1000 Anniversary Candles

On the 31st of July 2013, vic briggs ~ a writer adrift ~ took to the blogosphere and Shards Of Silence was born. 

Earlier today I received a message from WordPress informing me that my blog now has a following of 1000 (1011 followers to be exact).

I know that to the mega-bloggers on the internet, with tens of thousands of followers – and some of whom I follow myself  – this may appear a relatively small achievement. Nonetheless, I am also certain that they will remember their elation at first reaching this magical number. (Wish you had told me that it befuddles first!)

1,000 Followers!

Congratulations on getting 1,000 total follows on vic briggs.

I could not believe my eyes. 

Having long abandoned following the stats, and given my extended absence from the community, I expected a drop in followers rather than the reverse.

So to all of you, who have been here with me from the very beginning and to all new followers too: a very BIG thank you. 

The truth is that whether you are an active commentator and regular visitor on Shards of Silence or whether you come by rarely, or are amongst the silent number: your support is invaluable.

It helps me weather the difficult times and compels me to be creative so that every single visit would bring something of worth to your day: from humour and entertainment to poetry and art, and thinking through some difficult topics. 

I endeavour to be the best I can be in the moment, and strive – for your sake and my own – to always do better. 

So thank you for being here with me!

Warm Regards,

Vic

One Lovely Blog Award

I would like to offer my thanks to Anna Marple for her kind addition of the One Lovely Blog Award to this shardy’s accolades. Thank you for brightening the blogosphere and for inviting me along on your journey. Given that I have been away for quite a while, it is both an honour and a delight to be welcomed back with such warmth. While I feel undeserving of the spotlight, I will always aim to make your visits worthwhile.

 

Now for the award. Here are the guidelines for the One Lovely Blog Award:

• You must thank the person who nominated you for the award;
• you must add the One Lovely Blog Award logo to your post, your blog or both;
• you must share 7 facts about yourself;
• and lastly, you must nominate 15 bloggers who you admire and consider “lovely.” Let the nominees know they have been nominated by commenting on their blogs.

7 Facts about yours truly:

1. I have Mad Hatter eyes. What are those, you may ask? Take a peek at Jonny Depp’s impersonation of that character and you won’t be very far from the truth.

2. As a child I got some first-hand experience in the tobacco industry: those nimble little fingers came in handy when sewing leaves onto threads, ready to be dried.

3. To this day, I have lived in, visited or travelled around 30 countries in addition to the one where I was born.

4. At the moment I am in the US, engaged and befuddled by all things American.

5. I love theatre and have even tried my leg as an extra in a West End production (leg still intact and going strong).

6. The old and war make me melancholy. Put the two together and I am bound to tear up.

7. My blog will be celebrating its first year anniversary in a couple of days’ time. Where has the time flown?!  

My nominees for One Lovely Blog Award

(If you are not amongst their number, it is not because I do not think your blog equally lovely. It is always difficult to choose and I hope to add you to my next list of awards – I have quite a few to add to their number)

Congratulaltions to:

Is it just me? for important trivia, well crafted stories and excellent conversation.

Sugar-coating since ’91 for life experience and snippets of inspiring art.

psychologistmimi for food, road trips and everything else that travel can gift.

Ivy Mosquito | Liberating My Creative Soul for a slice of peace, nature, photography, crafts… Need I say more?

Musing Off the Mat to regain your sense of wonder and love of simplicity.

Traversing Lines for a commuter’s haven.

The Bohemian Rock Star’s “Untitled Project” for literary fiction and photography.

It Goes On for insights on mental health and how to keep one step ahead of the darkness.

Icezine for a meeting of English and French curiosities: dream-think-protect-live.

Business over Coffee (newly arrived) visit for a cup of coffee and words for thought.

Find Your Passion for a little inspiration and a lift.

SoulFood for recipes and life lessons.

A Bowl of Cherries for a survivor’s tale and bright photography.

From Hiding to Blogging for a journey into Xi’an and essays on the essence of life.

A glimpse of paradise for a photographer’s view of the enchanting.

 

With warm regards,

Vic 

It’s raining… awards

Recognition from one’s peers has a special significance not only because the awards are seldom expected. They are also a reminder that we are part of a community, a fellowship, a family of writers if you will, and that our efforts have not gone unnoticed. It is for this reason in part that I have postponed accepting the awards I’ve been nominated for of late: I wanted to give them the attention I felt they deserved and pass them on to those of you who have been brightening the blogosphere for me and many others.

