Reciprocity: When You're Good to Mama...

One of the great rewards of blogging is the opportunity to meet writers around the world and read their work. While our specific topics may differ, we share a passion for our subjects and hold a strong desire to share it with others.

While I was on my summer break, Elizabeth at Scandalous Women , one of my top favorite blogs, honored CH with an "Excellent Blog Award" meme. I was quite surprised and flattered to be included by such a gifted writer. Thank you so much! But, now it is my turn to select ten blogs which I deem excellent and pay it forward. Not an easy task, but here are my selections:

The Pen and the Spindle
A Historian’s Craft
Chicago Argus
Footnote Maven
The Vapor Trail
History and Education: Past and Present
Book Calendar
Old is the New New
Digitized Book of the Week From the Library of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Hippie Couture


I was also honored lately by writer/researcher extraordinaire Lidian at The Virtual Dime Museum with BFF award. Lidian's site is filled with solid research, writing and retro pop culture. The community building award she has bestowed upon me has a few rules:

1. You must pass it on to 5 (and only 5) other bloggers.

2. Four of them must follow your blog.

3. One must be new to your blog and from another part of the world.

4. Link back to the blogger who gave you the award.

This one is a bit harder to do, but here we go:

History’s Mysteries
The Pen and the Spindle
Edwardian Promenade
Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
Early Modern Notes

A word on my choices: Some of the blogs on the above lists have been long-time supporters of "Chicago History." The support and encouragement of "Scandalous Women," "The Virtual Dime Museum," "The Pen and the Spindle and History" and "History and Education: Past and Present" is greatly appreciated, and I thank them all. Others on the list don't have a clue I exist and may not care. No matter and, despite the title of this post, reciprocity is not required.

As a final note, check out "What Makes for a Good Blog?" by Merlin Mann on his blog, 43 Folders. It has given me much to think about. (Hat tip to Sharon at Early Modern Notes)

(For all of you who are aware of where the title of this post came from, here's a great little video. It's a little different than what you might be expecting...)