Sunday, February 24, 2013

I'd Like to Thank the Academy


Thank you to Chris at Campfires and Cleats for this delightful Liebster blog award!  What a beautiful surprise, and from a blog I very much enjoy visiting. 

Now I will pass along some info about this particularly fun award...

What is the "Liebster Award," actually?  The award is given to up and coming bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers.  From what I understand, liebster is German for: "sweetest," "kindest," "nicest," "dearest," "beloved," "valued," "endearing," and "welcoming."

(BLUSH)

Chris' other recipients can be found here, and I have to say that I'm in awe to find myself among them.  And this IS an especially fun award, so...let's just have some merriment! 

Here are the "rules" for The Liebster Award:
1. List 11 things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator has posed for you.
3. Nominate 11 up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
4. Create 11 questions to ask the nominees.
5. Go to the page of each nominee and tell her about her award.

Ta da!  Here are 11 totally random things about me.  I'll try to stick to things you don't already know, and I'll say these without thinking...

1.  I often say things without thinking.
2.  I live in what some say is a library with a few pieces of furniture in it.  Books are my wallpaper of choice... in every. single. room
3. I like humor, good wholesome humor.  Old "Shoe" comics.  Carol Burnett's classic skit "Went With the Wind" (you know the one, where she glides down the staircase wearing a drapery dress complete with rod... "I saw it in the window and just couldn't resist"). 
4. I prefer overcast days to sunny ones, cool weather to warmI find gray skies much more "interesting" than blue ones with decorator clouds. 
5. I began college as an Art major.  I wanted to learn to paint like this....



 
.. BUT it happened to be a time when students were being told we needed to "get with the times" and express our "individuality,"
and we had to paint like this....








Which probably gives you some clue as to why I now happily fill blogs with things like this....  
 
 

6.  I love old, ticking clocks.
7.  I used to write poetry.
8.  If I could visit anywhere in the world, I'd head straight for Annecy, France.
9.  I don't like graham crackers.  Not even in S'mores.
10. I can sit beside the ocean for many hours at a time (like, all day), just staring into the waves, doing nothing else.  Even a book is distracting there.
11. One of my favorite sounds is that of a train rumbling in the distance.
12. I'm dreadful at Math, so have I counted correctly to 11?  

And now the fun continues!   Chris has presented 11 questions that I am to answer.  So here goes:

1. Where did you grow up?
     In the middle part of the USA.  Very all-American.  
2. If you could live anywhere, where would that be?
     1st choice:  where I live now.  2nd choice: perhaps Berkshire County, Massachusetts 
3. What is your favorite book?  
     Is it a dreadful cop-out to say "EVERY one that's on my blogger profile?" ?!
4. Favorite movie?
    "To Kill a Mockingbird."  For the story, the acting, the music, and "hey, Boo...."
5. Saint who inspires you?
    Francis de Sales.  Teresa of Avila.  Faustina.  Ignatius.
6. Hobby?
    Photography.
7. Why did you begin your blog?
    To have a more "out in the world" companion/link to the Cloistered Heart blog, which I 
    began at the same time.  But this one soon took on a "life of its own," and I LOVE doing it!
8. What's your fairy tale wedding like?
    Revelation 19:7-9. The REAL happily-ever-after we've all been awaiting!!!
9. If you could have dinner with a-n-y-o-n-e, who would that be?
     Pope Benedict XVI.
10. Louisa May Alcott or Jane Austen? 
      Harper Lee.   
11. Best spot for a relaxing dinner with the family?
      By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea...


And now for my own nominees for the Liebster award.  I tried to follow the rules, so generally left out (with maybe two exceptions) blogs for which I couldn't find the number of followers.  I don't know any way to tell except by the Google gadget.  And those sometimes appear and disappear from others' sidebars as well as my own (which is why mine is at the very bottom of my sidebar - 'cause when mine goes, it also takes out everything below it).

Drum roll, please, for these genuinely "sweet," "kind," "nice," "dear," "beloved," "valued," "endearing," and "welcoming" blogs! 

Journal of a Nobody

These Joyful Mysteries

My Desert Heart

The Beautiful Gate 

Beautiful Whispers of Catholicism 

My Cozy Nook

Daily Grace

Contemplative Homeschool

Praying for Grace 

Imprisoned in My Bones

Sue Elvis Writes

And now:  do we have another drum?  Here are the 11 questions I present to the above nominees:

1.  If you won a free trip to anywhere, where would you go?
2.  What is your favorite childhood memory? 
3.  What's your favorite season?
4.  Favorite kind of music?
5.  If you could spend tomorrow with one canonized saint, who would it be?
6.  What is your favorite Scripture?  (either chapter and verse, or a whole book)
7.  If you were dressing up for an elegant evening out, what would you wear?....
8.  .... and where would you like to go?
9.  Who has modeled the Christian life for you, or taught it to you, in an inspiring way?   
10. What is your favorite poem?  (if you don't have one, pick a favorite anything-else!)
11.  How do you like to relax and wind-down? 