Unfortunately, it will be a while still before I am able to do as I wish on that front. There is a long list of fellow bloggers I would like to thank for nominating me for a plethora of awards since… January, and unfortunately I’m yet to locate quite a number of these amongst comments on older posts (I know you are out there somewhere). So… before the same fate befalls my spring awards, I will intercede with this acknowledgement in hopes of returning with individual acceptance and nomination posts in the near future.

Alienora, thank you for your generous spirit and relentless support of others  and thank you too for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award.

I was touched by AlyGeorges‘ nomination for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Thank you, Aly and I hope you know that your messages never fail to inspire.

Thank you, Don for the Butterfly Light Award, for the Inner Peace Award and the Angel Award. Hope I haven’t forgotten any of them. The new designs are very good fun too: soon there will be no unCharismatic awards on WordPress 😉

A big thank you to Ivy for the I Am Part Of The WordPress Family Award. It will be very difficult to decide on a limited number for this particular award. How does one choose?

Although insofar as I understand the rules of the Liebster Award,  my blog no longer qualifies for it, I am thankful to Anne for thinking of me, and may pass the award along anyways. It is always a delight to try and find new bloggers out there.

Many thanks to you all, and I will do my best to pass these awards on to many deserving bloggers before long.

Warm regards,

Vic

Shauny Award for Blogging Excellence

A warm thank you to William, a blogger with “A Curious Mind”, for nominating me for this award. William’s tagline: “We Need To Open Our Eyes To The World Around Us!” is indicative of the wide range of topics he blogs about. From life and humanity to corruption and government, from spirituality and consciousness to health and wellness, from science and art to a little of everything else, no subject is safe from the reach of his curiosity. This certainly we have in common. 

The Rules  are quite straightforward:

Show Humanity, Show Love, Be Yourself, Don’t Be Others, Don’t Gossip,

and Share This Award with 10 others.

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There are so many bloggers on WordPress deserving of this award, so that narrowing down to only ten is the most difficult part of accepting the Shauny Award for Blogging Excellence. 

Each and every one of my nominees for this award has shown humanity and love, have embraced who they are and endeavour to help others do the same. A big thank you for being you:

Alana Munro – Let’s Support And Inspire Each Other!

BLEEDING  My EMOTIONS: “Priceless Joy”

Don Charisma! “Because anything is possible with Charisma”

The Seeker’s Dungeon: “The Mist is thick but Your light is strong, so we keep on keeping on.”

A Good Blog Is Hard To Find: “I will shatter a word and scatter the contents into the wind to share it with the world.”

Milford Street: “Exploring the world from my little corner of it.”

Lessons in French: “Life is a journey that can often be as challenging and confusing as learning a foreign language. We all are longing for complete fluency and these are some of my lessons in conversing with life”

Austen’s Guide To Happiness “and the accumulation of universal truths.”

Speaking Of Marriage Winifred M. Reilly, M.A., MFT

A Mom’s Blog: “A child is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”

The Harshad Number

How time flies!

This old friend… and even older enemy: Time. I did ask for it to slow down, wait a moment or two, but no… It continues its onward flight unrelenting. And although our relationship is somewhat strained at present, this New Year’s eve we patched things up over vol-au-vents and champagne. Couldn’t refuse really. Not after the wonderful gift it offered.

On the 31st of December 2013, shardsofsilence celebrated its five month blogniversary with the arrival of a Harshad number: the big 500.

The word “Harshad” comes from the Sanskrit harṣa – meaning joy – and da – meaning to give. Namaste 🙂

It is rather wonderful that the meaning of the number corresponded exactly to my feelings on the occasion. You have – each and everyone of you – brought joy and sunshine to my journey. Thank you!

Thank you for your thoughtful comments and feedback, for your warmth and generosity, for your kind welcome and continued support. It’s been a pleasure to be here with you and I look forward to a new joyful year at your side.

With best wishes and warm regards,

Vic

Congratulations on getting 500 total follows on vic briggs.

‘Tis the Season to be Nominated!

His name is. His name is. His name is.

Don Charisma!

He loves the bloggers and the bloggers love him,

So much that he invented a new award theme.

He’s part engineer, dive instructor and meditator too,

But one hundred per cent phoenix. Cheers, Don, and thank you!

🙂

Five things I love about blogging:

Meeting You – Being free to create and invent – Finding inspiration in the most unusual of places – Learning something new every day – Chasing the Muse and then running away from her whenever she comes around 😉

My nominees:

Taylor J.   He is so much more than a photographer. He is an artist and had I the means, I would buy out his entire collection. Stunning is an understatement. If you are a photographer or not, The Photography Lie article is a great place to begin.

