The Liebster Award: Part One

My pal, Laurie writes Laurie's Everyday Notions and is an amazing garage saler. (Why, yes! That is a wonderful skill on so many levels!)

She has given me The Liebster Award!

What, you ask, is a Liebster Award?

Well.

I actually have no idea what it really is or where it came from.  BUT I do know it's given by bloggers to other bloggers in a way to spread information about small blogs here and there.  And that sounds mighty nice to me!

With it comes a list of questions to answer, things to do, and folks to share it with. ... Which makes it seem an awful lot like directions.

Here is that list:

1- Answer 11 questions from the nominating blog.

2- Tell 9 things about yourself.

3- Nominate 7 bloggers who have less than 200 followers and ask those bloggers 11 questions (Don't forget to tell those you have nominated...).

4- FOLLOW those 7 bloggers you nominate.

5- If you are nominated and choose to play along, please let your nominating blogger (that's me) know in comments so that I can see your answers and get to know you. 

THERE THEY ARE!  Just five little steps.  

Directions.

I'm not so very good with directions.  Sigh.

So I will follow these directions just like I do with a recipe.  I'll let this list sit within reach while I go about doing something kinda similar with whatever I have around that I like.

I'm going to break these steps into a few posts because I just don't have the time to post it all at once.  (Anyone who has been following to this point knows I'm woefully behind my planned posting schedule.  Oy!)

FIRST - I'll answer Laurie's 11 questions.  She's a good egg and a swell pal for answering weird questions out of the blue when I have her cell phone number handy.

1- What brings you joy?

Joy is a mighty big, powerful word.  It's more than taste or sound.  More than sentiment.  It's a longing of the soul fulfilled with a hope that's more solid than any promise given by human voice.

What brings me joy?  Laurie knows me personally and she knows my answer.  If you don't know what my answer would be - or just want to hear me say it - email me at my blogger contact email (or call me!) and stick this question to me.  I love to answer this sort of question but I do try to keep it face to face to avoid confusion.

2- What drives you nuts (pet peeves)?

Today, implied questions irk me.  

Cob (holding book with destroyed cover): Mom.

Me: That's me.

Cob (continuing to hold book and cover)

Me: Hi, Cob!

Cob (wags book and cover in the air)

Me (waves hand): Hello!  Nice to greet you.

Cob (holding book and cover farther apart... as if I can't see they are totally disconnected?)

Drives. Me. Bonkers!

3- If you had one day with no kids/spouse/responsibilities and could do anything you wished, how would you spend your day?

Wow.

I have no fast answer for this. It would depend on the season of the year but I would probably choose to be out in the woods.
I think.
Maybe?  I just don't know.  It's so far out there, ya know?

4- Favorite book?

I don't get to read much.  I have a huge, huge list of things I would like to read about but my time just isn't getting them done.

But my favorite fiction book that I keep returning to one decade after another is Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.  There are a lot of reasons for it - several of which few would ever guess - but I've enjoyed the thoughts evoked by the story for a long time.

5- Since I'm moved by music so, I want to know your favorite song.

My favorites change a lot.  

"Every Morning" by Keb' Mo' is my current favorite with his Shave Yo' Legs coming in close second.

6- What is one word that others would use to describe you?

Different.

That is the word that was used to describe me to my blind date by his friend.  It was my last first date.

7- What are you good at?

I have yet to meet someone who can pile stuff in a closet as well and varied as I can.  Granted, it's not something that most folks go around bragging about but - hey, you asked!

8- What do you wish you knew how to do?

I wish I knew how to shoot really good portraits.  I would like to be able to share this skill with others.  I'm working on photography lessons so maybe I can get this skill yet!

9- Favorite dessert (because I'm all about food) ?

I really like New York style cheesecake.  I make a turtle cheesecake that is supposed to be quite good, too.  I rarely ever get any of that one.  But a nicely done cheesecake is just smooth and nummy all it's own.  No extras needed.

10- Who is your hero?

I've been pondering this one and I am not coming up with anything.  As I think about it, i don't know if I've ever had heros.  I'm not sure why that is but I suspect it has something to do with my understanding of people, their abilities and what we all have in common.

11- What is your favorite household chore? (I'm chuckling a little here. I'm going to bet that no one says, "toilets"!)

Can I count planning?  I like planning.  What will be needed?  Who should prepare?  What is best delegated to whom?  All that.  I love a good list!