My First Award: The Liebster!

Reading blogs is, for me, a way to travel, because I discover new things. There’s that initial “lost feeling” experience when I first arrive. The longer I stay in a place, I’m able to get my bearings, start noticing details of the place, and meet some local folks. Then, when I head off to explore new lands, I carry these traveler-impressions with me.

Since joining the blogging community, I’ve heard tales told by people of all ages and from around the globe. I’ve experienced the wonderful cadences, vocabulary and slang of different places.  Rarely do I know the age of a blogger, certainly not at the outset; there’s something liberating about that. I gain different perspectives of the world and am reminded we don’t all see things the same way. I may know that intellectually, but this illustrates it.

And during all of this traveling, my suitcase remains in the closet and my own, snuggly bed awaits me. Pretty dang sweet.

Which is why the Liebster Award, with its tag line, “Discover New Blogs!,” feels like one traveler telling another traveler some cool places to go.

To have My Journey to Imperfection send other bloggers my way with a Liebster Award is a wonderfully, warm welcome; it’s as if Walk the Goats now has a little round dot on the blogosphere road map. Thank you Ang!

So…here we go. First:

THE RULES!**

Basics

1. Thank the person who nominated you; include a link to their blog
2. Display the Liebster Award logo** on your blog.
3. Answer the questions given to you
4. Nominate 5–11 blogs you want to help others discover
5. Link to the nominees’ pages to let them know they were nominated
6. Give the nominees 11 new questions they’re to answer
7. List these rules in your post

Optional but Often Included

8. Provide 10 random facts about yourself
9. Write a small post about what makes you passionate about blog posting

** The rules are somewhat “fluid;” as is the logo.  If you go looking for an “official” Liebster Award home page…well, send me a link if you find it. Likewise if you find an “official” logo. Doing a search for bloggers accepting the award illustrated the fluidity of the rules and a variety of logos. So…I tweaked the rules sent to me based on what I found and what worked for me, and I chose to display several different logos.   For some additional info about the award, check out this post from Wordingwell.

AWARD EXECUTION TIME

10 QUESTIONS FOR ME TO ANSWER

1. Did you have an imaginary friend and if yes, what was his/her name?  What is your favorite story about them growing up? I did a lot of things by myself, especially before I turned 10, because we lived in a place and at a time when kids could go off alone. Plus, we lived with a forest behind us and lots of rural roads to bicycle on, a pond with salamanders in it nearby, and a maple syrup shack I could bike to. There was lots to explore and I loved exploring, by myself or with friends. I likely talked to myself, but I don’t remember an imaginary friend. Maybe I was someone else’s imaginary friend.
2. What phrase or saying is the most annoying in the world to you? I must not have heard it in a while because I’m coming up empty.  As soon as I go to the store, it’ll appear. What does often annoy me is the tone of something. Say “You’re wearing that?” with a certain tone, and I’ll tweak. If you’re my mother saying it, I’ll likely double-tweak.
3. What is your dream job? Getting promoted to “retired.”
4. If you could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask? What were my Uncle’s intentions?
5. Tell us one thing that happened this week which took you by surprise. Nearly watching and being in a car crash. One of those moments when you realize life can change really, really suddenly, and that change can be outside of your control. Thank goodness the other driver didn’t pull out any further or she would’ve been t-boned and both cars would’ve slammed into me.
6. What is the most ridiculous thing someone has convinced you to believe? That Santa could actually fit down our chimney.
7. If your life was made into a movie and an audiobook – who would play you in the movie and who would narrate the book? Movie: Either Annette Benning or Geena Davis. Audiobook: Frances McDormand.
8. Do you have any scars and how did you get them?  If you have lots tell us how many and then tell us the story behind the most interesting one. My favorite scar is a round one on my knee. I was 9 and out walking our dog when he tripped me. When I stood up, there was a stone embedded in my knee that, despite running fast and furiously back to the house, remained lodged there. Mom, a practical sort, plucked it out, put on a band aid and sent me on my way. I have immense fondness for that scar.
9. What accomplishment are you the proudest of? It’s a bit of a toss-up between hiking Half Dome (see Random Facts below), doing a triathlon, or starting a family while working and returning to college for a new career. I’m proud of them all. My current pride is around sticking with this blog. Awesome question; got to use it to be all manner of braggy.
10. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done (and are willing to tell us about)? Eaten roasted guinea pig. In Ecuador.

10 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME

1. I hiked Half Dome in Yosemite, including going up the cables at the top, despite really not liking heights. I went solo, in my early 20’s. If my daughter told me she was planning to do that, I’d want her to change her plans, at least about the solo part.
2. I love trees. I feel magic from them, especially oaks.
3. I was a dog person growing up; now I’m a cat person. But only one cat. And he’s really become Bubba’s cat. Even though Bubba worried I was a “cat lady” when he first met me and learned I had a cat. Did I mention? Just one.
4. I live in a funky town in Northern California and, yes, we’re surrounded by vineyards. Although I think soon it’ll be cannabis.
5. I’ve harvested cotton. It’s hot and hard and your finger nails get shredded.
6. I was happy when Pixar did the movie Inside Out. It was refreshing to see emotions like joy, fear, anger, disgust and sadness displayed and expressed so directly. My delight shouldn’t surprise anyone, given my blog.
7. I bought my first (and only) pair of Birkenstock sandals just as they were going out of style.
8. I can whistle so loudly I’d blow your eardrums out. Or at least piss you off if you were in front of me and not expecting it.
9. I can’t curl my tongue.
10. Nor can I touch my nose with my tongue. Not even close.

5 BLOGGER NOMINATIONS (ok, actually 6)

1. A Creative PTSD Gal

2. Bad Dad Cartoons 101

3. Confessions of an Irish Procrastinator

4. Searching for Elsewhere

5. That Blog About That Girl

6. Bonus Nomination: Bitchin’ in the Kitchen

11 QUESTIONS FOR NOMINEES

1. What’s something you’ve done that makes you feel proud?
2. What are you thinking, right now?
3. What’s the largest body of water you’ve ever stood next to?
4. If you knew you would be struck dead six months from today, how would you live until then? Assume all practical stuff has been handled.
5. Where’s your favorite place to go or favorite thing to do to recharge?
6. If you decided to rename your blog, what would you rename it?
7. When you want comfort food, what do you eat?
8. Do you have a preference for summer activities or winter activities?
9. Do you have any special talents you consider unusual? Or that people “know” you for? If so, what?
10. If you were to paint your bedroom a new color, what color would you pick?
11. Of the 10 previous questions, which was the most fun to answer?

THE END

Thanks again to My Journey to Imperfection for the Liebster nod. And to those blogs I nominated, please feel free to accept or not. I know some of you have previously received bunches of awards while others may simply choose not to participate in these awards. It does take time to do (as I just discovered!) so I definitely won’t take it personally if you decline.

Just know that each of you has a dot on my blog-map. And I wanted to share that with other travelers.

 

 

 

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