 Bea’s BulgingButtons who’s Simple Things bring a smile to my day and I rather enjoy being Spoiled Rotten every now and then too.

Erik Lehman is a fellow writer and his steamy prose (fragments of his Daughters of the Rose series are now available on his blog) will make for nice fire-side reading this festive season.

lindaghill is a wonderful writer. She will make you laugh, she will make you cry, and will always have a kind word for you. Her Boy Series – One through… is quite something – emotion streams from every line.

There is a lot more to find of interest on A Cup Of English Tea‘s blog, but her article “A Most Unjust Representation: Life as a Hufflepuffist” made me laugh so much that I can’t recommend it enough. Harry Potter fans, this one’s for you –  delivered by owl post on Christmas Day. 😉

Nina Kaytel and I have been exchanging Creative Writing Tips and Applications of late. She is an incredibly generous writer, both with her knowledge and time and I’m very glad to be on this journey alongside her.

Andy Kaufman’s Kavalkade Krew – My home for music and humour on WordPress. Kavalkade has been very diligent in chronicling the adventures of British spook 009 (I’m a master of disguise it would appear and the owner of many a secret agent hats – 007, M and Q have their hands full with this elusive Krew.

Every time I return to her about page, I am once again struck by the beauty of this phrase: “My memories are my identity,” says alygeorges. This blog-come-memoir memoirs of aly (the way i see it). hopes to motivate others and “help them understand that there’s so much to life than just resigning oneself to misery.” 

For SIM | ANTICS writing is a cathartic experience, a medium to express her emotions. Sounds familiar? For many of us blogging is the equivalent of keeping an online diary and this is why I believe her blog will resonate with you.

Swivel Freely for A Bit of Cheer from a humorous swiveller who’s been an active member of The Human Race™ since 1996. She’s been “mostly hanging out in the North American continental area, so if you stop by, we should totally connect!”

love o’clock‘s collection of short films are certainly worth a visit. They are so sweet that I’m sure she coats them in icing sugar before posting. Her blog is filled with… love, actually. 🙂

Richard Anker’s blog is a place for writing, poems and dreams. His recent posts have been rather Christmasy and I’m sure they’ll bring sparkle to your holiday season. Here are a few you are sure to like: Christmas Lights, Distant Christmas, Christmas Eve and Little Heart ( The Story of the Christmas Fairy)

If you have ever stepped on a bus or any other public transport, then sweetness6645‘s  Chronicles of a Public Transit User blog is for you. I’ll let her tell you all about her adventures herself, and of course, she’s been agent 6645 on Twitter of late, helping me – aka 009 – chase the Krew to the four corners of the world.

Rob’s Surf Report will entertain you with snippets of Life, Music, Humour and if you’re craving a little poetry and some more prose then perhaps you would like to indulge in his Fiction and Haiku collection too!

Scarlet. She writes with such honesty about her life’s story that whatever your own take on the oldest profession, you will struggle not to be charmed. She reminds me of how important it is to never give up on oneself and the world, no matter how tough the going gets.

I know that chrisnelson61 is rather reluctant to accept awards, however… I would like to take this opportunity to share with you his poetry – of late melancholy, but beautiful nonetheless: Without You.

There are many more of you I would love to nominate for this award. Time, I’m afraid is not my friend and if I spend much longer of this eve on WordPress I will risk being ostracised for all eternity from the family pack so I will have to leave you with the above nominees and wish you a wonderful morning – day – evening wherever you are 🙂

Directions for you to accept the The Inventive Blogger Award

1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the The Inventive Blogger Award.

2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen- there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required- and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.

3. Include in your blog post *FIVE* things that you enjoy about blogging.

4. Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them- (please don’t alter the instructions or the badge!)

5. Come over and say hello to the originator of the “The Inventive Blogger Award” via this link: http://DonCharisma.org/2013/12/24/christmas-awards-the-inventive-blogger-award

6. And as a winner of the award- please add a link back to the blog that presented you with this award, and then proudly display the award on your blog.

BOTY Star Struck Season

If only there were 48 hours in a day! It’s taken me a very long time to give my thanks to those wonderful bloggers who have nominated shardsofsilence for the Blog of the Year Award not once, not twice, not even thrice. Thirteen nominations from seven bloggers!

Thank you!

While BOTY has six stars to collect, it looks like I have a beautiful constellation to bring starlight to the holidays. 

