I was given this award a few months ago by Annie, a writer I truly admire (and a dear friend).
She gave me the award saying this; “Michael at Smoke & Mirrors because his landscape is beautiful and touching, albeit often sad, and so very real that his words can touch as no others can.”
I have to apologize for being so damn late.
Thank you, WC.

Here are the rules for the winners:

I’m bestowing this honor on five bloggers that I feel are deserving in so very many ways.
They are all wonderful and have added so much colour and creativity to our cyberspatial community.

Spasmically Perfect

Spaz and I go way back to the early days.
A comment of hers left me speechless and I haven’t stopped visiting her since.
If you haven’t spent some time at this very special blog you are missing out on some wonderful stories, prose and the thoughts of one incredibly creative woman.

Enreal

Not sure how we linked up initially but I’m so very glad that we did.
A visit to this place is simply magical.
Her words are not unlike a wonderful session of yoga for the restless mind.
Trust me.

Grimm

What can I say about a guy like me that is totally in love with his wife and kids?
Grimm is a lighter and much funnier version of yours truly.
This is a guy that really deserves more recognition that what he gets.
I found Grimm on BlogExplosion a little while back and have been thoroughly entertained since.
I am proud and truly honoured to call him a friend.

Poetikat

A blog that makes you laugh, cry and give serious thought to the many serious questions regarding our lives.
Kat is a writer/poet that truly inspires me to be just a bit more, creatively speaking.
Though she has an avid following I had to give her this award.
Please stop by and say hi to Kat.

Smith

Although he’s the ultimate blogslacker, he writes very well and has a joyfully sardonic sense of humor.
His view on the world is uniquely his own and I love the fact that he can verbally smackdown
the most intellectual of assholes with the most succinct use of the English language known to man.
Did I say he writes well?
Please visit Smith.
Someone has to at least tell him he won an award . . .  (yeah, i’m a wisearse)

Congrats to all!

Frontier Editor has chosen me for an award, a major award!

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award; creativity, design, interesting material, and also a contributer to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winning, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winning and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y pico” (link doesn’t work!) so everyone will know the origin of this award. (the original site is gone, sorry)

5) To show these rules.

So I am going to pass it on to these five.
Many on my blogroll are deserving and I thought about just doing freshman bloggers but
that just didn’t seem right to me.
I know most of my choices won’t surprise you but they are incredibly deserving.
Thank you so much, FFE for this. I appreciate that someone appreciates me.
Funny that I was going to nominate you.

My list of recipients (in no particular order)

Maureen – someone that exudes the blogging style.
She contributes more to the blogging community than anyone will ever realize.
And she is wonderful. Period.
If you haven’t been, you are missing out on someone special.

Annie – a dear friend that has actually taught me something about blogging, although I started much earlier than she did. Once again, she is a wonderful friend and a writer that needs to be discovered
(and read).

Evyl- my bud and weekly touchstone. I think I know him better than most but will say that he has a heart of gold and visits more people than anyone I know of.
You are awesome, my man and I am so blessed we crossed paths.
I am going to cook that “beer can Chicken” before the end of the summer.

Kyknoord- another creative soul that offers a view of our world that continues to astound me.
I do wish he would visit more but when he does his comments are reminiscent of Evyl.
A talented and kind soul and seriously deserving of more visitors.

Red- She is “simply Red“.
She pulls no punches and is unabashedly honest. And she’s a sweetheart, albeit a somewhat sultry one.
I never know what I’m going to get when I go there but I know it’s going to be totally Red.
And I love that.

Congrats and much love to all.
Pass the award along as you see fit.
But please do pass it along.
Tanks.

I feel like a bad contestant on American Idol; I got nothing fresh to bring to the table.
My mind is so far away from the blog lately and I do apologize.
There’s some creative stuff swimming around my head but too many damn obstacles in the way.
I plan on getting out the heavy machinery to remove at least some of the cerebral gunk that’s currently clogging my blogging jones.
Have no fear, the psychobabble will be eradicated.
Soon.

I did want to mention a somewhat surprising award I received “From the Back Nine”.
My blog was labeled “excellent” by Linda, a relatively new reader and wonderful addition to my blogroll.

Supposedly, I must pass this award along to another blogger that I consider “worthy”.
Though I have many blog “loves” (and you know who you are), I felt the need to pass the torch to a new blog that I read often and enjoy immensely.
He’s not unlike me in the many sentimental ways he writes in terms of family, kids and life.
I wish more people would visit him because I believe he has so much to say.
And he’s funny as a bastard.
Yeah, it’s Grimm.
Please pay the guy a visit and at least tell him congrats on the award.
That would be pretty funny.
While you’re there, check out a few posts.
What I like most about Grimm is that when I visit, I feel comfortable, like I’m wearing a great pair of old sneakers that my wife still wants badly to throw away (at the very least, wash really good)
Please stop by and say hi.

I want to once again thank all of you for your wonderful comments.
I’ve read every single one so please accept my invisible but leviathan gratitude.
You guys have no idea how much your words have given me a sense of great solace and peace.
The honesty, love and support comes through loud and clear and I had to post tonight if only to offer a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.
I promise to dust off the front-loader by the weekend and be back up visiting and leaving ~m’s all over your blogs (and your comments, dear readers).
Until then, much peace, my friends . . .
Be well.

~m

I received the above award from my dear friend and colleague, Maureen (aka, Amum, Nanny, and Moe).
This February will mark the beginning of my fourth year of blogging and that someone describes Smoke and Mirrors as “awesome” leaves me a slight bit humbled.
I originally started blogging in an attempt to sort out the many difficulties I’d been facing regarding two parents caught in the grips of an insidious disease.
My hope was that my writing would help someone traveling the same strange road.
Though the scope here has changed somewhat, my intentions are still the same.
I want my writing to make a difference in the lives of people that read it.
Judging from the many comments I’ve received, I think it’s working.
Thank you Maureen for a most wonderful award.
You are a thoughtful and gentle soul.
If you’re wondering about the post title, click on my award.
My best to all in the coming year.
Stick around. I’m just getting warmed up . . .

~m