following have already been nominated but I really want to renominate them again and so I will….Sean Dietrich, C. J. Heck, Cork Hutson, and Kevin Nash! Each and every one of these writers on my list are supportive and positive and are powerful writers who inspire me every time they write!

I invite you to visit the Substacks of the eleven writers and the four renominated I’ve listed here. I know you will be amazed and inspired! Please know, I could easily have added another eleven, had I been allowed. The writers I know and write with every day are that good!

Here are the The Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

*Display the Award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.

*Thank the person who nominated you.

*Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.

*Answer your nominator’s questions.

*Nominate up to 11 bloggers.

Sunshine Blogger Award Q&A

What do you write about? I love writing true stories infused with just a touch of Southern flair. I explore themes of faith, hope, family, grief, and loss. My stories aim to resonate deeply—sometimes bringing tears, sometimes sparking laughter, and always inspiring you to “keep on keeping on”.

What’s something you believe deeply, even if it’s unpopular? Copying Kevin’s answer here because he said it perfectly–”I will always be a champion for Freedom and a follower of Jesus.”

What do you long for right now? I would like to see manners and civility returned, less hate and intolerance, truth revealed and a stop to propaganda. Maybe I should say World Peace?

What’s a small ritual that keeps you grounded? My morning ritual of quiet time– starts with reading scriptures and devotional writings, drinking a cup or 2 of strong coffee, and listening to sermons from favorite pastors on the television before the day begins, followed by puppy time. If I am lucky enough to start my day this way, then I can write. Being able to write at this stage in my life is like therapy and a dream come true.

When do you feel most alive? When I am outside enjoying God’s beautiful creation, and when I am surrounded by family and friends.

What’s a truth you’re still learning to live with? Sometimes prayers are answered in unexpected ways, and our faith will be tested.

What do you want to be remembered for? I hope I am remembered as a virtuous woman like the one in Proverbs 31. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV)‬‬

Who are you when you’re not creating or working? I am me all the time–If I am sitting still I am resting or planning. I am always working or creating something!

What was your favorite hobby? Writing, dreaming of writing, or reading great books has always been my favorite. Music, dancing, and shopping used to be top of the list but not so much anymore.

Where is the favorite place you’ve ever traveled to? I worked in the airlines for many years and visited tons of places in the states but not much internationally. I did like the Bahamas, but domestically I enjoyed skiing in Lake Tahoe, whale watching in California, and staying in Big Sky Montana. There are so many beautiful places in the United States and each one is special so it’s hard to pick just one. And I loved growing up in the foothills of the beautiful Smoky Mountains too.

Where would you like to visit? I would like to take a train trip through the Canadian Rockies, and then fly to Paris, take a writing/cooking sabbatical in Italy, visit Ireland and Scotland, the Swiss Alps, and the Holy Land.

If you could have a conversation with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? I think it would have to be Jesus, He has the answers to all my questions.

What is your favorite movie? Can we make that plural (movies?) My love for movies is like my love for music, I love all kinds! The classics like “Gone With The Wind”, the musicals like “Singing In the Rain”, and “The Sound of Music”, the chick flicks like “Fried Green Tomatoes”, “Steel Magnolias”, and “You’ve Got Mail”, the comedies like “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming”, and the “Pink Panther” with Peter Sellers, “Airplane”, and action movies like “Top Gun”, “Saving Private Ryan”, and the westerns with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are hard to beat!

Who are your favorite writers? Again, I love many genres of books. My favorite writers include the classics–John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, C. S. Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and F Scott Fitzgerald, Wm Falkner, Louisa May Alcott. Modern day writers include John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, Tess Gerritsen, Dean Koontz, William Gay, Kay Gibbons, Jan Karon, David McCullough, Sharyn McCrumb, Adriana Trigiani, Francine Rivers, and many more. Reading lots of amazing authors on Substack everyday!

Thanks for reading and please remember to take good care of yourself.