Happy New Year!
Wazir, a security guard at the museum who speaks several languages and was a professor of Pashto in Afghanistan, told me recently that although he’s lived in the United States for eighteen years he still can’t get a decent job, still doesn’t have a friend, and longs for the simple life of his Afghani village…
[FYI The tribe’s name is Pashtoon, the language is Pashto]
I sympathize with him. When I started this blog I wrote on my About page
Born in one country, birthed my children in another, and enjoying my middle years in a third. Now I wonder where I belong, who my people are, and how I can reach them…
After almost two years of blogging and three hundred posts I’ve discovered something I never expected, my people are right here, a click away, on my computer screen.
I thought when I became a blogger that I’d be reading a few blogs, but I’m following a whole bunch of them, and there’s a genuine connection and a friendship between us which is something I never expected, especially as we’ve never met each other, and some of these bloggers live so far away that it’s tomorrow in their homes, while I’m still drinking my breakfast coffee today.
And now during this season of gift giving, I’ve been honored with gifts from my peers. I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Jane, of nichepoetryandprose and the The Liebster Award by Melissa of HappyKidsHappyMom.
The Versatile Blogger Award is a way to show others how much you appreciate their blogs and to make other bloggers aware of some really extraordinary work
The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. “Liebster” is German and it means “Dearest” or “Beloved.” But, at the same time it can also mean “Favorite.”
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To receive a blog award, especially one from your peers, is to me, the most wonderful gift of all, because it means the hours I’ve spent alone, writing for I know not whom has been recognized by fellow writers.
Oh god imagine if I was still only getting those nasty spam comments, such as:
“Nice to be visiting your weblog once more, it has been months for me. Properly this post that i’ve been waited for so long. I want this post to total my assignment in the college, and it has identical topic together with your write-up. Thanks, excellent share.”
or this:
He seems at little nervous.The teacher tested us in English.I fear that he drinks too much.She teaches foreign students Chinese.My mouth is watering.I think you have the Wrong number.He is a smart boy.They celebrated his birthday with a dance party.Oh you are kidding me.I have to transfer to No.
I thank you both most sincerely and with much humility, because you are both professional writers.
Jane, who is also a biologist wrote on her blog: “I am the recipient of an artsnb Creations Grant for poetry. The grant is to cover a six month period starting May 1, 2012 and is to write a poetry manuscript on ‘growing and gathering local foods’. ”
Melissa wrote: “I’ve been a reporter (television, print and online) for 13 years, and a freelance writer for many of those years. ”
Awards always come with rules, such as thanking the blogger who gave it to you, passing it to other bloggers, telling something about yourself etcetera. I feel that all the bloggers I follow have already been given awards and several times already, so because this is the season of “gift-giving” it will give me great pleasure to give my blogging buddies a *G*I*F*T* with a single rule: I have not personally met any of these wonderful people.
Firstly I’d like to thank my two buddies who gave me the awards.
1. This is for Melissa who has shared many stories and photos of her kids. [I didn’t take the photo. I just know it’s taken in India]
2. Jane’s posts usually include a photo, a poem and a sketch. It’s so interesting to see the bird and animal footprints in the snow, or at the bird feeder, or their burrow in the snow… Here are a couple of my photos

3 pm on Christmas day. Those aren’t dogs in the path – they are coyotes and that woman found herself too close to them.
3. Betty, of What Gives 365 you were my first blogging buddy.
For 365 days you told us about caring, unselfish people all over the world who are doing something to help strangers.
Thank you for your generosity to those strangers.
The best way I know to thank someone is with flowers – I saw this arrangement of roses in a flower shop in South Africa when we were there last year.
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Charles, of Mostly Bright Ideas you were my second blogging buddy. You can always make me laugh with your hilarious and carefully, crafted posts. You wondered whether they have your favorite gelato at the GROM ice cream store in Malibu? Salivate no more….
I photographed it through the glass so there’s a reflection, but I think you can still see the generous spoonful I bought for you.
Enjoy.
