My good buddy Leigh has very generously bestowed a very special award upon my pointy little head. It’s called “The Thinking Blogger Award.” Here’s my shiny new badge:

Of course, no award worth having ever comes along totally free of responsibility, and this one is no different. Here are the rules and regs for winning a badge of your own:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs which make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award.

That’s it! And now, to be the responsible little blogger and complete those simple requirements so that I can proudly place the badge on my virtual mantle, here are my five “Thinking Bloggers”:

1. I would be an ingrate if I did not first nominate my dear friend and bestest neighbor ever, Marisa. After all, were it not for the innumerable coffee clatches and her long hours of incredibly patient tutelege, I wouldn’t even HAVE a blog right now! Thanks, Marisa. I love you, Sweetie!

2. Then there’s Baxter over at “The Far Corner.” This guy finds some of the most incredible things! Visiting his blog is always sure to impress and amaze. Oh, and he’s really nice, too!

3. For some of the strangest, neatest, and most thought-provoking images I’ve ever seen, I give you Lyndon at “Esplanade.” There, you’ll find amazing artwork in coffee froth and on dirty car windows, portraits of famous people made from key words, and too much more to mention here. Check it out! His text entries are really good, too.

4. Loretta may be “Just Not Martha,” but to shamelessly steal a turn of phrase, that’s a good thing! Here’s the blog to visit for all of those fabulous recipes, time- and money-saving tips, and a whole lot more.

5. Last but certainly not least, I always think when I read whatever Dan has to say at “The Wrong Advices.” Check out his recent post on why blogs fail for just one example of the hard work and deep thought he puts into his entries.

And there you have it! Thanks again, Leigh, for the sweet award, and I hope you all enjoy visiting these, some of my favorite thinking blogs.