Sep 21, 2012

How Sweet it is to Be Loved by You …

By · 5 Comments

Thanks to my super sweet blogger friend, Jenni over at News of the Times, for nominating me for a few awards. Sorry it took me so long to respond. This post is dedicated to the acceptance of the Super Sweet Blog Award.

Recipient Requirements:

  • Thank the Person who nominated you
  • Answer the 5 Super Sweet Questions
  • Nominate a baker’s dozen of other Super Sweet Bloggers and let them know

Super Sweet Questions (and my answers):

1. Cookies or Cake?

Cookies because they are portable. I guess I could say (cup)cakes for the same reason, but there is something about a crisp but chewy cookie still a little warm that makes me smile. Truth be told? My girlfriend calls me an honorary “Cookie Monster”.

2. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Both. They’re best (sweeter shall I say) when they are together.

3. What is your favorite sweet treat?

That really depends on the day and time. Right now I am enjoying a couple of Keebler Sandies Cookies – Toffee Shortbread with my coffee as a breakfast dessert. Later I will have a few squares of Hershey’s Symphony – Almond Toffee Milk Chocolate bar. MMMM!

4. When do you crave sweet things most?

I find myself wanting something sweet right after lunch or while watching late night TV.

5. If you had a sweet nickname, what would it be?

I guess I would have to choose … Brown Sugar. Oh or maybe Cocoa.

A Baker’s Dozen (not quite … I am watching my sweet intake. Not really but my list isn’t quite that long):

If you are reading this and have a super sweet recipe you’d be willing to share, feel free to do so in the comments. Just know I’m not a great baker but I love great baked goods.

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , , ,
Aug 29, 2012

The Booker Award

By · 11 Comments

Thank you to my dear blogger friend, Jenni, of News of the Times for the nomination of this award. Her blog keeps me informed of issues in the world but not like reporting the news. She also has some stunning pictures that she shares. Take a moment to check out her site.

Accepting this award includes:

  • Nominate other blogs, as many as you want but 5-10 is always a good suggestion. Don’t forget to let your recipients know.
  • Post the Booker Award image.
  • Share your top 5 books of all time.

Listing my top 5 books of all time is more difficult than listing 7 things about myself, but here goes …

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” The injustice that takes place in this story still amazes me. Even with proof we choose the path of ignorance and conformity to maintain our status in a flawed societal structure. We hide behind the law or religious belief and label our crimes against our fellow man as something other than what it is. I read this for the first time in high school with the naïve hope that one day it would not be true. And even though we’ve come a long way there are still places in this world where this type of injustice exists.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

One of the teens in my life suggested this read. It’s a great book for generating discussion around topics like teen pregnancy, adoption, abortion, and government involvement in such issues. It shines a light on how our decisions for the sake of humanity can be just as horrific as the travesty we are fighting against. It has a creepy factor, like slowing down as you drive past an accident. Wondering if you’ll see something you don’t want to but secretly hoping you do.

Earth’s Children Series by Jean M. Auel

  1. The Clan of the Cave Bear
  2. The Valley of Horses
  3. The Mammoth Hunters
  4. The Plains of Passage
  5. The Shelters of Stone
  6. The Land of Painted Caves

Book 1 is my favorite in the series. Watching a young orphaned girl who is different; because she’s capable of forming words and has a rounded forehead, get adopted into a nomadic family who communicates without sounds. It shows us the first structures of authority we learn:  familial hierarchy, community, and then world. It gives us the chance to experience being different to the point of being ostracized. I have to admit that I haven’t been able to read Book 6, which came out in 2011, because it didn’t get good customer reviews and I don’t want to ruin a story line I’ve been following for 14 years. Eventually, I will read it so I can see what’s next for Ayla and Jondalar but for now I am content.

Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

  1. The Hunger Games
  2. Catching Fire
  3. Mockingjay

Again a recommendation from a teen reader, she keeps me in interesting books. Although this story is one of personal discovery, fighting the system, overcoming and a romantic subplot, the real story is about power. How we gain and lose it. How we wield it. How when liberated we may make the same choices (or worse) as those who were relieved of their power. There is a burden of responsibility, to do what’s right or best, that goes with the authority we have over others. Violent and tumultuous but a good way to look at the world we live in today.

