This weekend, as we were hurtling towards our first bitter chill of the winter, I found a warming message in my inbox!

Sometimes you can write away for months and months, not really knowing if you are making any kind of coherent sense, and then some kind person, or persons unknown deluge you with encouragement and praise and send you on your way invigorated, enthused and enriched.

And so it was this last weekend, fresh from the encouraging words of my husband, reading ‘me’  in the stifling heat of Nigeria, thousands of miles from the family home, I also discover myself nominated for an Blogging Award.

I’d like to thank Victoria Corby, who nominated me alongside 4 other Blogs for the Leibster Blog Award. Victoria has lived in France since 1993 in South West France and like me finds there are far too many distractions to be bothered with housework. Victoria is in the middle of writing her fourth book, with three others already published.

It is now my opportunity to nominate in turn my selection of excellent blogs, the general aim being to give greater recognition to blogs with a readership of under 200.

My first nomination goes to Life Love and Llamas in Limousin because I ‘met’ Stephanie in the very early days when I was just trying to decide whether moving to France was really a good idea, and read avidly the stories of her kids first days in French school, wringing out every drop of information in a desperate attempt to assuage my guilt. Stephanie willingly helped me through the earliest days responding to my ‘help’ emails at the drop of a hat! She probably has a huge readership but deserves the recognition anyway just for being a thoroughly nice person.

 well thats a bit mean!

My second nomination goes to Our House in Quercy , I don’t know who writes this blog but where humour is concerned, this is up there with the best – And what’s more, with 5 children going through the French schooling system, originally with not a word of french between them, this could be a story of my own life.

only I’ve got more than one power point in the kitchen!

View from Dar is the most exceptional blog about travels in Africa, and with my husband firmly out of arms reach in Nigeria this keeps me tuned into the sights, sounds and smells of Africa. Megan’s photography is so good the continent is brought to life and explored with a vivacity, courage and ‘joie de vivre’ extraordinaire.

because i’m not sure I could climb it!

And rounding them up, my daughter with My French Experience, chronicling her tremendous journey from bread-loathing English girl to bread-loving French girl, who swears she can’t return to a baguetteless nation, and anyway, what would she do with Louis!

And finally Victoria, if I could I would but I can’t so I shan’t….. I  leave you with my all-time best four!

Je vous remercie!