Heck, I even remembered to bring a napkin.
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3. The next blogger is the winner of my Reader Appreciation award.
The Reader Appreciation award recognizes your blog’s top reader by the number of comments posted.
Priya of Partial View, you were my top reader. I thank you for your continued interest in what I write, and how you notice everything, even the smallest little details I share.
Your posts make us think, but also give hope, and inspiration, and I love your photos, particularly your shots of flowers, and the views of the people living in your colorful country.
Earlier this year you included a photo of an Indian mail box in one of your wonderful slide shows.
“That’s a mail box?” I asked you.
“Yes,” you said, “Why do you ask? Don’t all mailboxes look like that?”
I’m glad to show you these three mailboxes (above) which are a block away from my home.
Where I grew up pillar boxes were painted red like this one.
I found this lovely old-fashioned “British-style” mailbox in a tourist neighborhood in Cape Town when I was there in March 2011.
Congrats on getting these awards. 🙂
Thank you Arindam. Nice of you to stop by.
Rosie, this is the most creative acceptance post to an award I’ve ever seen! I love it. And thank you for my picture-gift. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like that before. 🙂 Gives new meaning to the phrase, “hands-free.”
You are a thoughtful and sweet blogger and human being, and I am so glad our paths crossed on this blogging adventure.
From the first photo in this post, you made me slow down, stop and think about what I’m looking at. So many of your posts do that. You see the good in people, and continue to advocate for and find new ways to promote and respect. Congratulations on your awards — you are a fine blogger, and one of my very favorites. I look forward to seeing what you’ll bring to the table in 2012! Happy New Year!
Hi Melissa,
Wow what a beautiful thank you note. I’m honored to be one of your blogging buddies. How nice to know that my posts help you to slow down …
I’m pleased you like your gift. As soon as I saw that photo, I knew I was going to send it to you.
Hi,
Thank You very much for the mention and for “Joan of Arc” and of course the lovely words.
A lovely post, and so very well thought out, you have obviously put in a lot of work on this one, and like all of your posts, it is fantastic. 🙂
P.S.
I love the Indian photo, at least the Parent knew that child was not going anywhere while he took a picture. 😀
Hi Mags,
Thank you for your lovely comment. Glad you liked your “Joan of Arc” gift. It’s not easy to find something you haven’t written about.
I wonder where the Mother was while Dad was taking his “hands free” photo. I can’t imagine a mother standing by calmly while her kid is being held like that.
Thank you DearRosie for the thoughtfully crafted nod. I’m in awe of the time you spent preparing your gifts: linking, gifting (uploading pictures), and crafting such lovely lines for each of your recipients. I so much enjoyed reading your entire post. I look forward to reading more of what you post in 2012. I love that you write such detailed posts about what you observe, that you work in an art museum, that you meet such interesting people, that you have lived in several countries…rather suspended among cultures…I can relate. How thoughtful of you to present Linda the peaches. Texans are missing their peach crop and definitely the rain which would remedy a lot of situations here.
Dear Rosie,
Please thank your son for going out to take that photo for his mom and me with his iPhone. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and his as well to help round out Mom’s list.
HI Georgette,
I’ll tell my son that you appreciated his taking the photo for you. (I don’t often remember to take a camera when we walk Monte Carlo – but he’s always got his phone in his pocket!)
I don’t think you can tell from the photo that the figures are large – almost life-size?
Hi Georgette,
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the post. Although each gift took a long time to prepare (linking to each blog, finding and uploading the pix, and writing it all) I didn’t mind, I had fun putting it together.
I know you also follow Linda’s blog so you must’ve read her post how her friend selflessly shared her last bottle of jam at Thanksgiving. That’s a friend!
Rosie, this is marvellous. Only you could’ve thought of this, and done it.
The mailboxes in India are turning changing shapes to look more and more like the ones close to your home! Only, they’re still red. I personally prefer the cylindrical ones, perhaps because it’s the matter of liking the familiar.
Thank you for your very unique, considerate gesture.