Watership Downby Richard Adams

The first time I read this book it was because I wanted to know the story behind the animated movie I watched as a kid. For some reason animation can make something serious seem a lot lighter than it really may be. The struggle to get to safety. The challenge of deciding who to follow and why.

Again, a difficult list to narrow down but hopefully, you’ll add some new books to your “must read” list both from here and from the following nominees, once they’ve posted their lists:

Thank you again to News of the Times for giving me the chance to share favorites from my bookshelf.

Happy reading …

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , ,
Aug 14, 2012

Inspiring? Who Me?

By · 29 Comments

Let me say a special thank you to my blogger friend Zen of zenscribbles who graciously nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Zen is a writer and a foodie (usually desserts). She tells quirky stories which keep life interesting. Please take a moment to visit her blog.

Accepting the nomination includes the following:

  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Post the award some where on your blog
  • Tell 7 things about yourself
  • Nominate 7 blogs

So onto the hardest part … 7 things about me … that I haven’t already told you:

  1. I squint a lot. Not because I can’t see but because I’m thinking. Squinting makes me think of the TV show Bones in which they call the super smart people who work at the Jeffersonian “squints”. Oh not to imply that I think that I am super smart.
  2. I am obsessed with using imdb.com. I can’t watch anything without looking up the entire cast. It shouldn’t matter but I just need to see who they are and what they’ve done before.
  3. My husband says I snore but I deny it (vehemently) even though I’ve woken myself out of sound sleep before. (Please don’t tell my husband I said that. He’ll consider it an admission of guilt.)
  4. I am a horrid housekeeper, decent cook, and SUPER wife and mother. Well maybe SUPER is an exaggeration so I’ll go with super.
  5. I can read in the car and feel sorry for people who get motion sickness when they try to do it.
  6. I got my driver’s license late in life (I was 20) and I barely passed. Why do you need to know how to parallel park? Anyway, I think my driving is indicative of the “barely”. Oh but I wasn’t driving during the Chicago fender bender (just saying).
  7. My kids have started asking for cereal for dinner. And I don’t have a defense to say no since it’s usually my dinner choice. Did I claim “super” mom-ness? Oh well.

Forgive me for the short list of nominees …

Thanks again Zen!

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , , ,
Jun 19, 2012

It’s Lovely to be Recognized …

By · 18 Comments

Thank you to my fellow bloggers:  Whitney of A Serendipitous Happenstance and Amanda of By Amanda Leigh for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award. I am flattered because both blogs inspire and encourage me in my writing journey as they share their journeys.

The rules for accepting this nomination are:

  • Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
  • Post the blog award image on your page.
  • Tell 7 facts about yourself.
  • Nominate 15 other blogs.
  • Let the nominees know they been chosen.

Seven things about me:

  1. Success and failure incite the same emotions in me:  fear and anxiety.
  2. Parenting is the single most difficult job I’ve ever had and it’s the only one I won’t ever quit.
  3. I recently found two brand new pairs of shoes in my closet. Both are at least two years old and never been worn. Not sure how that happened. This week will find me wearing them.
  4. I am a packrat … thankfully my husband is not. And only have my house is cluttered.
  5. Please don’t touch me, speak to me, or look at me funny until I am on cup of coffee number two. I am NOT a morning person. I need to ease into my day.
  6. Typically, I prefer the book to the movie except for In Her Shoes. My favorite line: “When I feel bad I like to treat myself. Clothes never look any good, food just makes me fatter. Shoes always fit.” So you’ll usually find me in the shoe section not clothing.
  7. When I focus on writing things that I perceive will be received well … it creates fear and anxiety. Only I don’t have control over the outcome:  Success or Failure. So forgive me if I just create without regard for receptivity.

In attempts to share the lovely I won’t be nominating my usual suspects. My favorites are always honorary nominees for me whether I specifically name them for an award or not. You can see them in my blogroll and they are definitely worth the visit.

Today, instead, I will nominate blogs that I’ve recently visited or may have only visited once or twice. They are worth taking a look at, so please show them some love:

Congratulations to the nominees! Share the lovely!

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , ,
Jun 13, 2012

Expressing Gratitude for the Inspiring Blog Award

By · 7 Comments

For almost a year, I’ve been searching for new ways to express gratitude. I’ve learned a lot but most importantly, I’ve learned that a simply saying thank you is enough.

