This is my first blogging award: Trish at Desktop Retreat has selected me as one of her Sunshine Award recipients. I can’t count the beautiful pictures on Trish’s blog that I’ve put on my Reading Women Board on Pinterest. Thank you, Trish!

I’m supposed to answer these ten questions and then forward the award on.

1. Who is your favourite philosopher? I’m not a big fan of philosophy but I’ve found many nuggets of wisdom in the art of Mark Twain. If you tell the truth you won’t have to remember anything.

2. What is your favourite number? If I have to choose, then eleven. It’s symmetrical. Besides that, it’s my birth date.

3. What is your favourite animal? I’ve never met an animal I didn’t like. But then, I’ve never met a camel. I’ve heard they spit. Or a hippo. I’ve heard they charge. Or a . . . okay, let’s go with dogs – they’re the animal I know the best.

4. What are your Facebook and Twitter URLs? Like Trish, I keep my Facebook account for family and friends. If you find me and tell me you read my blog, I’ll likely accept your friend request – but you may get bored with my niece’s wedding plans and my husband’s music gigs. My Twitter handle is @DebbieRodgers

5. What is your favourite time of day? The afternoon. Email has been checked, daily chores taken care of, and now I can get to projects or, even, reading! I think Henry James “summer afternoon” quote is one of loveliest thoughts I’ve ever heard. {sigh} All too soon, it’s time to make supper.

6. What was your favourite vacation? Our honeymoon in Vermont. It was a magical week in October: the trees were still gorgeous but it was after the long holiday weekends, both American and Canadian, so it felt like we were the only people there.

7. What is your favourite physical activity? I overheat really easily, so anything that’s in water is for me. I particularly like aqua-fitness classes.

8. What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink? When I’m hot, ice water. When I’m cold, herbal tea. My current favourite is Celestial Seasonings’ Country Peach Passion. mmmm. . .

9. What is your favourite flower? Tulips, ideally pink. But I’ve been blown away by black ones interplanted with fierce orange. Then there’s peach and pale yellow and clear yellow and purples of all descriptions. . .anything but red. I don’t know why, but red tulips irk me.

10. What is your passion? Sending cards. Real cards. In the mail. Snail mail. From my computer. You can too.

TEN MORE WINNERS
I had such a hard time narrowing this list of worthy recipients to ten. I would have included Trish at Desktop Retreat if I hadn’t already mentioned her in this post. Without any set criteria, I’ve tried to include a variety of world location and types of blogs. I hope you’ll find at least one or two that will appeal to you.

1. In So Many Words I especially enjoy Yvette’s Sunday Salon collections of art on a theme. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of her page and visit her Pinterest universe!

2. Fleur Fisher in her World You’ll find Jane’s thoughts on an eclectic mix of books, and the occasional “dog’s blog”.

3. Dwell in Possibility Bonnie comments gently and intelligently on some lesser known works including some that talk about her faith.

4. Heavenali “Book reviews by someone who loves books”. Vintage books. Lovely vintage books.

5. Mary Okeke Reviews Mary will feed your passion for African literature.

6. A Penguin a Week It’s always delightful for me to see what vintage gem in Penguin’s diverse library Karyn will show us.

7. Diary of a Word Nerd As Julia says: “Enriching your mind with tips on words, books, and reading”.

8. Amy Reads “Diverse books for your balanced life” including quite a bit of non-fiction. I appreciate Amy’s decisive ratings and I have a number of books on my TBR wish list because of her reviews.

9. Rebecca Reads Rebecca is a home-schooling mom who reviews “classics, nonfiction, and children’s literature”. I discovered a number of books on Rebecca’s blog for reading to my grandson.

10. Kittling: Books I hesitated to include this link since Cathy has taken a hiatus from blogging – and, as bloggers, we all know that can mean odds are even that she’ll not be coming back. But even without current posts, there is a wealth of history here for anyone who reads mystery or crime novels (and Cathy clearly differentiates which any one book is). I really enjoyed her series Scene of the Crime interviews with authors.

11., 12., 13. . . I’m so sorry to have to left out so many other wonderful bloggers, but this has given me an incentive to get working on my blogroll links over the next month.