Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest,
but who came and never left your side.
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I have this peculiar habit of comparing people to trees. Growing up I familiarized myself with the characteristics of trees and how much contribution they make to the planet. Like people there are trees who are majestic, regal, strong and beautiful. There are also trees that are trashy, are good for a number of years and then it's better to chop them down. So it was with naive and childlike belief that when we moved out of the city into the suburbs I felt so rich for my Mother planted so many trees and they were beautiful, bountiful and strong trees. I am wrong to think I was naive. It was not naive after all, of me to compare people to trees and to consider trees as treasures.
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In the blogs there are a few awards that I am very proud to have created or collaborated with their creation but mostly I felt it was a great honor and privilege to have done so. Two of these awards are symbolized by trees, namely, the oak tree. The Renee Award which Bella Sinclair and I created for phenomenal woman Renee, symbolized by the acorn and then there is the Quercus lobata, majestic and largest of western oaks which I used for The Bella Sinclair Award for sisterhood and friendship.
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I have achieved "blog nirvana", a term coined by Bella where I blog for mere pleasure and without pressure and have achieved my goals. Words mean a lot to me therefore I am careful with my attributions. I have, since I coined the term "sisterfriend" on Blog Sister Day which coincides with "No Housekeeping Day", carefully addressed or think of only seven bloggers as sisterfriends, even though I have blogged for three years.
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So today I am planting another tree. The Quercus shumardii or Shumard Oak. It is a handsome large tree with straight axis and broad, rounded open crown. It withstands strong hurricane winds, extreme heat, is tall and straight and just plain beautiful. It fits it's honoree, my dearest sisterfriend Deborah, poet, friend, not just a mother but a soldier's mother too. Oh, the sleepless nights, the anxiety and worries, yet she is perpetually pleasant and cheerful, kind and gentle, diplomatic and tactful. She exudes courage, hope and faith. To her son Pfc. Ryan and his fellow soldiers: I am grateful to you for making it possible for me to blog freely, sleep soundly and speak openly. Thank you! I stand by your mother and hold her hand as she awaits your safe return home.
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Deborah, the honor is mine. You have enriched my life in such a short period of time. You inspire me and encourage me. Thank you very much!
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I have more trees to plant but rest assured those who have virtual trees and acorns planted and distributed in their honor have one common virtue, they are loyal friends regardless of race, creed, political affiliations and geography. Here, I honor womanhood and friendship and there is nothing more wondrous a blessing for anyone than for a friend who came and never left your side. Someone like Deborah.
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You have those friends, please share this award with them. For starters I would like to give this award to:
.and my dearest Deborah!
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Thank you all for making my blog experience meaningful and fun! Please congratulate Deborah and share the award with your circle of wonderful, loving and loyal friends!
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The Oaks Of BlogWorld (3)
Oh. My. Goodness. I can feel the blood draining out of my brain, out of my arms... **swoons**
ReplyDeleteI am so honored that I am left speechless. I now sound like Porky Pig saying dadadadadadats all folks! I LoVe that you put the nut in there...very fitting! Oh Ces, you are just so lovely. You add Joy to every day for me, your art excites me and inspires me and makes me feel more alive. I am ever so happy and honored to call you my sisterfriend. A year ago when I started blogging, I was searching for human connection, specifically with women, looking for my lost sister...the one I never had. You were more than with the wait. **kisskiss** Deb
Oh no, please don't let your blood drain out of your brain! I love your brain! Mental Ninjas should keep the blood flowing on their brains!
ReplyDeleteThe honor is mine Deborah. I was born with five sisters and blessed with a few more. I love them all.
What a wonderful award Ces! I am most honoured to be enbraced by its voluminous branches. As always, it is a beautiful work of art and the acorn is so cute I could wish I were piglet.
ReplyDeleteThank you my dear friend.
Ces you always make me laugh. But this time you made me cry.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful and I love that you have made this award for Deborah. She is everything you said she is and I know that she will be over the moon.
I love it and the art is magnificent.
You are a true sisterfriend.
Love Renee xoxo
Yes, Deborah deserves it very much so! She is beautiful and truly a giving soul. Arija my dearest, you are oak to the core and you are my friend. You will love Deborah!
ReplyDeleteRenee my love! Aah I made you cry. It won't be long, you'll be saying "shit" to me again. Oops, this is Deborah's day. No swearing!
I'm sitting here almost in tears; the meaning of the award, and above all else, a story I have not shared.
ReplyDeleteOn my mothers side of the family (and there are none left but me), there was a long tradition of passing on to anyone marrying or as an anniversary gift, something with an acorn. I don't know if there was once a family crest to associate this with? Or were we all just nuts....
I have only two items left; a bone sewing kit carved in the shape of an acorn and an elaborate silver jewelry box; acorn shaped with a bird atop to open it.
Ces, this is so absolutely perfect.
You must have seen something in me that I had not thought of in ages.....
I thank you!!!!
I have tomorrow's post up; I want to save this for a post all it's own, day after tomorrow.