Thank you to my blog world friend Whitney of A Serendipitous Happenstance for nominating me for the Inspiring Blog Award. Congratulations to you for receiving this award as you well deserve it. Your blog is an inspiration to me as I work on my writing journey. I am glad that it’s reciprocal.

Accepting the award calls for:

  1. Listing 7 things about myself
  2. Nominating 7 blogs/bloggers who inspire me

7 Things:

  1. I have a pile of unfinished projects and crafts next to my bed. I commit to completing one of them by the end of the year in addition to everything else I am trying to do.
  2. I am still uncomfortable in my own skin but I’m working on it.
  3. When I travel, I always over pack but I never know what I’ll need. I only use a quarter of the stuff.
  4. This summer I dedicated time to gaining wisdom so I am studying the book of Proverbs.
  5. I am starting an electronic/gadget diet i.e. less time plugged in. Moderation. Maybe I can accomplish more if I unplug for a bit.
  6. My goals are often lofty and my follow through lacking. But it doesn’t stop me from trying to have it all.
  7. My favorite pens are BIC Cristal Bold and now they come in colors other than blue and black which makes me happier than it should.

My nominees … (I must confess that I haven’t had time to explore a lot of blogs and the ones I read regularly are just coming off of nominations. I truly love them but I don’t want to overwhelm people either so if my list is short, I hope you’ll be forgiving.)

Congratulations to all bloggers who inspire others with their words.

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , ,
Jun 8, 2012

Accepting Praise & Recognition …

By · 23 Comments

Last week before I left on vacation I was surprised to receive nomination for the Versatile Blogger award. First I must apologize to Jenni of newsoftime.org for taking so long to respond. It’s not because I wasn’t excited. I am truly honored to be recognized by someone whose blog I admire.

Accepting praise and recognition can be difficult; especially without qualifying it with statements like, “Oh you shouldn’t have,” and “I don’t deserve it.” I find myself in that difficult place right now. But I will say thank you without adding a qualifier.

To Jenni of newsoftime.org, I say a special thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Your blog inspires me to stay informed. You share thought provoking topics that are in the news in an engaging way. One day I will find the courage to jump into the discussions. For now, I will continue to hit like.

RULES for The Versatile Blogger Award:

  • If you’re nominated, you’ve been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award.
  • Thank the person who gave you this award including a link to their blog.
  • Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
  • Nominate those 15 bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award – you might include a link to this site.
  • Finally, tell the person who nominated you, 7 things about yourself.

And the nominees are:

Bravo to you all for giving me wonderful things to read.

Seven things about me …

  1. I am a creature of habit and not in a good way.
  2. It’s hard for me to talk about or promote myself, despite the fact that I put my life out there on a blog.
  3. If I could travel any where without worrying about money, I would go to Spain, Greece, Italy, Buenos Aires, and Australia.
  4. This year is about deepening relationships but I am still figuring out what that means.
  5. I am a writer who is working on her skill in hopes that it will one day match my desire.
  6. I am an introvert. My next non-fiction read will be Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
  7. I love the support and sense of community that exists for bloggers and writers.

Thank you again to Jenni. I consider it a privilege.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Opinion · Tagged: , ,
May 27, 2012

Humbled, Surprised, Grateful …

By · 4 Comments

Thank you so much to goodoldgirl for the nomination. I was surprised and humbled when I received word that you’d passed this on to me.

When I started blogging a couple of months ago I thought that the people who would read my blog were friends and family. I thought that it would be a way to reveal more of who I am to the people who already love me.

So, I am so grateful for the wordpress world where so many people will take a moment to just stop by and see what I am up to …

The Liebster Blogger Award rules are:

  1. Thank the one who nominated you by linking back.
  2. Nominate five blogs with less than 200 followers.
  3. Let your nominees know by leaving a comment on their sites.
  4. Add the award image to your site.
 Following the rules:
  1. Again, a big thank you to goodoldgirl who’s blog feels like the comfort of home and makes me introspective.
  2. I am nominating the following blogs for this award … I wasn’t able to identify the number of followers they have but I enjoy them so I am extending recognition to them:
  3. Complete
  4. Complete

Thank you so much for the recognition. I am truly humbled and honored for the acknowledgement.

Gail

Filed Under: Inspiration · Tagged: , , , ,