A Viral High Five

My blogger friend Ian Miller over at ImpactED Nurse in Australia runs an excellent and well-designed site which is both instructional, moving, and amusing. This week, he chose to post a "Viral High Five" which highlights his five current favorite blogs. I am humbled and grateful for his having chosen Digital Doorway for this honor. He wrote:

• Digital Doorway: Keith is a nurse working with the Latino community of a New England city in the US. His writings are moving, astute and crafted. They demand a switch from surfing, to floating face down in wonder of the deep.

I was speechless after reading such a description of my writing, touched beyond words, and grateful for someone so erudite and talented to nod in my direction. At Ian's behest, I now present to you my current "Viral High Five" which will now infect five other bloggers to reciprocate and do the same. (Note: there is no assumption or desire on my part for Digital Doorway to be included on those subsequent lists. Having been on one, let's give others the limelight.) That said, I will also say that there is no way I can fit my favorite blogs and bloggers into a measly little list of five, so see this list as a taste rather than a meal---a morsel, if you will, with promises of further sumptuous courses to follow in good time. Enjoy, and may the infected go on to infect others equally as wonderful.

Genre Cookshop: a (mostly photographic) blog by my cousin Nancy Bea Miller, a talented fine artist and photographer, as well as a devoted mother of three boys, one of whom is autistic. Nancy Bea shares stories from her daily life, often taking seemingly mundane moments and transforming them into magic, either through her camera lens, her perceptive writing, or both. A touch of humor, irony, and plain old beauty all mix together to create a lovely site to visit again and again.

ImpactED Nurse: what can I say other than that Ian runs a lovely site riddled with gallows humor and real life stories from Down Under. "Departments" of the site include: Piss and Vinegar, Nurses' Desk, The Funny Bone, among others. Ian offers a treasure trove of commentary, medical stories, and humanity. Please pay him a visit.

The Happystance Project: Tony Plant, an award-winning facilitator providing Laughter Yoga and Stress Relief workshops to caregivers in the UK, runs a site which takes progressive views on caring, caregivers ("carers" in British English), mental health, and public health to new levels. Tony is an advocate for children, the mentally ill, and anyone who needs a helping hand. He also supports and advocates for "carers"---those individuals who provide aid and assistance, either in a professional or personal capacity. His service to the world is unique and laudable.

Graceful Presence: Bhuddist philosophy and inspiration permeate this site which is like a breath of fresh air on a mountain morning. Akilesh and Meredith take turns regaling us with quotes, anecdotes, poems, and meditative missives which offer not only soothing notions but deep mysteries and awe. There is a large Bhuddist presence on the web which I am only now discovering. Their thoughtful links will lead you further.....

Swamp Things: "Swamp4me" is a woman in North Carolina whose work seems to take her into the Carolinian swamps near her home on a daily basis. Although my phobia of snakes occasionally will cause me nausea when I come upon a serpentine photo which Swampy has happily posted after a day's fine work, I heartily recommend a cruise over to her corner of the Southeast via the World Wide Web when you need a dose of Nature's wonder. Her lovely photos of muskrats, birds, (ugh!) snakes, and other creatures of the swamps and woods are a sight to behold. Her regular commenters are also worth a read.

So, dear Readers, these are five sites worth visiting of an untold number for whom I do not have room at this time. Please see my links for other suggestions, and enjoy the creativity and talent of those who choose to wear their digital hearts on their sleeves.