Bless you my dear, thank you, and this is so very special!
XXOO!!
Anne
Oh, Ces, this makes me cry. How do I deserve an award like this?!? I so admire Deborah - her strength, her grace and her wonderful sense of humor! And I admire you! I hope I can live up to be a true sisterfriend! I certainly consider you to be mine!! Love, Silke
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your art is amazing as always!!
Thank you so much dear Ces, I am so honored to be included in this group of women and you make me feel special :) I just want you to know in on of the Art House Project the theme was Everyone We Know and my book was Everyone We Know Is Like A Tree. Great minds, right? :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh! Ces..... twin sisterfriend! I have tears in my eyes! This has made my night ..... and day!!
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect..... Deborah is perfect!! I'm so lucky to have met her and she deserves this.... big time! Congrats Deb!!!
Your award is fabulous!!
Merci Ces!!!
xoxo
Cesalicious, please give this award to yourself!!! I am never going to sleep tonight! I am still so excited.
ReplyDeleteI just printed it, 8 x 10!!! I think I will make 100 copies and post them all around my house! Oh, and a badge for me to wear!
ReplyDeleteces, i am sobbing like a fool. you are such a special twin sister friend and i am so honored. this is a gorgeous award. beautiful work. u amaze me in so many ways ces.
ReplyDeletei lov ya and i am now going to stop over to meet deborah.
xxoxoxoxoxoxxolin
Anne, what a beautiful story and a rich tradition. No wonder you love oak and acorns. I don't know, sometimes we just meet the right people and whether it is destined or pre-ordained, I am not going to question it any longer. I am just so delighted that I get the chance to share a few minutes a day with briliant and fantastic, gifted women!
ReplyDeleteOh Silke! You fill me with joy, you incredible artist - you!
Oh Val, if great minds mean that I share a small space with you, Oh my gosh, I am so honored! Thank you.
AAAAAAHHHH! There you are my twin sisterfriend who pings me to the very core with her magnificent fabulous art!
Deborah, I have the original art. It is surprisingly an ATC - A ThankYou Card! but it is double matted on an 8x10 mat and it will be my honor to send it to you. Haha! I have the nursery! Hehhehe.
Linda my Gemini dearest sisterfriend! Wait! Manon is Gemini too so we are the Gemini triplet sisterfriends! Hahaha! Don't cry - yet. Heheheh.
Allegra wants to thank you for this lovely award but she is way too dizzy to do anything like reading or writing so she asked me to let you know that she loves the award, totally undeserved but greedily accepted. I'm sure she will tell you more when she gets back on her feet.
ReplyDeleteShe asked me to tell you that she loves you and that you are her sister friend.
Barry
Oh my heavens CES!!!! you are amazing and always so thoughtful to appreciate your friendships..and that is why they are all so special.....
ReplyDeleteThe words here brought a tear to my eye...and joy to my heart that I am one of your friends....
Thank you so much for the honor!!!! you always make us feel special and that is truly a gift to be appreciated....
Bless your heart!!!
Hugs
Diana
Trees are living treasures to be sure Ces and as you know each and every birdie needs a treasure such as this. I'll be gratefully planting this one to provide shade for my feathered friends over on my sidebar. Tsup*!*
ReplyDeleteCongrats and waves to Deborah.
You are welcome sweet Diana! I hope you were not surprised!
ReplyDeleteBimbimbie, yes another majestic tree and down here which is up here to you, the Shumard oak is home to sevral birds!
Oh my goodness. Deborah, congratulations!!! To be the inspiration for a Ces award is one of the greatest honors ever received. Everything she says about you is true. You stand tall, more than just physically. You are strong. You are beautiful. You breathe life and joy into everyone who meets you. You are an oak.
ReplyDeleteAnd Ces, my dearest Sisterfriend. Thank you, than you for sharing this beautiful treasure with me. I shall cherish it completely and forever.
xoxo
Seven of them, I am so excited to see the rest.
ReplyDeleteYou make our day when you do this you know.
love Renee xoxo
Haha . thank you . she who doesn't email often enough! Wicked woman. But I do like being compared to an oak although lately I feel a little Willowy, pushed in all directions by a hostile wind. Thank you gorgeous and that illustration is fabulous. It looks like it's recovering from a downpour. Love you too. Take care you mad woman! I drop acorns on your bonce! It is fall over there isn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh shooooie, Ces. Now you've done it. Here I am, sitting at my desk sniffing and hiccuping and.... grinning like a fool. That you counted me - ME! - amongst your amazing, wonderful, interesting, inspiring, funny, multi-talented and big-hearted sisterfriends is an accolade absolutely second to none. Thank you, thank you darling Cesarino, from the very heart of me. I shall go and plant the seed-acorn of that magnificent tree on my blog and watch it grow strong and tall...and remember at all times that this was created for a friend by a friend. The message it contains holds such enormous resonance for all of us, and particularly for mothers - such as your lovely sisterfriend Deborah with whom we gratefully share this wonderful badge of honour - who have sons and daughters who face danger every day in order to keep us free.