I have enjoyed every single post you’ve done here, and can’t wait to read and see more in 2012. Keep up the writing, the photography. Continue being so wonderfully nice.
Oh, and how could I not write about Wazir? I am hoping to hear more about him. From him, maybe. Is that possible? He has such a welcoming smile, such openness about him.
I’m really glad that you noticed what a nice man he is. He lived in India and East Germany before coming to the States.
You will definitely be hearing from him.
Hi Priya,
I’m delighted to learn that you liked the post, and my blog, and me… Makes me think of Sally Field’s speech in 1985 when she won an Oscar for “Places in the Heart” and she said “You like me. You really like me.”
Thank you.
Of course there were so many things I could’ve bought you – even some of the food you can’t get in India like Quinoa or seaweed – but you were my number one blogger and had to have something special and as I’ve never given anyone else a mailbox before, I knew that was perfect.
I wonder why mailboxes in India have changed their shape?
Oh but you’ve already gifted me some of the good stuff from your routine cuisine, Rosie. And I can’t thank you enough (especially for the rooibos). I’d have to go to the nearest metropolis (which is 270 km from here) to get them!
I think the mailboxes are being redesigned to make them as space-friendly as possible, These new ones take less space and contain more. That must be it, yes.
I’m delighted to hear that you like rooibos tea.
Ah hah, if the new mail boxes take up less space but can hold more mail, that is a good change.
This humbles me incredibly, Rosie. I hardly have the ability to think of the perfect gift for friends with skin on and here you are doling out the perfect one to a who bunch of us blogging buddies! Your gesture is so full of the kind of intimacy and caring that the world craves, you sweet woman! You remembered…!
The shoes fit perfectly. Now I have to find the man who is willing to hold me up while I walk down the street in them!
Blogging truly is an amazing world.
P.S. Rosie – will you please tell Wazir that I would love to see him start a blog and write about his years in Afghanistan. I’ve read two books about lives lived there and it has given me a sense of connectedness. When we know how we share feelings, we know we share life and inner dreams.
How difficult it must be to do work that has nothing to do with one’s education. I know it happens all over the world and even to our own people, but it still makes me feel sad that folks have to experience it.
Amy that’s very thoughtful of you to send Wazir a message. Some days I see him in the break room three times a day and he’ll be stationed at a post next to my satellite shop – but just because I was looking for him, I haven’t seen him all week.
An interesting aside: my son and his girl friend were visiting the museum a few years ago and met Wazir. He always enjoys chatting with interesting tourists and didn’t know he was enjoying my son’s company. My son told me that evening about the interesting security guard he’d met that day…
Hi Amy,
Oh my, thank you for your lovely comment Amy. Perhaps I should repeat Sally Field’s acceptance speech …
I’m really happy you like your gift and that the shoes fit you perfectly. I may not have actually looked into your eyes or touched your arm, but I have been in your home. More than once a week sometimes. 😀
I’ve duly noted that I’m to look out for a man who likes to walk along the street with a woman wearing ‘Christine Labourtine’ shoes.
Congratulations on your awards, very well deserved. This was just a joy to read! I loved every minute. How thoughtful of you to incorporate details of each blogger and to give them each a special gift. Thank you for including me. I will happily accept the movie and chocolates and I thank you from my um…er…bottom that you didn’t send me an exercise video! and I have to ask you more about this person who worked on A Christmas Story–details? Hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Day!
Hi Darla,
Many thanks for your kind comment. I’m delighted to know you like your gift and that you also enjoyed reading it – you know I thought it too long, but I couldn’t shorten it.
We had a marvelous New Year’s Day: went on an 8 mile hike. (Photos and story forthcoming…) What about you?
Forgot to mention the name of the person who worked on Christmas Story. Mr F.
Rosie, thanks for including me. Can we hike up together, to take each other’s photos next to one of the Hollywood letters ? It’s nice to walk in the warm sunshine and get a break from the rain here.
I always enjoy your people-watching observations.
