It’s All About Love – A Valentines Day Tribute

Just a quick announcement:

I will be on Internet Radio tonight!

Image Copyrighted by It Matters Radio 2014

It’s All About Love – A Valentines Day Tribute on It Matters Radio:

Thursday, Feb 13, 9AM (EST)

We’re excited to present to our listeners the winners of our 2014 Valentine Broadcast Contest. From music to humorous and heartfelt tales of love, it is sure to bring listeners the many meanings of Valentines Day.

You will hear the exceptional songs from two very talented female artists, Beth Rudetsky and one we know simply as Kaya as they present their songs of love.

The writers have outdone themselves with flash fiction, prose and poetry reaching into the many meanings this holiday may entail. We welcome Mark Murphy, Diane Denton, Lucille Barker and Salvatore Buttaci, the best from around the world.

I will be involved in a short interview and be reading my winning poem, Clearing for Bluebells.  The show begins at 9 pm, Eastern Standard Time and I will be on after 10 pm.  I realize that it won’t be possible for many of you to tune in live, but the program will be recorded and available on podcast.  Here is the link.

Thanks, as always, for all your support and encouragement.

Happy Valentines Day!

Illustration from The Library Next Door – A Kindle Short Story by DM Denton

Inspiration Awarded

A sound, a scent, a sight,
a hope, a dream, a memory,
creative tunneling towards the light;
one word, then two and three,
a poem, a page or more of prose
set out on a never-ending journey;
there’s loss, there’s love, not less
than the unsettled heart should need
to imagine how it is doomed and blessed;
the stars, the sun, the moon,
a breeze and, oh, the stillness, too
give the birds and composer’s hand a tune;
a brush, a lens, a thought,
what is known and never can be
explained except as inspiration sought.

Copyright 2012 by Dm Denton

I want to thank onwindydays for recently nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!  Such a lovely gesture. I am humbled and it makes me very happy to play it forward!

First (this is rule I almost didn’t follow) I am supposed to offer seven things about myself … 

1. I have a milestone birthday this year.
2. I have been writing stories and poems since I could write.
3. I have had nineteen cats, two dogs and a budgerigar named Billy.  
4. I worked as a gardener on a large estate.
5. I lived in a medieval abbey.
6. I live in a log cabin.
7. I believe in reincarnation.

The blogs I nominate (in no particular order as I am inspired by them all, and a few more than ‘the rules’ require) are:

Journey into Poetry journeyintopoetry.wordpress.com

Ina inaweblogisback.wordpress.com

Countingducks countingducks.wordpress.com

By the Sea www.ingebrita.net

Rae Spencer www.raespencer.com

Caddo Veil caddoveil.com

frommymusings2u frommymusings2u.wordpress.com

Martin Shone – Silence Happens theearthneedstobreathe.wordpress.com and likethesunshone agapintheclouds.wordpress.com

Linda willows lindawillows.wordpress.com

Margaret griffin margaretgriffin.wordpress.com

Bodhirose’s Blog bodhirose.wordpress.com

Seasonings raindancepoetry.wordpress.com

Contemplative Moorings contemplativemoorings.wordpress.com

The Tale of My Heart  justsimplyinlove.wordpress.com

Kiwsparks kiwsparks.wordpress.com

LScott Poetry lscotthoughts.com

Pitching Pennies Poetry smzang.wordpress.com

Poems From Oostburg, Wisconsin ellenolinger.wordpress.com

For those nominees, here are the rules, certainly your option to follow or not.

* Display the award logo on your blog

* Link back to the person who nominated you

* State seven things about yourself

* Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them

* Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements

Blessings to all for continued inspiration! Follow your bliss!

©Artwork and writing, unless otherwise indicated, are the property of Diane M Denton. Please request permission to reproduce or post elsewhere with a link back to bardessdmdenton. Thank you.

Time to Express My Gratitude…

It’s almost a year
since
I began speaking here,
uncertain
of what I was doing,
unaware
of what I was wooing,
thinking
it was all about selling
socially
a story long in telling,
instead
finding friendship all around,
exchanging
voices without a sound,
creating
a convivial sense of unity
with
a most eclectic community,
sharing
more than imagination
with the
breadth of our conversation…

As the 1st anniversary of my blog approaches I devote this post to my heartfelt appreciation for the generous, imaginative and interesting friends who have supported and encouraged my writing and artwork. You have helped to draw me out of creative isolation, connecting me to a world of fellow artists, humanitarians, naturalists, questioners and believers. With your beautiful words and pictures, your affecting joys and sorrows, your wit and wisdom, your compassion and courage, you have welcomed me into your homes and hearts, cultures, and causes, tragedies and triumphs.

