It was with complete surprise, followed by a buzz of excitement to be one of the WordPress Editors picks on “Freshly Pressed” today. My song “Hope” was featured and I got a badge (those of you in the UK that remember “Blue Peter” will understand my swelling pride – hehe…)
It’s funny how this virtual world that we inhabit for chunks of our lives these days has become, to a greater or lesser extent, so much part of what we do and maybe who we are. If I’m honest I both like it and find it quite unsettling all at the same time.
Which is why I’m so grateful to be able to get away from this screen and go and deal with some very real stuff, and tomorrow is no exception. Tomorrow I travel North so that I can look at, kick about in, and discuss the future of this place and one or two others. When I get out into air like this, all the anxiety disappears.
Mike Howe 
Hello Mike, I don’t normally do this award thing but wanted to nominate you for ‘The Sunshine Award’…. because you know already how much I love your music – cheers us up on a rainy day. If you want to accept it then just go to my blog and follow the questions…. if not, just take this as a nod of appreciation 😉
Congratulations on the Freshly Pressed 🙂
Have a nice day!
Thank you Klaudia, you too!
Excellent; you are in rarefied air, both in real life and on the internet 🙂
Indeed I am, thanks!
Congratulations, Mike! Very well deserved and I’m sure your stats have rocketed! Enjoy our trip up north. I know what you mean – we all spend too long in front of these screens, slaves to technology. Have fun!
Thanks Jo I will! 🙂
That’s great Mike! Enjoy the real world 🙂
Thank you Tracey 🙂
A well deserved congratulations to you, Mike. And how very, very fortunate you are to have such beauty nearby to recharge your soul.
Thank you Emilie, you’re right I am very lucky all round 🙂
Congratulations. You deserve the accolade.
Thank you Colline 🙂
Congratulations! great recognition that you surely deserve in the blogosphere and out.
Thank you so much Vera 🙂
I’m support u guys 🙂
Thank you very much 🙂
Wow that’s wonderful, congratulations Mike! Your put your heart in your work and music and that really shows. Internet is a great way to share the wonderful things you do and keep on inspiring others! 🙂
Thank you Elina that is really lovely of you. You keep doing the same with your wonderful photographs 🙂
Those look like very nice places to get unstressed!
They are Anneli, up in the Snowdonia National Park, it should be beautiful and I’m looking forward to it 🙂
I had no idea that Wales had places like this. Good thing you are blogging about it.
Wales is a very beautiful country Anneli, although not on the scale of Canada and the US of course 🙂
Congratulations, again, Mike! It is great to see you amongst the Freshly Pressed folks!
Regarding the virtual world – I hear you. And I believe it comes down to the way we choose to connect to the world (people, nature, spirit…) and a healthy balance between the different methods – which may include the internet.
Enjoy your trip to the north and the wind blowing around your nose (as we say in Germany)! Looks like a fantastic place, too! Beautiful images by Mike A., also!
Steffi x
Thanks Steffi, whilst I love the opportunities afforded by the internet I do love to get away from it too. As you say, a healthy balance is the key 🙂
So deserved, Mike! Congratulations.
(I understand what you mean about the sometimes unsettling relationships we have with the virtual world; there is both good and bad)
Enjoy the tactile world. : )
Thanks so much Karen, I will! 🙂
Where is it Mike?
Snowdonia, at the foot of the great mountain itself 🙂
In relation to the discussion we just had on my blog – I am really happy that _your_ blog in particular was Freshly Pressed!!
Thank you Elke, but just so I know you’re a real person could you type in the following words….;)