It is a touching admission for Wazir to say he doesn’t have a friend. He has a warm smile and a kind face.
I have met two of my best friends thanks to the blog-o-sphere.
Love this post.
Happy New Year !
P.S. Now I need to go check out all the Blogs you linked to … 🙂
Hi Sybil,
You can’t actually go up to the Hollywood sign anymore because folks were stealing the letters and defacing them …
I’m glad you enjoyed the sunshine. We’ve had temps in the 70’s and 80’s since Christmas. It’s been quite lovely.
Now if you could find a way to ship me my prize, I’d be eternally grateful!!! 🙂
Great list of your blogging friends, some who are new to me, others who I’ve gotten to know well. Nothing is more fun than finding new, rich, and creative blogs.
Hi EOS,
No worries, I’ll send your prize Federal Express. Don’t they claim to be able to ship “anything anywhere”?
I hope you have fun discovering the new blogs. Isn’t it interesting that you and Betty aren’t just blogging buddies, but you really do know each other. What a small world!
Congratulations on your awards, Rosie! You certainly deserve the recognition. And many thanks for the Bouguereau painting – it is definitely one of my favorites! ♥
My heart goes out to Wazir. He has such a friendly smile and I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. I agree with Amy, I would also love to see Wazir start a blog about his years in Afghanistan.
Looking forward to another year of your delightful posts which broaden our horizons and introduce us to so many fascinating people and the things they say and do…
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your nice comment. I know Bouguereau is one of your favorite artists and this painting is really so perfect for you, she even looks like you.
I also look forward to reading your delightful posts Barbara.
I hope Wazir will answer ….
Congratulations, Rosie, and thank you so much for including me in your list of wonderful friends. I would be Wazir’s friend too. Thank Mr F fro the paella, I’m on my way 🙂
Hi Cindy,
I know you’ll enjoy your gift. Mr F’s paella is famous. Ask my family and our friends …
You know we met over the Royal Wedding Cake recipe, but I still haven’t tasted it. Did you actually bake it, and how was it?
Still haven’t made it *hangs head in shame* …
Then I don’t feel so bad.
Rosie, this post is a perfect example of why people love you and your blog. You’ve taken so much time and put in so much effort to make every line and image personal and meaningful. Thank you for being there and for giving us these wonderful glimpses into your life.
About Wazir: It’s difficult enough to move to another country, but then to feel alienated after all that time creates a hollow feeling inside. If you can think of a way to help him feel more accepted and less alone — and if your blogging buddies can contribute to that in some way — count me in.
Happy New Year, my friend!
Oh man Charles you’re so very kind. It sounds so lame to say “thank you” … I’m very honored that you enjoyed my posts.
You’ve also moved to a different country so you know how hard emigrating can be. As the Afghan community don’t live in L.A. – they live in Northern California – it can be very lonely without some friends from back “home”. You can make acquaintances, but there’s no one like a friend from home, someone who speaks your language, remembers the food, the sights and smells…. I know all about that, and I should’ve mentioned it.
I also know you like to “cook” your ice cream in the microwave before you eat it [no comment from me this time], but it’s been hot these past few days so I suggest you forget the microwave and just eat your gelato quickly before it melts.
Dearest Rosie — I am SO touched & thrilled to be included on your gift list and I take special joy in the idea that I was your first blogging friend!! Thank you for my beautiful roses! And I love the way that you chose something personal, sweet and meanginful for every person on your blogger/friend list — and included the great photo! My husband made some comment the other day about my pseudo-blogger-friends and I said — “oh no, you are very mistaken! these are very real friends to me and I can tell you that i probably know more about their hearts, thoughts, hopes, dreams & difficulties than many of my in-person friends.” Which is something i never expected when I started on my 365 adventure. As for Wazir … it is heartbreaking to think that a professor would end up alone in a different country & so forlorn. Is there any chance he could teach Afghan immigrants English, or teach serviceman Pashtun?? He is a teacher and would probably love to be in the classroom again — but I also love Priya’s idea of him starting a blog. I’d love to hear about his stories, memories of Afghanistan and his life …
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND LOTS OF LOVE!!! xoxoxox b
Hi Betty,
It gives me great pleasure to be able to thank you – publicly – for your all that hard work you did finding people worthy of your daily $100, and writing about them every day for a whole year. I’m delighted that you like your roses. I hope they last for a long time.
