LIGHTHEARTED AWARDS FOR DESPERATE TIMES

Wherever you turn, things look desperate. Be it bankers’ bountiful bonuses or plentiful pension pots, aporkalyptic swine flu predictions or politicians’ unedifying ethics - or simply the runaway recession. Here in Spain, for instance, where unemployment is the highest in Europe (4 million and counting;17% of the workforce), some Spaniards have even reportedly resorted to selling their kidneys just to make ends meet. Yes, we’re all on our way to hell in a handcart…

Or are we? Amongst all the gloom, there are often a few rays. Such as Major Phil Packer who, though horribly disabled in Basra, managed to complete the recent London Marathon in 13 days for charity. Philip Hollobone, the UK's most frugal MP, who commutes the four-hour round trip to Westminster in a standard-class train seat ("because there's no need to travel first class") and who last year spent just £400 out of a possible £100,205 on staff. And, of course, who could forget Susan Boyle…?

And in the same vein, hopefully, the following awards may provide a lighthearted moment or two as well…

The award (which I was given by the delightful ModernMom at How To Survive Life in the Suburbs is for RECENTLY discovered blogs and, like all similar blog awards, is useful because it introduces wonderful new blogs to a wider readership.

So regrettably I have to EXCLUDE those esteemed fellow bloggers I’ve known now for a little while (most of whom have already been garlanded with well-deserved awards) such as (in particular): Tania and Sarah of Backwards, Lucy Fishwife of Life happens between Books, Charlie Circus of So Lovely, Miss Whistle of Whistling and, also on the West Coast (of Canada), Pinklea. All beautifully written blogs.

In fact, all those listed on the sidebar deserve award after award but I’m restricted to just 10. (Stop gushing and get on with it. Ed.) So, ripping open the shiny, sealed envelope on the blogosphere podium, I momentarily pause (for drumroll and swig of whisky from artfully concealed hipflask) before reading out the nominations (in no particular order):

Dustjacket Attic
In An Ideal World
She Means Well, But...
A Country Dream
From Donuts To Delirium: My Life as a Housewife
The Vintage Kitten
Suzys Vintage Attic
French Charming
Chronically Vintage
French Fancy

The Rules:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who’s given it plus his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 10 other blogs that you’ve recently discovered. And contact the bloggers to let them know they've been chosen for this award.

Happy reading everyone!