I never expected to be nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award, or any other blogging award, even though I’m delighted when other bloggers receive recognition. I’ve built my blog very slowly, grateful for every single “follow,” but more intent on the joy of writing than on pushing hard or promotion. However, I was quite delighted when Lillie of http://everydaylillie.com messaged that she’d nominated www.hashtagretired.com for the Sunshine Blogger Award, given by bloggers to peers whom they feel are creative, positive, and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community. Thank you, Lillie!

How it works–“the rules.” When a fellow blogger nominates your blog, you are asked to thank that writer and provide a link back to their blogging site, to list the Sunshine Blogger Award rules and display the logo, answer the Sunshine Blogger Award questions, nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions, and notify those you’ve nominated. What a great way to promote the writers you’ve come to appreciate, and to get to know them better, as well as to find new blogs through this “round robin” process!

I follow and thoroughly enjoy so many blogs that it took days to select just 11. So, without further ado, here are the nominees whose blogs I feel meet the criteria… 

https://ahundredyearsago.com
https://londonlifewithliz.com
https://lostinapot.com
https://lauraalyre.com
https://applehillcottage.org
http://happinessbetweentails.com
https://vintagekitchen.org
https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com
http://lovetravellingblog.com
https://mexploring.blog
https://rosemarieskitchensite.wordpress.com

Here are my answers to the Sunshine Blogger Question:

How long have you been blogging ? Three years.

Would you like to spend more or less time on your blog? More, if I could find it! As I like to put it, “real life” has a tendency to get in the way.

What is one thing about blogging that surprises you? The warm, interesting relationships I’ve developed with other bloggers. It’s almost shocking how much I learn from so many of them, every time I sit down for a “blog tour.”  Plus, I get to see so many gorgeous, interesting photos from all around the world. Because they are so personal, blogs have taken the notion of armchair travel to a whole other level.

Do you prefer dogs or cats, both or neither? I love animals, but I’m clearly a doggie person. 

What is the inspiration for your blog’s name? I confess that “Hashtag Retired” was my daughter’s idea—both concept and name. “Why don’t you blog?” she said when I expressed a bit of concern about dealing with the changes that retirement brings. She came up with the name, too. So I gave it a go and kind of fell in love with having an incentive to write and being part of a worldwide blogging community.

What is the most interesting blog post you have read about? That’s a tough question—there are so many that I’d have a hard time isolating one. I really love Ken Craft’s poetry blog, Updates on a Free-Verse Life. It’s like taking a class with a favorite teacher. I didn’t include any foreign language or book blogs on my list. That’s an activity for another day.

What is one thing you would rather be doing right now? Lying on Baie Rouge in St. Martin sounds especially good right now, in the drizzling, chilly gloom of mid-February Mid-Atlantic. 

Do you use social media to help grow your blog’s followers? Not as aggressively as I should. I have a hard time focusing on Twitter (which I only visit about once a week) or Instagram (definitely not “top of mind” though I know I am somewhat out of pace with trends).

What is your favorite time of year? Autumn. Every season has its wonderful, singular attributes, but for me, nothing is better than that first crispness in the air (and the apples), that incredible blue October sky, and the trees in their most colorful dresses. 

When is the best time of day for you to write? Morning. I’ve been a morning person all of my life.

What is your favorite snack? Probably cheese… olives are good, too. But then, there’s ice cream…

And here are the 11 New Blogging Questions for my nominees:

• How would you describe your blog?
• Of all the posts you’ve written, which is your favorite?
• What was the last book you read, and how did you like it?
• Have you ever written a short story or a novel?
• Do you speak more than one language?
• What are your three all-time favorite films?
• What is your favorite thing about spring (if you are northern hemisphere) or fall (if you are southern hemisphere)?
• What is your favorite hobby or pastime?
• What is your favorite holiday, and why?
• What bird makes you smile when you spot it?
• Do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?