I would be a big fat liar if I said I didn’t care about being nominated for an award.  The only time I’ve ever won anything was when my dad had all five of us kids fill out raffle cards at the local hardware store.  I won him a tool set.  I think I was 10.

Receiving five nominations for the Liebster Award is especially gratifying because I am an especially insecure writer.

I’ll admit, though, that following rules is not one of my skill sets, especially Internet rules (I don’t know why…it’s a rebellion thing).  And given that I have failed to post anything in the last four days, it is safe to say that the time it would take me to follow the Liebster rules for each nomination would be best spent actually writing.  I hope that my nominators–truly wonderful, generous human beings–understand that this in no way diminishes my gratitude and appreciation.

Please visit their blogs:

Sloped | http://fasttimesinalaska.wordpress.com/

You Handmade Me {Happy} | http://youhandmademehappy.wordpress.com/

Tiger Paws Junior’s Stories | http://tigerpawsjnrsstories.wordpress.com/

Marie A Marvel | http://mademoisellelesbiana.wordpress.com/

Stories and Stuff | http://originstalesandlegends.wordpress.com/

To make life easier for all (trust me, you really wouldn’t want to know 55 awkward facts and answers from me), I’m going to respond to the facts/questions/rules received from my first nominator, my friend over at Sloped:

Here is the rundown on the Liebster Award:

The Liebster is (typically) awarded to bloggers with under 200 followers to try to promote their blog and unite a community of bloggers. The rules of the competition are as follows:

• The nominated user must provide a link back to the person who nominated them. (check — see above)
• Provide 11 facts about yourself
• Answer 11 questions set by the person who nominated you
• Choose 11 more people and ask them 11 questions!

My Eleven Facts:

1. I was in a traveling gymnastics group when I was a kid.  More here on that.
2. I started fencing when I was 35…I’m currently on a hiatus.
3. I am an undisciplined stacker of things, but I can’t stand a crooked picture frame.
4. My favorite bird is the Great Blue Heron.
5. I married late in life (a good thing) and don’t have kids.
6. My blind cat, Scout, has more friends on Facebook than I do.  You can find her page here.
7. Like my friend at Sloped, I’m a recovering Catholic.
8. I’m pretty sure I went through First Communion with George Clooney.  I tell everyone this whenever his name and/or Catholicism comes up.
9. Every year, I add yet another garden bed, making it harder and harder for my husband to mow the lawn.
10. The first thing I do when there is a mean thunderstorm outside is turn on the cable radar channel so I can see the mean thunderstorm on TV.
11. I’m a huge fan of Orphan Black.

Eleven Questions from Sloped:

1. Where are you living? Is that your dream location?

I live in Pigspittle, which is a rural town in Ohio.  My dream location is 800+ long miles away — Portland, Maine.

2. What is your dream adventure?

To be a war correspondent, preferably somewhere reasonably safe with decent food.

3.  Your favorite quote?

“I am larger, better than I thought / I did not know I held so much goodness.” –Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”

4. Your most life changing moment?

I can’t pinpoint a single moment when my life changed.  I have experienced tiny, splintering earthquakes and joyous eruptions throughout life–from my mother’s suicide attempt when I was a child to meeting my future husband at the age of 40.

5. What changed after said moment?

Each sorrow and each joy have made me who I am today:  a little neurotic, kind but distant, generous but introverted, loyal, hardworking, grateful, and messy.

6.  If you could be any animal what would it be and why?

I would be a cat owned by my husband because he sings and talks to our cats in the most amusing way.

7.  What is your perfect career? Not job, but career?

Writing for myself.  I think I’m finally doing that.

8. If you could meet any public figure, be it political, religious or celebrity, who would it be and why?

President Obama.  I admire his courage, perseverance, eloquence, wit.

9. What is your favorite topic to write about?

Not a topic but genre — fiction.

10.  Big dogs or little dogs?

Most definitely, big, burly dogs.  

11. Why did you start blogging?

I wanted to practice writing.  I believe that writing as often as possible is the only way to become a better, less constrained writer.

My Eleven Nominees:  I tried to select as many blogs as I could that are new to the Liebster Award but I know a few of these have received at least one already.  I do encourage all to visit Blogging 101 Zero to Hero participants too!  There are so many talented, interesting folks out there.  Drum roll, please…

1. The Relative Cartographer
2. WriteSomethingToday
3. MS Open Mic
4. To Search and to Find
5. Geeky Musings from a Nerdy Girl
6. Journey 2 Improvement
7. Making it up as I go along
8. Ocean View Kitchen
9. Lush
10. Laura Gabrielle Feasey
11. Love Happy Notes

My Eleven Questions to each Nominee:

1. If you could live in any historical period, what would it be and why?
2. Where is your favorite place to write/blog?
3. Who has influenced your life the most and how?
4. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
5. How do you get past writer’s block?
6. What do you want to be doing in five years?
7. How much time do you spend writing/blogging each day?
8. For what are you most grateful?
9. If you could give someone you love a gift, what would it be?
10. Who is your favorite fictional character and why?
11. What song makes you want to dance?

Again, my deepest thanks for those who recognized little ol’ Pigspittle, Ohio, and my little ol’ place in it.

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