I don’t think any of us started a blog with the aim of making some friends. I think we all started blogging because we felt compelled to write, or to share our photos or paintings, and I’m sure none of us had the faintest idea how to find readers or whether we’d just be talking to ourselves.
Tell your husband that even though I haven’t met any of these folks, when my Mom passed away last summer, this is where I got the most support, and love. Linda’s Mom passed away just a couple of weeks earlier, Charles’ brother a few months after. We remember each other.
I looked for Wazir again today but didn’t see him. The museum is big.
What a marvelous entry – so creative and personal. And I must be careful, lest I end up with a comment as long as your entry, boring your readers and annoying you!
I’m so honored you included me, and so undone by those baskets of peaches! They’re perfect! And if the good Lord’s willing and the creek does rise next year because of rain, we’ll have some of our own.
I must ask – did the hummingbird get out of the house safely? Can I get some of that pistachio? And is that paella as good as it looks? Obviously, having decided to finally get a few pounds off, my attention is easily distracted by food.
I was intrigued to see Bouguereau here, too. Not many people know his work – one of my favorites is this shepherd.
So here we are – the gifts exchanged and the wrappings tossed out. Now it’s time for a new year filled with unexpected gifts – which is why I love your blog so much. There’s always a gift here, and it’s always appreciated!
Hi Linda,
Good news, I found your lovely comment in my spam folder. You’ve written comments before. I wonder why it ended up there? I can understand your frustration when the comment disappeared. If I’d spent so long writing a comment and it went “poof” I too would be *mad*.
I’m happy you like your gift. We all hope good rains come to Texas next year.
I don’t think my readers mind if you left a long comment, because you’re such a great story teller. Thank you for your kind words.
To answer your questions :
* The hummingbird did get out the house. Perhaps Jo will explain.
* Is pistachio also your favorite flavor? Check out my post on GROM gelato
http://wp.me/pN0M1-x9
it’s an “au naturel” Italian ice cream chain with a branch in Malibu. My favorite flavors are chocolate and limone (lemon).
* The paella’s even better than it looks. You are very welcome to join us for dinner Linda. We have a large dining room table and I’m sure Cindy would love to meet you.
* I wonder why so few people know Bouguereau. Where did you discover him? We are fortunate to have one of his paintings in the Museum.
Thanks for the link to “the shepherd”. I like it a lot.
Oh, hooray! It did come back!
Actually, my favorite gelato is a key lime we get here – just wonderful. It has bits of graham crust in it. Scrumptious.
I first “met” Bouguereau through another blogger who was helping me learn how to process and post images. He had done a good bit of work with Bougurereau’s paintings as a starting point – he also introduced me to John William Waterhouse, whom I like even more.
Happy evening to you – I feel so much better now that I know this got posted!
Hi Linda,
I’m glad I could help you have a nice evening 🙂 I wonder if the other comments that disappeared ended up in the spam folders?
Ooh I’m sure key lime gelato is a delish flavor. J’adore key-lime pie when it’s made with real ingredients and not food colorings.
How fortunate for you that a blogger not only taught you how post images, but introduced you to artists like Bougurereau and John William Waterhouse.
Rosie, I left a comment which hasn’t posted, and re-posting won’t work – wordpress tells me it’s detected “duplicate content”. So, the comment’s out there somewhere, just floating around.
For the time being I’ll just say “thank you”, and if it hasn’t shown up by this afternoon, I’ll try with a different comment.!
Hi Linda,
Thank you for writing and so sorry your comment disappeared. I’ve noticed that it’s happening more frequently recently. Very frustrating.
