Had a headache all night and woke up with it this morning. Bummer. 😦

Going through the emails and suddenly “WT….?!”, I find that a blogging friend of mine, Lennon Carlyle, has included me in the list of blogs she nominated for the “One Lovely Blog Award”. Are you kidding me?!

Like her I’m not really in to these things, but it is always nice to feel appreciated and to know that people do care about us, like what we scribble and how we present our thoughts and experiences, so here goes …

To start with, the rules in order to accept a nomination:

1. Link the person that nominated you to this entry/post.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Nominate some of your favorite bloggers.

Well #1 is easy! Fabulous With Glitches is Lennon’s blog and I look forward to reading all her posts. She not only gets me thinking but she really does care about her readers, and that’s something I truly appreciate. If you’ve not visited her blog before then hit her up, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. 🙂

#2. Huh?! … Are there seven things about me??? Not sure if these are meant to be “new” revelations or not, but here goes …

1. I’ve lived North, East, South and West in the UK … Grew up in Reading, moved to Norfolk, then Wales, now Scotland.
2. I LOVE dogs. I mean REALLY love dogs! … (quick story) … Some years back I spent a few months working on the computers at an animal rescue centre. My office was above the reception area and the tea machine was down in reception so I’d be forever going through there to “top up”. Already of a mind to adopt a suitable little companion I went down for another brew one day and as I opened the door to the reception a trembling little pup in a basket in a corner at the back cowered down. Cue very large “Awwwwwwwww!”. “Oh, don’t go near her.”, said the head receptionist, “She’s been mistreated and is scared of tall men, she’ll probably bite.” … Well, if she’s scared of “tall” men what’s the best thing to do? … I immediately got down on all fours, head lowered, sad eyes, and with lots of “What’s up baby?” and similar loving remarks shuffled slowly across the floor and laid alongside her. After a few moments more of “You’re safe now, nobody’s going to hurt you” she slowly lifted her head a little, reached forward, and tentatively gave me a long kiss on the cheek. I had her for 12 years and we were inseparable. Love you forever, my little Anna.
3.  Stephen Fry is the funniest person on the planet!
4. I can’t stand “Reality TV”. Give me University Challenge, The Sky At Night, or a good documentary about the Incas.
5. Lifelong supporter and former match sponsor of Reading FC. “Come on you Royals!” (Yes, girls can love football too!)
6. Satin is the most mind-bogglingly awesome material.
7. If I were to win the big one on the Lottery I’d want to visit every country in the world, in alphabetical order because I love flying (and airports) so much.

#3, the nominations.

This is a tricky one because I wouldn’t want people I don’t include to feel hurt. Just know that if your name isn’t on the list it doesn’t mean I don’t like you or your blog, I’m just not the best at this sort of thing and could probably list 40 or so blogs without too much difficulty.

If you’ve been nominated for this before then please excuse me, I’m just another fawning admirer of your blog. 😉

• Danny. My love, my strength. I only realised the other day that his blog wasn’t in my “follow” list because I was going there automatically every morning to see if he’d posted. Guess what … I’m still doing that. Duh! https://danielwolfsong.wordpress.com/
• Sandi, The Ghost. As open and honest about her journey as I hope I am about mine.  https://theghostsjourney.wordpress.com/
• Hanna McKnight. Her little cartoons are so cute, she’s out there big time and is an inspiration. (She’s absolutely gorgeous too!) https://hannahgotta.wordpress.com/
• Eleanor Burns. A lovely lady who’s at a similar place with her transition as I am. Her blog is a subtle blend of gut reactions and considered analysis, which I like. https://burnseleanor21.wordpress.com/
• Lizzie Holmes. Informative analysis on LGBT issues and a great read. Oh, that I could write so eloquently.  https://unconditionalequality.wordpress.com/

So there we are, just a few of the blogs that help me through my days and help to boost my confidence on this scary path. Pop along to any of the others on my follow list and you’ll find similar uplifting and thought provoking writings from people who really care and want to spread positive words about transgender lives and issues and maybe some who, like myself, just need a little support along the way from time to time.

“Being” female and treading the path to, hopefully, a female body and life as a woman at the end of the day are two entirely separate things. The first is easy because it’s how I am and how, despite the years of denial, I’ve always been. The second is a long and arduous journey, but one which is made a little easier by being part of a community of open and caring people with love in their hearts.

Time for a sandwich and Finasteride. Have a great day y’all. 🙂