I Was Roared. . .Last November

When Eric Valentine was Roared last November, he, in turn roared others, including me. I thanked him in a comment and then let the event disappear into the recesses of my busy memory until January 28 when Eric was granted full membership into the The Shameless Lions Writing Circle. The following day, Eric selected a name, Sangilak, for his lion and wrote a poem about the regal creature.

Borrowing from Eric, when he Roared me and others: "Shameless says: Those people I've given this award to are encouraged to post it on their own blogs; list three things they believe are necessary for good, powerful writing; and then pass the award on to the five blogs they want to honour, who in turn pass it on to five others, etc etc. Let's send a roar through the blogosphere! The image above can be copied and pasted onto other blogs. Also, a small size of the award for sidebars can be found over at the writing circle site."

And like Eric and others, I am not sure what is necessary for "good, powerful writing" although I think I know it when I see it. In the past, I have said that I like writing that is: 1) both literate and literary; 2) is engaging to my mind; and 3) touches me in a way that I want to see more of what the writer has to offer.

In selecting those who I would like to Roar, I surely don't want to offend anyone. But there are a few blogs (not yet roared) out there that I really look forward to reading, even if they don't post every day. (Admittedly, the first 2 are clear examples of nepotism as they are written by my eldest son.) So, here's my list:

1. BillyBlog is son Bill's original blog in which he shares poetry (including some of his own), views on music and literature, and whatever else happens to pique his wonderfully creative mind.

2. Tattoosday also is authored and photographed by Bill. It originally started as a weekly post on BillyBlog but he created a new home for his fascination with tattoos and the people who display them on their bodies. The "back stories" and photos are equally impressive.

3. Solid Gold Dancing in the Holy Land is written by a friend my daughter met in Israel and who has settled there. She doesn't post very often but when she does, I am mesmerized by her writing and the images she conveys of Israel and aspects of her life there.

4. Living in the Woods is written by Cameron, a professional French Horn player who has settled in the woods in northern California. His writing is engaging and vivid. During a recent power outage (for several days), he wrote out a blog entry by hand and then scanned it in when power was eventually restored.

5. Frogma is written by Bonnie, who grew up in Hawaii and who now describes herself as "A New York City kayaking & sailing enthusiast." Whether writing about life on (and in) the water or her urban garden, she offers delightful insights and has an engaging, self-effacing sense of humor. I was steered toward her writing by son Bill.

So there they are, the 5 blogs that I selected to Roar from the many I visit each day. Thank you again to Eric Valentine who roared me, and whose Scattered Chatter would be on my list if he hadn't been roared first by someone else. And my apologies to Eric for not acknowledging his selection of my blog for this award for 2½ months. It has been a busy, hectic winter.