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Too Much Love?

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I guess when you have to complain about an overabundance of love, you don't have too much to complain about.

As Erik of Executive Pagan commented recently, the world of Pagan bloggers "is a mini-community." This makes me particularly happy, as one of the editors of Metapagan, since my purpose in contributing to that project has been to encourage the kind of blogging community I see in the Quaker community, thanks to Martin Kelley and the editors at Quaker Quaker.

I would like to thank the bloggers who nominated Quaker Pagan Reflections for the Blog Love award: Erik, Yvonne, Cosette, Mahud, and David Miley. Perhaps you'll be relieved to know: I'm going to pass on the opportunity to post the award here four times, or to put up an additional 28 links to more blogs I love.

Nor am I simply going to turn around and toss this Valentine into the Quaker ring, now that it's made the rounds of so many of the Pagan blogs I love. Instead, I'm going to try to nominate blogs you really, really should try for yourself. So I'm speaking to all my readers, Quaker, Pagan, and other: if you haven't been to these blogs, go there.

Some have huge readerships, and some are nearly undiscovered. But these blogs all have authors who are doing amazing, wonderful things, and your life will be richer if you read their words.

Here are my nominees:
  1. Fake Plastic Fish. This blog will change the way you live, if you let it. Please let it--the earth needs your care.
  2. American Pilgrimage. OK, this is cheating--I already nominated Matt's blog for the Metapagan list. But it's not just for Pagans--or Quakers. Matt is currently on a bicycle pilgrimage to experience religion across the USA, and he brings to his observations a depth of compassion and openness to each person that is as breathtaking as the photos he posts along the way. A professional writer by trade, there is little doubt that these essays he is posting will find a publisher at some point if there is any justice in the world. But, just in case, go read them here, because to have missed them would be a preventable crime.
  3. Dykes to Watch Out For. This is one of my favorite author blogs. The cartoonist behind Fun Home, Alis0n B@chd@l has a knack for telling Truth with a capital T with humor and style. Her long-running comic strip is also a work of genius, and I hope you all have read it. If not, not only can you check out the archive, but there's a massive anthology about to come out. Not a glbtq activist? Doesn't matter. You need not be a lesbian to be in love with her mind and her blog: trust me on this--just someone who enjoys dry wit and the creative process. (Warning--lots of short videos and graphics make this slow to load.)
  4. A Silly Poor Gospel is simply the best spiritual writing I have ever read. I don't care what you believe--to read Peggy Senger Parson's blog is to hear the words of a soul deepening in all that is right with the world, and to have a chance to go there with her. (And to any of my readers tempted to caricature Christianity as a right wing conspiracy against logic, love, or nature, for the love of all the gods, read Peggy. This is what Christianity looks like, when it's lived for real.)
  5. Neil Gaiman is not just a devastatingly prolific writer, he's a devastatingly prolific blogger, which is why I do not currently subscribe to his blog--it was causing me physical pain to delete unread so many delicious entries. If you had a best friend who was traveling the world, coming up with amazing creative projects, and writing you witty and sensitive letters home about his adventures, this is just what it would sound like. (Provided your friend was a genius writer, I mean.) Oh, yeah--his kids make pretty funny guest bloggers from time to time, too. It's wonderful how your teenager is never truly impressed with mom or dad's fame...
  6. Quakerthink's Kevin Roberts is often entertaining on Quaker subject, but most of all, he's entertaining. Just his profile comments, on the difference between goats and bees, make clear the sort of writer he is. Quaker or not Quaker, you should read Kevin because he's funny. And, again, real.
  7. In the Spirit of the Earth. If you have yet to read this online account of Andras Corban-Arthen's trip to attend the Encuentro Mundial Interreligioso of the Parliament of World Religions, you really should. Excellent writing about important interfaith work!

The original rules are:
  1. Put the logo on your blog.
  2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
  3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
  4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
  5. Leave a message on the blogs nominated.
However, I am officially changing all five rules to end with the phrase, IF YOU WANT TO.

I know many of the bloggers listed here are insanely busy, and no one should feel burdened by this award. (Think of it as a special dispensation from the Blogging Without Obligation movement.)

I suppose that courtesy should be extended to readers as well as writers. And if you really, really don't have time to read another blog post, well, I promise not to nag. (Much.)

But if you enjoy my blog, I will be quite surprised if you do not also enjoy the blogs listed here. So go forth, my people--read and be pleased. (Cat waves in mock regality from her throne.)
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Comments

Robert Kirchner said…
Another blog that MUST be read, that has already changed my life: sharonastyk.com, streaming with practical, spiritually grounded, well-written ideas, mostly about reverence and accountability around food.
4:37 PM
Regina said…
Thanks for all these wonderful blogs, Cat!
10:27 PM
Bright Crow said…
Howdy,

I got tagged by this, too, and I decided to double-tag you.

There's no such thing as too much love.

:-D
2:17 PM
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