Thanks for the compliment

It’s always fun to be “picked,” and even more fun when the compliment comes from someone you’ve never met but with whom you share a bond. I am honored that Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here enjoys The Family Curator and has tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger Award, and I was especially delighted to learn that Leslie Ann is an Idaho girl, I am too if only in my heart.

In keeping with the spirit of the Award, here are seven things readers may not know about me —

1. I lived in Moscow, Idaho for three years and still miss the rolling Palouse hills.
2. I won First Prize for my home-canned salsa at the Latah County Fair.
3. I love icy cold glass bottles filled with fresh milk and a cup of cream at the top.
4. I have designed counted-cross-stitch patterns for national magazines.
5. I have made soap from lye and dye from fruit and vegetables.
6. I live in the second largest city in the United States.
7. I wish my city ordinance allowed backyard chickens in my neighborhood.

Many wonderful blogs are already wearing this badge, so I challenged myself to seek out young blogs (less than six months old) worthy of being named Kreativ. In my quest, I found —

1. Stephen Mills is writing about funeral and mourning customs at A Land of Deepest Shade. His articles thus far have featured poignant photographs and compelling narrative. I’m looking forward to reading more at this site.
2. It’s great fun to find a new voice with old stories, like Lavinia Schwarz at Hacienda Circle. Monday Maps are just one of her topics. You have to love a lady who writes about her ancestor, “I love my men, but I adore our grandmothers.” Keep writing, Vinnie!
3. Astrid is documenting her Norwegian and Italian genealogical work at Of Trolls and Lemons, a very creative blog name itself. I especially enjoyed her Treasure Chest Thursday post detailing her grandmother’s jewelry and the stories each piece tells. I hope we hear more from Astrid.
4. I’m a sucker for word-play, and A Multitude of-sens promises to be a clever blog to follow. Tracy writes “I’ve got Christensens, Johnasens, Petersens, Olsens…”  She has been posting regularly for Tombstone Tuesday, with other interesting topics in-between. I didn’t know about The Locator, did you?
5. The Professional Descendent researches Scottish ancestors and writes on a variety of topics at her blog of the same name. Don’t miss Dead Woman Walking, the photograph and story of photo enhancement before Photoshop.
6. I love finding a blog that moves my own research forward, so thank you thank you to Angela who is writing What Was Their Story. I do have Missouri ancestors who have been difficult to locate, and her tip about the Missouri Digital Heritage is a great resource.
7. Polly Fitzgerald Kimmitt is a busy writer, working on projects for a local online newspaper and keeping up with her new blog, PollyBlog. The tag line explains quite a bit: How to Juggle Genealogy and Life. I look forward to some great ideas here, as well as more beautiful document photographs and careful transcriptions.