The timing ... oh, it's perfect!

Janice of Twist & Skewer awarded me this --



-- even as I verbally skewered my spouse all weekend, due to the latest bout of PMS. So can we blame him for snickering when I informed him that I'm "nice" and "thoughtful?"

I think not.

Even so.

It now falls upon me to pass on this designation to five others:

Shelly at This Eclectic Life -- because every time I read her posts, I feel as though I'm sitting on her front porch, sipping lemonade and waving lazily at the passers-by. Such a warm, cozy place. Go. Sit a spell. And...in making sure all my links are indeed linking, I see that Shelly has just received a Nice Matters award -- from someone else. Hmph. Well, she's getting two. Although, really, she probably deserves a dozen.

Nadine at hello world, it's me -- because she is so funny and just darn adorable, and because, like Shelly, she faithfully responds to each person who comments on her blog. And because even though I started reading only recently, I feel like I could drop in uninvited at Nadine's house -- should I ever make it to The Netherlands, that is -- and Nadine would just laugh and offer me a cup of coffee even as she regaled me with the latest hilarious mama-tale, such as how she mixed up skin cream and her toddler's toothpaste.

Colleen over at The Delaney Diaries -- because we are leading parallel lives, and I would like to think (delude myself?) that I am living mine just as graciously as she lives hers, both in Real Life and the blogosphere. This women works from home, while raising a toddler, battling The First Trimester That Doesn't Know Her Time is Up and negotiating cross-country trips to visit her stepkids. And through it all, she's just so ... nice. I marvel. I bow.

Paige at The Avery Lane Experience -- because I am seriously in love with her writing. Oops. Yes. I'm focusing on the niceness. Well, Paige is that too. I look forward to reading her comments on my posts because they're always witty and chatty ... and I'm just sure if I'd only known her in college, we would have been tossing back beers all cozy and chummylike, once the paper had been put to bed. And she offers recipes and foodie news, mainly from The South, which we know ranks supreme in all matters of food, whether you're looking for Cajun or a little soul cooking.

Jessica at Oh, the Joys -- because ... because ... stutter .... stutter ... OMG! Like one of the coolest, most popular bloggers out there strolls by my lunch table and ... oh, wait! OMG, she's stopping. HERE! She's sitting down ... and she said she likes my brand-new Esprit sweater! OMG!!! OK, let me tone down my geekiness and simply say that no matter what blog I visit, OTJ has already been there and left some wry or hilarious comment that I can't possibly top. Now that is nice, my friends, because -- how -- HOW? -- on earth does she find the time to visit everybody? And she doesn't just dash in and out. No, she hangs around and joins the conversation, no small feat when you know she's visited, like, 1,000 blogs already that day? *squashing any further girl-crush-inspired tendencies to gush*

OK, so I'm supposed to be done now, but ... there's still Nell at meanwhile... and Andi at Poot and Cubby and Julie at The Ravin Picture Maven... and ...omg, there's also Mrs. Chicken, have to add her, and ... all these many other funny and gracious women who are much nicer than me, even when it's their "time of the month."

Ohmigod, somebody stop the premenstrual woman from flinging more pink tulips and daisies out into the blogosphere. Remind her that it's time to go back to her natural state of shrewishness. Enough of this scary little Pollyanna scene! Somebody, get that basket of rose petals away from her before she skips on over to the next blog. Please?!

ahem

So now it's your turn to spread the niceness. From personal experience, I can say it would be really nice of you, in keeping with your inherent niceness, I mean, if you were to select a few more of those who are suffering from the monthly blues & bitchiness.

Because ain't nuthin' better than telling your frightened husband that OTHER PEOPLE don't think you're scary at all. No indeed, they think you are NICE!

(Turn and repeat to husband three times every hour and he might forget what you said to him at the pool. About the nose hairs, I mean.)