ReplyDeleteI send hugs around the globe..across the that sky we all share..to every person who is named a recipient of your Deborah Award. Most of all, I send my love to you, Ces. Thank you.
OH Ces, My sister, my friend, How sweet and I am so honored. You are such a woman! As my jewish grandma would say, " Such A Woman" It's such blessing to have you in my life and I love you so. you know how special you are to me??? Thanks for thinking of me. I'm going to post it on next week. I'm n the middle of a wedding and doing makeup for it so I will be working. Love you so much,
ReplyDeleteYour sister
V
Dearest Bella, she who inspired me from the very beginning to get out of the rut and hold a pigment pen, you are my first ever sisterfriend but your love is so contagious and overwhelming I just could not contain it so I must share! Thank you. The honor is mine.
ReplyDeleteRenee, yes I thought of seven and everyday my world keeps on getting bigger and expanding, I cannot cope, I am overwhelmed - I only have one hand, one heart and one brain - oh it seems the heart is getting bigger but the hand is weakkening and the brain is shrinking.
ACK! Don't tell the whole world Baino my dear! I know! I know! Email and me are not the best of friends but I promise to do better. One of these days, I will write you an email worthy of Baino's eyes...or do you want me to forward those chain emails? Hahahahah! I think not. Tsup!
Oh Tessa your words resonante in my mind throughout the day. Is there such an oak that is an eloquent and graceful oak? One that does stand so quietly but when she moves she is in full Autumn splendor even in the hottest of places, because that is who you are!
Oh my dearest sisterfriend Queen V. My goodness, your highness you are always so busy. "Such a Woman" is you too!Yah! I love love you (yes double love, so there!) I say soooo!
This post is truly beautiful and heartfelt! I am so amazed by your fabulous artwork and kind words- I love it! I hate to cry first thing in the morning but this time it was so worth it. Congrats to all! They deserve it, as do you.
ReplyDeleteTo sisterhood.....
xo-jj
Good Morning my Dearest!!! I am still riding high on Deborah Day! Apparently I need spellcheck on the comment box...that line was supposed to be: You were more than WORTH the wait. DUH.
ReplyDelete**floats away on a cloud of Joy**
Deb
Yes! It is oak!!! And no, I had not thought of it. That is our original dining room table...oak is Forever. And so are sisterfriends.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to compare people to trees. I will enjoy visiting some of your friends here in blogland. Wishing you a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited. I should have known that my Bella was looking out for me, while you just tossed my moleskin under the bus. (Notice the use of my.)
ReplyDeleteLove Renee xoxo
Dear Ces you leave that moleskin right where it is, it is resting. And it wants your hand to rest too.
ReplyDeleteI love so many things about you that if I had to type them all I would basically run out of words.
xoxo
Oooeeey wooeey smooeey Auntie Ces!
ReplyDeleteGramma is going to pee her pants (that is good in our house)
You are the best Auntie Ces, my gramma is a good lady and she loves you very much!!!
And so do I!
love,
Madi
The Quercus Society Of Blogworld! I LoVe it! A little quirky too!
ReplyDeleteMy dear Ces! I've been thinking about this award all day - I just feel so honored to be counted among these many extraordinary ladies!
ReplyDeleteToday, I had to do my weekly post about The Joy Diet, but tomorrow, this award is getting a post all of its own, the way it should be!!
Thanks again, sisterfriend!! Love, Silke
Today I can say thank you myself and honestly add that what B.Loved wrote last night was a true statement as I dictated. I don't believe I deserve this award but my greedy little self will take it and run before you change your mind.
ReplyDeleteThank you love; you know that even if I am rather quiet these days I love you and I do miss our chats. This too shall pass and hopefully we will continue to talk and laugh together soon. Hugs from me, who can only give a hug over the ether these days...sigh.
Ces, Ces, I dont know where to start! How about I think your blog should be "The Incredible Ces and Her Beautiful Trees" *and* you pegged it, Ms. Lovely, Ms. Deborah is all that and a swag of eucalyptus for the soul too! And so are you!
ReplyDeleteWith all the blog love today I think i am a weeping willow :-)(but its a happy weep)
XOXOXOXOXOXO
I am a new blogger so I'm still getting to know everyone. Ces,I am so honored, surprised, tickled to be included with these remarkable women!
ReplyDeleteWow! I can never get enough of your incredible art and words. Thank you so much! xxoo Lisa
Ces, you continue to humble me as Anne share this award with me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm late, I'm late!! Last to comment, as usual!! Never enough hours in the day! Ces, I am so very honoured to be sharing this award with these amazing women - you and your art are so amazing and I want to thank you so much for including me. Congrats to Deborah! xx
ReplyDeleteOh I am so excited and what a beautiful, stunning award. I accept with humility and gratitude Ces. Thank you so much. I am off to visit Deborah later. What a lucky lady to be one of your friends and to have her own award. And I am as lucky too. I might go and plant something to celebrate! xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful award and a great idea. I love trees also and often give them names. I love the illustration.
ReplyDelete