So… my apologies for the delay and hope you are all enjoying a wonderful festive season.

A big thank you to Bea BulgingButtons for a double nomination. Yupee! Her resourcefulness reminds me to appreciate the Simple Things in life, although there are times when you’ll be Spoiled Rotten on her blog.  Choices-choices!

***

Many thanks to Zainab who chronicles her son’s adventures in heart-warming prose on A mom’s blog. She wrote and illustrated Nadir and Incy Wincy Spider as well as Nadir and the snake. Feel like a child once again 🙂

***

Don and I had met a couple of months ago when we both guest blogged on HarsH ReaLiTy and discovered that we share a love of dragons amongst other things. , “because anything is possible with Charisma” 😉

I had a flurry of pingbacks from DonCharisma.org earlier today and wondered whether something had gone wrong. Not so.

It appears that Don was so determined I should have all six stars that he nominated shardsofsilence six times just to make sure. Thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you, Don! 

***

Finally, a big thank you to Spartacus2030 who is so prolific a writer that he has two great blogs! You’re sure to find something to your taste on at least one of them.

***

For my own three rounds of nominees, and BOTY rules, please check the Blog Of The Year Award as well as Another Star for the Blog Of The Year Award links, and finally BOTY’s Third Star.

A Happy Holiday Season to You!

Sister Sister

A little while ago a fellow blogger and I were discussing the idea of starting a new award: “The Whiskey Award” – an award with a difference. It would have no obligations and rules attached to it whatsoever. It would be nothing more nor less than the equivalent of having a drink with a fellow journey(wo)man – a little clink of amber to say hello.

Perhaps the Sisterhood award is – with the exception of the rules part – the Whiskey Award’s equivalent: an opportunity to say hello to some brilliant fellow WordPress bloggers.

So… I will start with a toast and a thank you to three wonderful bloggers who have nominated my blog for this award. To Lessons in French, thank you for sharing your lessons in conversation with life. To SIM | ANTICS a big thank you for your many hats 😉 and tongue-in-cheek takes on life, culture and technology. And, finally to Nina Kaytel thank you for the support you offer to all fellow writers on this journey to becoming better versions of ourselves.

~ Ten questions and my answers ~

1. Your favourite colour: Sunset orange.
2. Your favourite animal: I do not have one, but would love to see a platypus.
3. Your favourite non-alcoholic drink: Think — British!
4. Facebook or Twitter: The latter – having a little too much fun impersonating a secret agent. #VB009 if you are curious  😉
5. Your favourite pattern: …cobwebs. 
6. Do you prefer getting or giving presents? I used to spend all my pocket money on Christmas presents for my family. The surprise and delight on their faces: nothing could make me happier.
7. Your favourite number:  Fibonacci.
8. Your favourite day of the week: Is there a full moon? 
9. Your favourite flower: Peonies.
10. What is your passion? To question. To think. To write. To act. To dance. To imagine… If I had only one, I doubt I would’ve made it here 🙂

~ My nominees ~

This is the most difficult part for any award. How does one choose? My nominees are each wonderful in their own way. I will share with you the first line of their latest post for you to get a flavour of their work.

lindaghill  EDDD -11 Feelin’ Bananas: Blog post of December 11th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out!

Idiot Writing A Cup Of Inspiration? t. s all gone and find it nearly full. 13 more words

A Cup Of English Tea A Most Unjust Representation: Life as a Hufflepuffist So most of my good friends know I’m a strong feminist, and I fight to try to end misrepresentations and injustices against women. But what many don’t know is that there is another cause that also sparks my anger when it comes to the obvious inequality that I see in the media and in the world. 1,193 more words

Books, Music, Photography & Movies : my best friends Boys and their toys Does this look like a traffic jam? It sure is. Traffic jam inside a house because of the number of cars, of all sizes, that are trying to vie for attention of my nephew. 30 more words

Chronicles of a Public Transit User Wordless Wednesday #2

AlienoraJT Precious imperfection Can do no wrong? What a strange idea! I love those dear to my heart for their gritty imperfections, their oyster roughness – and the sweet glittering pearls within; I adore, and celebrate, their flawed humanity. 277 more words

Writings of a Mrs Footprints Footprints / Your beauty resides / Subsides the torment of my soul /

DottaRaphels THE PRICE OF EXCELLENCE: This is not a long post, just a comment to my fellow bloggers on WordPress. A little over four months ago, I came across a blogger …

