Sunshine Blogger Award #2

Thanks to the wonderful Darell Philip, I have been nominated for my second Sunshine Blogger Award! I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, so I’m accepting the award because Darell asked such interesting questions, and also as an opportunity to introduce you to some other great bloggers in my network.

Darell himself is one of the bloggers I want to introduce you to, if you haven’t visited his blog already: he writes wonderful poems, blogs on news and current affairs and does a lot of blog promotion for others. I really sense the care and compassion in everything he writes: and he’s an Arsenal fan so obviously he’s a man of good taste 🙂

Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 people and ask them new 11 questions.
4. Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.
5. List the rules and display the sunshine blogger award in your post.

Questions from Darell:

1. What are you thankful for right now and why?
   My family and friends, both near and far; my poetry and my recovery from all kinds of mental turmoil.
2. Who inspires you?
   My kids. I just love watching them grow, the way they play and interact together, and their joy in the simple things. It’s easy to forget that when you grow up!
3. Where is your favourite vacation spot? 
   Hard to pick a favourite, but I’d love to go back to the Big Island of Hawaii.
4. When did you first realize your love for blogging?
   In March, when the lockdown started; I felt this urgent need to write about what was happening, and this blog kind of grew from there.
5. Why does Black Lives Matter?
   Because all lives matter, no matter the colour of skin, race or religion. I feel like this is something we shouldn’t need to say: but we need to say it because unfortunately there is so much racism and injustice in the world.
6. How many pets do you have?
   I have a crazy dog, but we had to leave him behind in Spain with a friend until we find a place that’s big enough for him. He’s very happy where he is, but we miss him!
7. What new skills have you acquired during lockdown?
   Well, I’ve learned to keep writing every day, how to put a blog post together properly, and very importantly how to network (I was always terrible at this but now I really enjoy it!) I’ve also put a lot of time into my yoga and meditation practice which has helped a lot with the tougher aspects of lockdown.
8. Where does your inspiration to blog come from?
   I write a lot about the natural world, both poetry and factual posts. Nature really inspires me to write. I’m very lucky to live surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
9. Who is most important to you in your life right now and why?
   My kids. They’ve been out of school since March now, so we’ve spent every waking hour of the day together, and we’ve had a lot of fun. I’m not saying it’s always easy, but at the end of the day we’re best friends and we have a lot of laughs and adventures together.
10. Why should bloggers follow your blog?
    Because what I write comes from the heart: it’s genuine. If I write about something, it’s because it moves me. And I hope it moves you too. Other than that, I don’t have an agenda.
11. When will racism end?
    It will end when we become more enlightened. I have to believe this is possible. Unfortunately where irrationality and ignorance reign supreme there is always racism. But I think all human beings are capable of learning, and thinking rationally, they just have to be willing to make that change. Otherwise, they only damage themselves with their senseless hatred.

Questions for my nominees:

1. Who is you all-time favourite writer?
2. What is your all-time favourite poem?
3. What is your all-time favourite novel?
4. What is your favourite quote from a movie?
5. Can we save planet Earth from ourselves?
6. Are you religious? If so, what religion do you follow? Tell me a bit about it, as I like to learn about different religions.
7. What languages do you speak?
8. What do you look for most in someone else’s blog?
9. What is your main aim in writing your own blog?
10. What is your favourite food?
11. Would you go to space if you had the chance?

NOMINATIONS:

Congratulations to the following nominees who are to answer the above 11 questions upon acceptance of this award. I highly recommend these blogs to other readers, as they are some of my favourites:

1. Divyanshu Goyal
2. Andi Webb
3. Benji
4. Muralikrish
5. Maseera
6. Lia
7. Jaya Avendel
8. Maple Leaves
9. Haroon Mirza
10. Carolyn Cordon
11. Somedatta Sengupta

While you’re here…

To all poets reading this: if you haven’t already done so, why not take part in the first ever EIF Poetry Challenge? You have until Monday to get your entries in…good luck!