Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Following a month of sporadic blogging due to my husband’s unexpected hospital stay, I am ready to find my blogging groove again! The problem is I’m running on empty for ideas.

This is where you, my loyal readers, can help. Do you have a burning question you have been wanting to ask me? Now is your chance. Questions may help spark post ideas.

Your question may be about:

• living with a disability
• how to make something accessible
• my book I’ll Do It Myself
• virtual book tours
• whatever else is on your mind

Anything.

Go ahead, ask me!

I’d love to hear from you!

Valentine’s Day: a day for expressing matters of the heart to those who you love and cherish. Sadly, many are suffering from a broken heart. Literally.

Eight in every 1000 babies born alive have some form of congenital heart defect – a killer claiming thousands of infants and children worldwide every year.

My twitter friend Dr. Mani has made it his life’s mission to repair as many of these broken hearts as he can. Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian is a heart surgeon using his Internet marketing business to fund heart surgery for under-privileged children in India.

In conjunction with The Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation
February 14th is A Day for Hearts: Congenital Heart Defects Awareness
Day – a global effort to increase awareness about this deadly group of diseases. See how you can hellp spread the word. Together we can do this.

And, today, while loving your loved ones, listen to their hearts. Truly listen. If you hear a healthy, beautiful beat, be thankful.

Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Do It Myself Blog in the Canadian Blog Awards, and a special thanks to Chris Foley for the nomination. Thanks to you, my blog has won second place in the Best Activist Blog category!

I’m honoured to place second, behind first place winner Dave Hingsburger’s Chewing the Fat. When wearing another hat many moons ago. I became familiar with Dave’s much needed work in the area of disability, relationships and sexuality. In recent years, I’ve stopped by from time to time to read his blog. I always find something worth reading; another perspective or a confirmation that I’m not alone in what I’m feeling live with a disability. I welcome the opportunity to chat with Dave at some point and would like to extend an open invitation to him to be a featured guest at a Readers’ Café.

Rounding out the Best Activist Blog category are:

• Big Blue Wave
• Persephone’s Box

Visit Canadian Blog Awards to view the winners in the many other categories. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Thanks again for your continued support!

The Canadian Blog Awards is an annual event on the Canadian Blogosphere in which Canadian Bloggers and Blog Readers vote to decide which blog is the best – either overall or within a category.

And the nominees are…

Thanks to my high school friend Chris Foley, Do It Myself Blog has been nominated in the Best Activist Blog.

I was somewhat bewildered to be nominated in the Best Activist category. I have yet to chain myself to an inaccessible building, although the thought has crossed my mind at times! I looked up activist and found this:

a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

My life’s work has centered around inclusion, acceptance and accessibility for people with disabilities, which, at times, still remains controversial. Perhaps that does make me an activist in a sense.

Voting for Round One is now open and will close on Monday, January 21st at 11:59 PM PST. The top five blogs will advance to the Final Round. You need to vote only once per round, and you do not need to be Canadian to vote!

Thanks for your support.

Reader’s Café, a place to gather and to share, opens again today at 4pm pacific time. Hope you can join us right here for good conversation with good friends.

For the past several months I have been vying for the opportunity to be paid to Blog for a Year. I would like to thank everyone who has voted for me. Your support has been overwhelming and touching.

I’d like to acknowledge the following people for posting on their blogs about the contest. By no means is this an exhaustive list, so please do not feel slightly in the least if I missed including you. I do appreciate all that you have done.

• Nancy at eSight
• Regina Baker
• Joanna Young – I was touched that she tried typing with her left thumb
• Becky McCray
• Doug McCaughan
• Chris Brogan
• Dr. Mani
• Mama Terapeuta
• Des Walsh
• S.R. Emerson
• Heather
• Karla Meachem
• Liz Strauss
• Karen Putz
• Connie Reece

I also would like to thank my Fan Club and countless others who posted on forums and sent out emails to the masses. You’re awesome and I’m already a winner thanks to all of you! Seriously.

The votes are in and tallied:

• In third place, with 11,752 votes, is moi!
• In second place, with 18,252 votes, is Melanie in Orygun
• And the winner, with 18,951 votes, is Absolutely True. Congratulations!

It was a great experience and I learned a lot about using social media for this purpose. (Hillary, Obama, contact me! It’s not too late.)

However, Absolutely True isn’t the only one to be offered a blogging contract. In December I was offered a contract to blog 1-3 posts per week at Disaboom. I joined the problogging league last week! Hope you’ll join me there. I will also continue blogging here, giving my thumb a thorough workout!