Receiving and Giving the Shine On Blog Award

Paula’s Pontifications has been honored with the Shine On Award courtesy of Spread Information. Thank you Madelinelaughs!

Rules for accepting the award:

• Link back to the person (or people) who nominated you. Check!
• Add the award logo to your blog. Check!
• Share seven things about yourself. Check!
• Nominate 10 – 15 bloggers, and link to them, and tell them about their nomination. Check!

Seven things about Paula and Paula’s Pontifications:

1. This blog has been actively active for just over a year.

2. My day job is as a web editor and web analyst. (It sounds more interesting than it actually is.)

3. I write and edit for Elephant Journal. (It’s actually a lot more interesting than it sounds!)

4. I am in the process of writing a second book highly influenced by this blog and reader responses and feedback. The focus will be on healing and recovery techniques, motivation and encouragement for survivors based on my journey and the journey of others who have shared their stories with me. (No worries. I will not be using real names in the book unless you have a blog and I reach out to you for permission prior to publication.)

5. I am raising a son who wants to be a ninja doctor one day. (His grandfather is a highly dedicated cancer research scientist/physician.) My son’s other influences are shows like Avatar, Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.)

6. I grew up in Appalachia, western Maryland specifically. My father is an old-school mechanic. I played in his junk yard as a kid. My mother is a bookkeeper. I went to church with her every Sunday growing up. I wouldn’t consider myself a redneck or wholesome. I have never witnessed anything like Wrong Turn until I watched that silly movie. I live in the D.C. area now but miss the relaxed environment of “home” almost every day.

7. I have 5 sisters. I also have 2 step brothers and 2 step sisters. I am next to the youngest. However, I am 6 years younger than the next oldest sister. I don’t know how my birth order has affected my personality. Some would say I am more like a firstborn-middle child mix. I can be orderly, organized, bossy and dominant. At the same time, I can be a good negotiator and unafraid of authority. (No kidding!!) I can tell you that I am and have always been very protective of my youngest sister (only a year younger) and have gotten myself into altercations protecting her. (Growing up in Appalachia will make you that way.) 

My picks for the Shine On Award!! (I’d like to pick every blog and blogger I follow.)
This is always the hardest part of accepting an award…choosing from the hundreds of bloggers I follow to receive the award, too. These bloggers have inspired me and brought me to tears. They have had an effect on me. Period. I thank them all for having the courage to write and share and hope they continue to Shine On! It’s not easy putting ourselves out here. We open many doors to criticisms and additional shame and blame. But hey, none of us on here really cares about the trolls in the end, do we? 🙂

Deliberate Donkey

Girl for Animal Liberation

Behind the Mask of Abuse

One Hot Mess(age)

The Eternal Victim

Grace for My Heart

Kimberly Harding – Soul Healing Art

I Survived a Murder Attack but My Family Didn’t

Roots to Blossom

Passive Aggressive Abuse

I Won’t Take It

Laura Susanne Yochelson

Who is Bert

Dating a Sociopath

Being a Beautiful Mess

Lady with a Truck