I’ve never been nominated for an award on the Blogosphere, nor have I been tagged for a meme. 

Until now.

A few days ago, I was both “nominated” and tagged! (I put nominated in quotes because I don’t think there’s one single winner.) Two big blog-events rolled into one!

Julie Q at Mental Tesserae presented me with this confidence-builder (many thanks, Julie! Does this meme allow tag-backs?), and I’m only just now getting around to doing my part to link to “5 Blogs That Make Me Think.” In a way, I hate doing this because it suggests that I only find these few sites “Thinking Bloggers,” and that is so not true. Many people have offered thoughtful posts that left me pondering their insights for days. Forgive me, those of you who feel slighted. I love you all.

I didn’t even understand the whole thing at first, but Julie explains it well at this post. The original explanation is here. The alien in the header kind of creeps me out. Other than having to limit my tags to five, the header is a major down side. I’m glad it’s small.

So. Here are five–but not the only five–blogs that make me think:

1. My dear friend Jenne makes me think. Her blog is aptly named for this nomination/meme: JenneThink. She’s always made me think; her blog is no exception.
2. DeeDee at FiddleDeeDee is going to fall off her desk chair when she finds out I nominated her for a “Thinking Blogger” award, but I feel that she utilizes outstanding storytelling ability to explore earthy topics (such as this post about an Eyebrow Pimple) in a way that quite often makes me stop in my mental tracks and think about small moments–normal life, real life–and how everyday experiences carry significant meaning. She has me laughing a lot, but also thinking. Really.
3. Well, I wrote about the Blogospheric loss of Jenni’s blog, One Thing, in yesterday’s post about Blessing Bloggers, and I thought I’d just go ahead and tag her blog, even though she said she was shutting it down (but leaving it up–I figured you could browse her archives). I zipped over there to be sure I had the correct link and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a new post! Exactly the kind that makes me want to nominate her as a Thinking Blogger. How about that! Jenni, I’m glad you’re back. I hope it’s for more frequent offerings, but even just that one was a sweet surprise.
4. Mary DeMuth is an author I’ve enjoyed getting to know through her writings and blog, and quite often she throws out a link, thought, poem, or germ of an idea that shoots my mind off in a fresh direction. She’s teaching at a writing conference this week (one that I had hoped to attend but couldn’t, and it’s too long and depressing of a story to launch here…), so her blog may be a little quiet for a few days, but she normally posts often.
5. Well, she’s a popular blogger and probably has tons of nominations for all kinds of blog-awards–she probably doesn’t need another one. Nevertheless, I’m nominating Antique Mommy because she really does make me think. And laugh. And often ties the two together so that I laugh-think, or think-laugh. Something like that.

That’s a start, but there are so many more. Visits to my blogroll will introduce you to lots more Thinking Bloggers.

That’s all I must do to complete my Thinking Blogger nomination/tag requirement. 

At least, I think it is.