As an essentially private person, it is so satisfying to share with those who appreciate and understand the creative process, especially as it can be more introspective than extroverted, evasive even as it wants to be revealing. The magic of social media to connect is still less than the miracle of making connections that are so intellectually, empathetically, artistically, and spiritually appropriate and even transforming. There is something more at work here than cyberspace. 

For through the miracle of your talents and thoughts and spirits,  I am constantly inspired and restored.

There are a few awards that I am LONG overdue in publically acknowledging. First Ina who nominated me for the 7X7 award–if you are not familiar with her wonderful poetry and prose then please check it out @ http://inaweblogisback.wordpress.com/.  Also Caddo who nominated me for the Soul-Song and Mrs Sparkly’s 10 Commandments Awards–again, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to experience her words and wisdom @ http://caddoveil.wordpress.com/.  Heartfelt thanks to you both, my dear friends!

If there is anyone I have omitted, please accept my apologies and know that I deeply appreciate your consideration.

I invite all who read this to check out my blog roll, which I recently updated. The wonderful thing about awards is that they introduce us to new sites and in turn forge new friendships. Reblogging is also an excellent way to share and something I will be doing a few times a month at least. It just feels right that as my blog moves into its second year, it should represent the offerings of the community it belongs to as well as my individual work.

Thank you! Thank you! Happy summer and blessings to all!

Diane  

©Artwork and writing, unless otherwise indicated, are the property of Diane M Denton. Please request permission to reproduce or post elsewhere with a link back to bardessdmdenton. Thank you.

More Awards to Acknowledge and Pass On

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.  ~Jean Baptiste Massieu translated from French

Over the past few weeks I’ve been nominated for various awards.  I apologize for the delay in ‘publicly’ thanking:

 AngelaMarie @ One-In-One Creation for the Soul-Song Award for my post: Tears and Sun

Jane Thorn for the Versatile Blogger Award

Caddo Veil for TWO! the One Lovely Blog Award and the Reader Appreciation Award

Betty Hayes Albright @ Seasonings for the Genuine Blogger Award

Shilpa @ My Mystic World for the Liebster Blogger Award

I accept these acknowledgments with heartfelt appreciation, especially for the honor of  highlighting other very special blogs.

Please make it a point to visit their creative and inspiring blogs as soon as you can.  And don’t forget the nominees listed below!

I also want to  take this opportunity to apologize to those bloggers I follow and who follow me, as I’m not always able to get to your posts as quickly as I wish.  My goal is to savor and make my comments worthy of the time and talent and thought (and heart and soul) that you put into your posts. Thank you all for sharing so much!

Now, for the nominations (with no slight intended to any of the superb blogs I’ve connected with–please see my blog roll):

Soul-Song Award goes to:
AngelaMarie of One-in-One Creation who from a retreat into her own quiet and sacred place offers the blessedness of our place on this earth and responsibility for its care in her poem A Passing Place .

Laurel of Laurel’s Reflections  who ponders the realization that the answer is not anywhere ‘out there’…not within another person or object…A Lesson (that) is Seldom Learnt Only Once.

Christine of Journey into Poetry who shares a recovery that is really about discovery in Surrender.

Savira of Reflections regarding her experience of coming face to face with extreme poverty, homelessness and hunger in…..  Lost in Her world

Genuine Blogger Award goes to:
AJ of AJ Barlow for lyrical, inspirational and motivational poetry.

Versatile Blogger Award goes to:
Kathryn of Kiwsparks who entertains and enlightens as artist, writer and designer.

One Lovely Blog Award goes to:
Granbee for her sometimes whimsical, often profound, and always unique reflections and storytelling through poetry and prose.

Liebster Blog Award goes to:
Smallsmallacts offering outstanding photographs, of travels and observations,  accompanied by philosophical and insightful reflections.

Reader Appreciation Award goes to (this is a new one–to me, at least–and the rules call for six nominations of blogs I haven’t nominated previously. Well, I’m going to break that one for sure!):

AngelaMarie
Laurel’s Reflections
Granbee
Ina
Fourwindowpress
Verse not Prose
Caddo Veil

Please note my gratitude to ALL the readers and seekers who come here often or from time to time!

Awards to Gratefully Accept and Pass On

‘To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower… hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour…’ William Blake

I have been nominated for a couple of awards over the past few weeks and am “officially” accepting them at last! It’s so encouraging to be thought of by fellow bloggers in this way , especially as it gives me the pleasure of re-directing my followers to their excellent blogs as well as the chance to highlight some others I have come to enjoy and admire.

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Ethel and Thomas Davis of fourwindowspress (find inspired artwork, photography, essays and other writings) AND by Subhakar Das of FicFaq (about writing and the writer’s life).

