The Wonderful Team Member Readership Award Nominees

Having stated my thoughts on what makes a lovely reader and blogger in the post Blogging Award, I want to share my Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees, right here and now. You'll want to check out their blogs, if you haven’t done so already.

I’m not going to nominate everyone at once. For today, I am sharing nominees living abroad (Outside of the USA). These creative souls are either in a country of choice, for work, as Ex Pats or were born where they currently live. Their unique perspectives allow me to do something enjoyable—a bit of armchair travel. They reach out, crossing borders broken up by the internet, while expanding our horizons in the process. What I enjoy about this group of bloggers is that they enrich their readers by expanding our ways of envisioning the world and our place within it.

 

1.       Jyotsna (India) Dreams and Dimensions! If you ever wanted to go to India, visit the shops, see the sites and meet interesting people, then this is the blog for you to check out. You will also gain interesting insights into the process of writing, as well as being treated to Jyotsna's poetry.

2.       Romi (Japan) Letters from the Land of Cherry Blossoms Romi's blog is often filled with fresh views of life. She hones in on the nano. You know--those tiny but important things that many over look . Through her most recent posts you'll find, the tradition behind a Japanese plant's name and a new use for an old kimono. You wouldn't guess it from the clarity in her writing but English is a language she continues to study and examine.

3.       Fil (Ireland)Fil's Place - Old Songs and Memories You've got to love this blog. Written so passionately and brimming with expressions of folk art. Fil is a keeper of Irish traditions, most notably of music and song. Mosey over to Fil's Place, where you can hear and see musicians which may be unfamiliar. Bets are, you'll want to add some of them to your listening list. Fil is a songwriter, performer, musician, singer, of Irish traditional through contemporary music, along with her husband. She is also a captivating storyteller, which you'll find communicated in her thoughtful blog posts.

4.       Sanch (Australia)Living my Imperfect Life Sanch lives in Sydney. She is also a psychologist. You'll find a little bit of everything in her space, including ruminations and photographs from her recent travels, how-to articles about various useful subjects, insights into her journey of discovery.

5.       Susan Scott (South Africa)Garden of Eden Blog I first meet Susan through the A to Z challenge, just like the rest of these bloggers. I was drawn to the Garden of Eden Blog because each day it offered a great take-away message. I would find myself going back to the messages and themes in her posts. They were food for meditation. She is a published author and you can check out her book on amazon, In Praise of Lilith, Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden and Other Stories. It is in gratitude that I nominate her for frequent visits and comments on Stephanie's Studio.

6.       Vishal (India) Scripting the Story of Life Vishal knows well the meaning of 'team member'. He is not only an avid blogger and writer but also a supporter of fellow bloggers and writers. He goes out of his way to be an active part of our community; in the process he shares writing, poetry and reflections on life in India and beyond.

7.       Karen (Guatemala) Coming Down from the Mountain: Expat Writer Living Abroad I am constantly learning new things by visiting Karen’s blog. It is laden with breathtaking photographs for one. Her reflections on her very rich life and travels, as well as being an American Ex-pat living in Guatemala, make for thought-provoking reading. She is a prolific published writer, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds, House of Diamonds, Lighting Candles in the Snow, and Farm Girl Country Cooking: Hearty Meals for Active Families. She is currently working on a novel, scheduled for 2014 release by WiDo Publishing, where she is Managing Editor. 

8. Vinodini (India) ifs ands buts etcs Vinodini is another blogger who goes out of her way to be supportive of fellow bloggers, making her the embodiment of an excellent team member and reader. We went to each other’s blogs almost on a daily basis during the A to Z Challenge. She always had something refreshing to say both on her blog and mine. Vinodini is a painter. You'll never get bored by her blog. The breadth of her post topics is notable, encompassing art, design, aesthetics, fashion, retail, travel, nature, music, movies, and much more.

     

  

As the final part of accepting this award, let me finish this sentence:

In reference to John Gardner’s often quoted reflection on writing, a great reader is: someone who lives in the continuous and vivid dream. They don’t stop there, instead they bring us into the fold so we can dream right along with them.