And for my second blog of the day we are going to have a celebration.

Everyone loves a cute chicken photo!

My last blog was all serious and a bit of a worry.  This one is much more upbeat.  All the while that I have been pacing myself with my blogs, keeping up with my gardening endeavours and not spending too much time on the keyboard – taking away from gardening – and more importantly – family time, I’ve been nominated for some awards.  I wanted to mention them, and I wanted to give them the full space and credit they need, without making my blogs too long, but the garden stuff just kept getting in the way.  I’m there is no excitement in telling everyone about a broccoli that is long gone, in a meal enjoyed ages ago.  A ready broccoli is something to be excited about at the peak of its readiness – otherwise it’s just a broccoli – a boring old broccoli.  Hopefully I’m not alone in this.  Maybe I’m just weird.

Gratuitous garden photo so this blog doesn’t seem so long – broad beans

Anyway I’ve had not one, not two but THREE AWARDS!  I think two are the same, but have different pictures and two are different but from the same person.  These awards appear to travel around the blog world like wild fire, and it seems that not everyone is into them, but they are a lovely way to shine a light on the blogs you enjoy.  The “rules” seem to be the same for most of them, so if you are a stickler for the rules then maybe Google them to find out exactly.  I’m not so good with rules for things like this so hopefully nothing bad will happen if I deviate a bit from the expected format.  (“They” can’t kick me off the internet can they?)

The general gist is to link back to the person who gave you the award and say thank you.  Which is only manners and should be done regardless.  Then you share 7 things about yourself… can be as silly or serious as you like or even just 7 random facts.

Another photo to hide the fact this blog is too long – kale

Then you have to nominate others to receive the honour.  Some say 10 and some say 15.  Not everyone will throw themselves into the spirit of the award, but you can still bless others by telling all your people about how cool your favourites are.

Oh and you have to display the awards on your blog somewhere.  I shall put mine on my about page – that is probably in desperate need of an update.

So without further ado…

I would like to thank:

LubbyGirl at The REmissionary  for the Lovely Blog Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  I am very humbled to be chosen for two awards from you.  Thank you so much.    She has such a lovely blog with heaps of cool things and a heart that is in the best place – the right place.  Go and have a look.

I would also like to thank:

Cheryl at gardenhood for the Lovely Blog Award and I think the best thing I can do for Cheryl is nominate her for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award that LubbyGirl gave me.  Oh my goodness this lady is a huge inspiration.  She comes from Colorado in USA and not only was her community devastated by a dreadful hail storm, but in the following weeks a wildfire that took out large parts of her community.  Her words spoke of such bravery and courage that left me feeling such awe.  Please check out her blog – she is such a wonderful writer and gardener as well.

Ok next:  The SEVEN THINGS

1. I’m actually quite shy in person – until you get to know me.
2. Hubby the Un-Gardener isn’t as incompetent as I make him out – he’s actually a very professional businessman making his place in the world and becoming more and more respected with his achievements every day – until I undermine all that in my little corner of the world.
3. I am actually amazed that there are people out there in the world who don’t like gardening – I mean REALLY?  How can you not.
4. I drink far too much tea.  Well it’s not so much the tea that the problem – it’s the 1 sugar that goes into each one.
5. Life is good.
6. I can procrastinate a bit – well actually an awful lot!
7. Saving the best until last…  I have written a book – a proper one!  I’m still in a bit of shock as it has happened so quickly.  The seed company that first got me into blogging by hosting a Blogging / Gardening competition have very generously arranged to have my blogs from the competition – along with a whole lot of new stuff I’ve written – turned into a book with their publishers HarperCollins and endorsed by them.  So thank you Yates for your support.  The book should be in all good book stores and garden centres in NZ and Australia from March next year.  That’s the crazy thing about blogging is you pour your heart out and put it out there on the internet and you never really know if it’s good or not.

Which brings us to a nice Segway…  there are heaps of people out there just putting their stuff on the internet and I just want to say that it takes courage to do so and I have to pick some people to let you know I like their work.  I’m I bit narrow focussed when it comes to reading blogs – let’s say I’m a gardening purist.  But not everyone who reads my stuff is the same so along with nominating gardeners I also want to say thanks to those of you support me.

I genuinely wanted to share this photo – the first asparagus of the season – yummo!

Firstly I want to highlight some fellow kiwi gardening bloggers who are doing great things:

• Justin at The2IC Orchardist
• Digging the good life
• Carol at Caroljanewaikato (a fellow Yates competitor who won the last season)

I also want to share another Sarah’s garden:

• Sarah’s Garden Stuff

And lastly some of the people who always support my blogs:

• narf77 theroadtoserendipity
• Putney farm
• Heidi at lightlycrunchy
• Jewels at ramblingsfromjewels
• A V Walters at tworockchronicles
• The Bead Den   who also has weed’ em and Eat’ em 
• Christine at Garybuie’s Blog

For those on the list you can choose to accept either or both of the awards – both apply to you.  Or you can choose to ignore them, I won’t be offended.

One last gratuitous photo of my red cabbage

Thanks to everyone who reads my blogs and a special thanks to those who let me know you like it.  It’s nice to remind others that someone out there is actually reading their blogs so don’t be shy with the like button.

Well that’s about as much as I should say without turning this into a dreary long blog.

Come again soon – there’s one more for today and I’m so excited I think I’ll pop!  But I must get on or it won’t happen.

Sarah the Gardener  : o )