I was nominated for the Kreativ Blogger Award by AZ of Verse Not Prose ( poetry and reflections of a very mature, wise and talented young woman). AZ has just begun a second blog Andrea Nadine Muses .

Thank you Thomas, Ethel, Subhakar and AZ! I encourage all to visit their blogs as soon as possible!

And now it is my turn to do some nominating and I strongly encourage my readers to visit the following ten blogs (in no particular order) which I have not nominated previously:

For the Versatile Blogger Award:
http://tigergrove.wordpress.com Heather Whitney Gibson’s poetry, music &  art
http://francisbarkerart.com David Francis Barker’s artwork and poetry
http://justsimplyinlove.wordpress.com poems and reflections
http://ericasosney.wordpress.com Erica Sosney’s poetry &  passion for music
http://thebackgroundstory.com Stories from various authors

For the Kreativ Blogger Award:
http://raindancepoetry.wordpress.com Betty Hayes Albright’s poetry
http://angelajanegraceblog.com/poetry Angela Jane Grace’s poetry
http://inaweblogisback.wordpress.com/ Ina’s fiction & poetry
http://ajpoetry.wordpress.com AJ’s poetry with purpose
http://contemplativemoorings.wordpress.com poetry by Michael Marsters

I hope all of the above bloggers will accept their awards. It is not required that the awards be passed on, but below are the ‘rules’ to be followed or not:

Nominate fellow bloggers (I will leave the number up to you).
Inform the bloggers of their nomination.
Share 7 random things about yourself.
Thank the blogger who nominated you.
Add the Versatile and Kreativ Blog Award logo on your blog post.

And please visit other wonderful sites on my blogroll!

Last AND least, here are seven random things about me:
1. I live in a log cabin.
2. I once lived in an English Abbey.
3. I developed an English accent when I lived in the UK so “no one” knew I was an American (proved interesting…).
4. I worked for PBS as a volunteer coordinator.
5. I wanted to be an actress and singer.
6. I’m of English & Italian extraction, with a little French and Dutch thrown in.
7. I’m fascinated (and humbled) by the lives of the saints.

Wishing everyone a Healthy, Peaceful and Fulfilling New Year!

Awards for Passing On

Such a sweet surprise
in this blogger’s
widening skies–
how kindly
Zahir and Martin
did propose
I accept
the Liebster
and Versatile
award,
not for a moment
to hoard
but sooner pass on
to bloggers
of which I’m fond (not in any particular order):

journey into poetry
planaquarium
the lantern room
creativity aroused
granbee
one in creation
pitching pennies poetry
blank pages

I’ve combined these two awards
for encouraging all
to make the most
of the links above–
spreading appreciation,
goodwill and love!

For all my favorite blogs so far, please visit my Blog Roll.

For those receiving an award, there are a few rules (though no obligation whatsoever to follow):

• Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
• Reveal your 5-15 top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Copy and paste the award on your blog.
• Have faith that your followers will link to other bloggers.
• And most of all – blog to your heart’s delight!

Liebster means beloved in German and Versatile speaks for itself. The goal of both these awards is to spotlight well deserving blogs so that others may also discover them.

Sharing our true selves is a wonderful thing…

The Liebster Blog Award

Image courtesy of Google

Such a sweet surprise
in this blogger’s
widening skies–
having landed on
a post of Bodhirose
how kindly
she did propose
I accept
the Liebster award,
not for a moment
to hoard
but sooner pass on
to bloggers
of which I’m fond:

Laurel’s Reflections http://laurelsreflections.wordpress.com/
Becoming Herself http://becomingherself.wordpress.com/
Lost in Thought http://lostinthotphotoblog.wordpress.com/
Absurb Old Bird http://absurdoldbird.wordpress.com/
Sparkle Me Zen http://sparklemezen.wordpress.com/
Ai.Me.Be. http://aimebe.wordpress.com/

  This grateful post
encourages all
to make the most
of the links above–
spreading appreciation,
goodwill and love!

Please pay Bodhirose http://bodhirose.wordpress.com/ a visit as soon as possible.  I’m very grateful and flattered to her for this recognition!

For those receiving this award, there are a few rules:

• Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
• Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog (I did 6 because I just had to!).
• Copy and paste the award on your blog.
• Have faith that your followers will link to other bloggers.
• And most of all – blog to your heart’s delight!

Liebster means beloved in German. The goal of the Liebster Blog Award is to spotlight well deserving blogs so that others may also discover them.

No need to pass this on if you do not want to.  To borrow directly from Bodhirose, “I always feel that these awards are meant to be an honor and not a bother.  I am grateful for being acknowledged and hope you are too.“

Sharing our true selves is a wonderful thing…