Rarasaur For Fear of Bizarro Gotham City: There’s a new collective blog in town, and we’re keeping it real. It’s my turn, and I decided to share with you a tale of a magic cleaning supply I once created.  71 more words

Jamie Lynne Poetry Unspoken: I think with words unspoken/ Succeed before I start/ I dream with eyes wide open/ And love with all my heart/ It often seems surreal… 132 more words

Drops Of Ink Snow Day Remember back when you were in school, and the snow would start falling? You’d sit anxiously by, waiting to hear those two magical words.. SNOW DAY. 41 more words

She Is NOT A Poet *Insert Relationship Status Here* “Nah, we’re not together, we just talk.” Talk? I guess that’s what we call the “get to know each other” stage now. But these days, everyone gets so far off script somehow. 139 more words

Enjoy xxx

~The Rules ~

1. Provide a link to and thank the blogger who nominated you for this award.
2. Answer ten questions.
3. Nominate 10-12 blogs that you find a joy to read.
4. Provide links to these nominated blogs and kindly let the recipients know they have been nominated.
5. Include the award logo within your blog post.

BOTY’s Third Star

This third star for the Blog Of The Year award comes courtesy of the relentless WordPress troll-hunter, defender of political rights advocate and all around hilarious music DJ, otherwise known as Kavalkade Krew. Thank you!

His own acceptance speech is peppered with tales of secret agents (featuring yours truly as 009, HRM’s crown agent extraordinaire) and is bound to entertain.

For my own two rounds of nominees, and BOTY rules, feel free to check the Blog Of The Year Award as well as Another Star for the Blog Of The Year Award links.

What I love most about this third star is that it comes sprinkled with fairy dust — and its magic can only be worked when sharing it with others. So here is my third round of nominees.

Shawn L. Bird is one eccentric teacher, author, poet, and Rotarian. It would be easier to tell you what you won’t find on her eclectic blog. Here are some of the things on offer: anecdotes, book reviews, Commentary, Grace Awakening, Literature, Monday Meme and Poetry.

gohomeubb Besides writing about Australia’s problem with Racism, this blog approaches the issues of abuse, adoption, depression, humour, and poetry too.

lindaghill‘s life in progress chronicles in moving and insightful snippets some rather complex and difficult relationships through the Boy Series – One through…,

• There is also good advice On Writing and Parenting to be found here, as well as beautiful Poetry. “I write. I observe. And then I write some more. People and their behaviour fascinate me endlessly. I read. A lot. I love to learn.” LGH

“My memories are my identity,” says alygeorges and this is why her blog takes the form of a memoir: memoirs of aly (the way i see it). By sharing her experiences, this free spirit hopes to motivate others and “help them understand that there’s so much to life than just resigning oneself to misery.”

Nina Kaytel‘s blog depicts the journey towards becoming a better writer. You will find here Creative Writing Tips and Applications and her posts reflect some topics that she struggles with. “I hope this blog will be helpful to others as it is to me,” says Nina. Well. I certainly find it very helpful.

“I’m an author and currently working on my first novel. I take inspiration from the writing style of Stephen King, in that I like tale telling that sticks to the subject matter,” says, dawnyhosking. I am always pleased when one of her posts come up. There is a lot of strength and resilience to be found on this blog. Well worth a read.

Some of these blogs are relatively new to me, but I have found in them snippets of wisdom, thoughtful insights, laughter on a lonesome day and always something more to go back for. I hope you will give them a try and see it for yourself.

Another Star for the Blog Of The Year Award

A big thank you to Julie for this kind second nomination for the Blog Of The Year Award. Her alter-ego, The Nocturnal Laundress, chronicles with resilience and beauty some very painful experiences. We are all in need of a good dosage of strength in our daily lives, and you are sure to find it on her blog.

For my nominees and a more detailed account about what this award entails, please follow this link: Blog Of The Year Award.

I would like to take this opportunity and add four more blogs to my original list of nominees.

Speaking of Marriage Relationship trouble? You need go no further, for here you are in the hands of a professional, and very good hands they are too.

I Dont Want To Talk About It That may well be the case, but whenever she does talk about it, it is always worth a listen. Stunning photography, courtesy of a friend, always accompanies her thoughtful commentary.

the drunken cyclist is my personal sommelier 😉 He will entertain you with heart-warming stories of Sebastian and challenge you to a wine quiz or two. If you love your wine, he’s got some great recommendations, and always adding to the list.  

The Mirror where you will be navigating through beautiful poetry, humorous and controversial posts, but also some very thoughtful musings.