Thank you so much for my humming birds, I shall treasure them (and feed them occasionally. I wonder if they would like orange blossom honey? I know I do. 🙂 )
And thank you also for this post – wow, Rosie, it’s wonderful! 🙂 So much attention to detail and all the carefully chosen gifts for everyone. Lovely.
Many hugs to you, my friend. Maybe one day we’ll meet ‘in real life’. What – and this isn’t real life? It is, indeed.
And Wazir… poor man. I hope that one day he finds the friend (or friends) he wants and can settle down to a simpler life. Rosie, I have a wonderful book called ‘Afgahnistan’ by Roland and Sabrina Michaud that is full of photos of the land and its people. It’s a very rich culture that I’m sure most of us in our corner of this planet don’t even consider most of the time.
Hi Val,
Hugs back to you for your lovely comment. I’m so glad you like the hummingbird. One feeds hummingbirds sugar water. I think you’d have to water down the honey…?
You have an open invitation to come sit on my patio and watch the hummingbirds flying up and down and feeding. Fascinating little birds.
L.A. is one of the most multicultural cities in America, but as I mentioned earlier, the problem for Wazir is the Afghani community don’t live here.
Wow!!! Mazel Tov, first of all, on your well-deserved awards!! So sorry it took me so long to get to this incredible post — the best ever!!! I would have been so encouraged by it, having just entered the blogosphere myself at the Huffington Post.
What an amazing, beautiful community of generosity you have created!! Each of you give so much to each other. I am so impressed with your work and heartened by the fact that we can create such marvelous, voluntary, nurturing “villages” across space and time in this age of technology. Beautiful. Just beautiful.
With Love,
D
Hi Dinah,
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to leave me such a nice comment. I’m delighted to be able to inspire you about the joys of blogging.
I hadn’t thought of it before, but even though we may live half way round the world from each other we have created a nurturing “village”.
Loved the pic taken in India.. hehe .. 🙂
Hi Inspirational daily
Welcome to my blog. I wish I’d taken that photo but I’m glad I could make you laugh.
I went over to look at your blog and I liked the few posts I read. I’ll be back.
Congratulations Rosie on your nominations!!
You deserve to be recognized for your wonderful photos and thoughts and
crafty writing!
I was fascinated to read about the others in your blogging community and how you have become connected through your writing. I think this works in a way that other forms of writing and art do not.
I am not reading other blogs than yours and so I was so curious to find out about all these other peoples writing .
Great Photo choices!
Hi Heather,
I appreciate that you took the time to write a comment, thank you. There are millions of blogs in the world – WordPress publishes close to one million posts a day – so it means a lot for a blogger like myself to know that someone out there, someone who isn’t a blogger, enjoys my words and photos.
I’m proud to be part of the blogging community. Even though I’ve never met any of the above mentioned bloggers, don’t even know some of their names or what they look like, I feel as though I know them very well.
First of all, congratulations with your awards. You really deserve the attention and appreciation. And then thank you so much for the lovely flowers – and very lovely words that came along with them. This was an incredibly creative way of giving back to the blog community. I have been blogging for much shorter time than you, but you are right, it’s quite amazing how we all get connected, even when we don’t know each other’s names. For me it’s definitely been great to learn to know you. I look forward to sharing more thoughts and creative inspirations in the years to come.
Hi Otto,
I’m glad you like the flowers. It’s not easy choosing a photo for a photographer such as yourself. I knew not to use a landscape because yours are so spectacular. I really love this woman’s smile, and chose it as she was holding a bunch of proteas which are the national flower of South Africa.
You’ve been blogging for such a short time and already have so many blogging buddies because we all admire your work.
Hey! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one? Thanks a lot!
This is most probably spam and I shouldn’t have allowed it.
I don’t know what a captcha plugin is, but I like the title of your blog. A whole blog on cooking sweet potatoes? Interesting.
Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!
I also don’t know whether this is spam, but if you’re telling a true story your poor daughter, that must’ve been very nasty.
Reblogged this on Wondering Rose.