Because "A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm doing much better today, though I am a bit groggy. Some careful application of friends and TLC is gradually drawing me out of my funk.

I can't say I'm looking forward to looking in the mirror after my therapist appointment tomorrow, though. Note to self: go easy on the mascara.

As I am still in a holding pattern here (hope I don't run out of fuel), I will tend to a rather marvelous bit of business that has gone unhandled for five days. I received another blog award, and it's the kind I need just about now: it's all about friendship.

I've mentioned before that Kathleen over at Treasured Chapters is one of my earliest (I'm avoiding that nasty word "oldest") friends. We reconnected last year through Facebook and discovered that we still have a great deal in common. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her all over again--and honestly, more in depth--through email and blogging. She is one of my most faithful commenters. I wish I could say I am as faithful with commenting on her blog (I am just as faithful a reader, rest assured). Unfortunately, I am better at reading blogs than commenting on them. I'm a champion lurker.

Anywho, the very lovely and talented Kathleen included me last week when she handed out some Bloggy Friends awards. I am so honored! I like this one.

Here are the rules of this award:- This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming.- These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.- They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.- Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.- Please give more attention to these writers.- Deliver this award to other bloggers who must choose others to pass it on to and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.- I will pass this award to some of my bloggy friends that I find exceedingly charming...

So here's the award (which seriously, looks yummy enough to eat. Of course, that could be because I didn't have much breakfast today): 

I could pick so very many people for this award. But I decided, especially with recent events, to focus on a few blogger friends who (with one exception) have become my friends through blogging, and whose recent love and support has been streaming my way over the Interwebs. And the phone line, in a few cases. The one exception was already a friend, but blogging has brought us back in closer contact, so she's included as well.  So here are my picks for the Bloggy Friends award (I should note that I would normally include Kathleen here, but no can do this time!):

Arby at Boarding in Bedlam: Arby is by turns hilarious, sarcastic (which is often also hilarious), and wise. We don't agree on everything, especially in the political arena, but we're able to carry on intelligent and often snarky virtual conversations that both stretch and tickle my mind. I always look forward to his posts. If you don't read him, you should. He has been particularly supportive this last week, and he even stayed up until midnight on Friday sending me side-splitting jokes and old posts over email in order to make sure I went to bed laughing rather than crying.

DraftQueen at The Drafts Folder: DraftQueen would prefer not too many people read her blog (she's odd that way, amongst many others), but I always love reading her posts. I think other people should too.  We have graduated from comments and emails to phone calls, and I actually know her real name. I know. It's awesome. I won't tell it to you, though. She is the girlfriend I call when I need to giggle over things. We're both crazy in our Own Special Ways. I am drawn to people like that. And I love her insane sense of humor. Oh, and her musical taste. She's educating me further in the indie ways, and I'm loving it. And I would never, ever mention her secret love for FOB. She has also been keeping me sane via email and phone lately.

Heidi at Hortus Deliciarum: Heidi is another of my earliest friends. We've known each other for years, and somehow even when months and years and decades pass between contact, we pick up the friendship as though no time has passed at all. She has been willing to let me talk her ear off for literally hours, and kept me company over Gmail chat the last couple days, bringing me back to a sense of balance when I was ready to fly off the handle. We have our key differences, but we speak the same language (not just literally English, duh. You know, the figurative and emotional sort.) She also writes brilliantly with a raw transparency that challenges me to do the same here.

GingerB at Gas-Food-Lodging: I've had less direct contact with Ginger than the other people in this list, but I feel she belongs here because of the frequent little messages of love she sends my way. I feel warm and fuzzy on a regular basis because of her comments and posts. And her little band of redheads is adorable, and I'm fond of redheads, and I'm very fond of her.

Mom Zombie at Mom Zombie: I didn't have the privilege of reading Mom Zombie's blog until after I met her in real life, but I'm making up for it now. We've had several playdates with our children, and playdates of our own. I find it so easy to hold a conversation with her, and we are able to go to deep topics at the snap of a finger. She's not a surface sort of person, and I adore that about her. She's also a talented and under-read blogger (she has a journalism background, and I love what she writes). We were supposed to meet up yesterday, but her adorable daughter became sick so we had to cancel. My kidlets were sad. Maybe we can have another playdate when she's done sicking! DramaBoy suggested.

Melissa at Rock and Drool: I don't see Melissa as much as I'd like, because our schedules never seem to mesh, but I've thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her when we have.  She's possibly the most straight-forward person I've ever met. What you see and hear is real and all Melissa. That's a good thing. Her blog is popular for good reason, and I'm still ticked at Dr. Phil for not giving her more time on his show. Her voice should have been heard a good bit more than it was. But that's his loss. The show would have been much better, that's for sure.

There you go. And because it's fitting, here's another song worth hearing, courtesy of Draft Queen. She said it's her tribute to me which made me completely verklempt.

This is "One More Time" by Mike Pinto. Enjoy.