Canada's Smart Female Bloggers

On Monday, I took on a challenge to find more of Canada's "smart female bloggers" after I read Warren Kinsella's top ten blogger list and comments. Since that time, a small portion of the blogosphere has erupted in reaction to his post and mine. Some of the criticism has been fast, furious and some frankly, incorrect, unfortunately.

So, I will begin this post by reminding people what this is all about for me:

As for the fact that it's Kinsella's list, I frequently disagree with his opinions (sorry Warren but I do) and if I'd caught a question like that posed by any other blogger (male or female), I would have posed the same challenge here. It's not about who he is. It's about who we are.

I also believe that everything happens for a reason. I've decided that I'll add a blogroll of female Canadian bloggers including and beyond the so-called "top ten" to my blog when I'm done. Plus, I get the opportunity to read blogs that are new to me. That's a bonus. Already I've found one that I'll definitely be a more frequent visitor to so this has been worth it just by that measure.

Since I posted that comment, I've reviewed some 40+ blogs written by Canadian women and it's been a great experience. I also came to realize that choosing a "top ten" would be a spectactularly difficult task. Considering that and the fact that I'm only one person (who is prone to headaches and other aches and pains), I've decided to forego the "top ten" list idea and to focus instead on what I perceive to be "smart" when it comes to women writing in our blogosphere.

Smart is:

Women who inspire.
Women who make us laugh.
Women whose youth and edginess defies stereotypes.
Women who give us a glimpse of what it's like in the corner of the room.
Women who are thankfully unique.
Women who share a wealth of information.
Women who share their grief and joy.
Women who stay on top of local issues.
Women who have left our country, but still keep us in their hearts.
Women who are just plain funny.
Women who draw us in.
Women who love nature's gifts.
Women who share their everyday lives.
Women who focus on our world's beauty.
Women who fight for their cause.
Women who do much more than blogging.
Women who mix the personal with the political.
Women who are dedicated to fitness.
Women who are funny and creative.
Women who are incredibly prolific.

And that's just the beginning...

I'm grateful to all of you who have broadened my horizons and please if your blog wasn't linked to in that list, don't take offense. There are just too many of you smart female bloggers out there for me to keep up with and I have so many left to discover. My aim was to show our variety.

The point of all of this is that Canadian women do have a voice in the blogosphere and it is wide and varied. It's essential and it's encouraging. Female voices share compassion, strength, humour, pain, joy, passion, intelligence, curiousity, wit and all of the spirit that encompasses what being a woman is all about.

Thank you to all who made suggestions and helped me to expand my world.

So, my message to Warren Kinsella is this: CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?

(And now, I think I'll have a nap.)