And now... I finish this at exactly 11 minutes after one a.m.!  How's THAT for timing.  May anyone stopping in here at this ridiculously late hour have 11 good dreams...



26 comments:

  1. Nancy,

    Congratulations on your award! And thank you for nominating me. I am smiling! Gazllions of followers? No, I am a very little blogger. Perhaps I should add a followers'gadget to my blog in order to practise some humility!

    I loved reading all your facts and answers. You are an artist and a photographer. You must despair every time you look at my photos! Actually, I am going to blame my camera. It's not very good at all. Then again, I'd probably have no better luck with a more expensive model. I love your eye for beauty.

    I could have guessed your favourite saints would include St Francis de Sales. St Faustina and St Teresa of Avila... I became very familiar with these saints when I was grieving for Thomas. We had 'Jesus I Trust in You" engraved on Thomas' headstone.

    I feel very honoured to be on your list of blogs. Thank you very much indeed!

    God bless you!

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    1. A 'very little' blogger, Sue? With the numbers of comments YOU get?! Ah, but you're so humble....

      I never said I was a GOOD artist or photographer :)!!! But I do love good paintings. Believe it or not, we were taught in University painting class that to paint anything "objective"/realistic (in other words, things that actually existed) rather than abstract designs of our own making was a kind of "cop out" - like we were copying nature. "If it's there already, why not just take a photo of it?" was the attitude.

      What we were supposed to do was bring into being what was NOT. Hmmmm.... Anybody else see spiritual implications in this? Especially considering that this was during the do-your-own-thing hippie era..?

      How beautiful that "Jesus I trust in You" is on Thomas' tombstone. Perfect.

      Thanks you, Sue!

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  2. Congratulations Nancy. You deserve it --sweet, kind, gracious. I call your blog the "Living Saint blog."

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    1. Thank you very much, Anabelle. How kind! Isn't it wonderful to know the saints are living as much as - no, more than - they did while they were on earth?! I am so thankful for the words they've left us, like markers along the path as we find our way along....

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  3. Congratulations on your award! Thanks for nominating me too. Looks like I have a lot of thinking to do! Have a wonderful day. I hope you were able to sleep in after your late night.

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen. As it happened, we'd gone to a vigil Mass last night, so I did sleep in a bit. I also could have added in to my "facts" above that I'm a night owl. The only time I truly broke the habit of staying up too late was while my children were little. I'll bet I was born this way. My poor parents...

      Enjoy your thinking!

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  4. Thanks, Nancy. Fun questions and answers. I appreciate the nomination. But since I can't manage to even get the blog posts up that are already written, no promises. ;-)
    But thank you from the bottom of my little blogging heart.

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    1. You're welcome from MY little blogging heart. I will admit that this post took lots longer than I expected it to, so it turned out to be a bit of a commitment. I suppose a blogger with a licka' sense might have written it over a span of several days. But, me? Nooooooooooo........

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  5. Hi Nancy,
    Congratulations! I loved reading all these interesting facts about you. It didn't surprise me that you began college as an art major - your love for art is reflected on your blog. (And I'm with you on the cool days!) Your favorite saints are very similar to mine! Thanks for sharing these things with us.

    Thank you for passing this award on to me! A appreciate it so much! I like the questions you ask :)

    Did you know that I have been focusing on Psalm 27 for the past week? Lol! what a coincidence! I'll try to get an e-mail out to you today or tomorrow. God bless!

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    1. Thank you, Mary. My "facts about me" were very stream of consciousness, so I felt like one led to another and they were related. But maybe not to someone who wasn't sitting in the room where I incessantly hear (and love) a ticking clock as I write. Or to someone who hadn't been with me a few nights ago when a friend learned that I don't like graham crackers. Who doesn't like graham crackers?!?! Oh, the shock.

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  6. Thanks for the nomination! It's great to learn more about you. I like you even better now! It may take me a while to write my posts and identify the bloggers I want to honor, but I'll try to get there before midnight!

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    1. Thanks, Connie, for such very kind words!

      I'm sure there's no "hurry" to get such a blog post written. I just wanted to do it before Lent gets even more serious in tone, and particularly before the Holy Father leaves his post. Which I won't talk about here, or I just might cry (again) as the reality truly HITS.

      I do look forward - very much!!! - to what you will do with questions and "facts about you!"

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  7. Nancy, you are so sweet to nominate my blog! Thank you! I like listening to trains, too, but I live next door to a busy train tracks, so I hear them rumbling at a short distance and to me, it's still a romantic sound even though it's loud!

    God bless you!

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    1. Anne, I'm glad to know trains can be enjoyable even if they're right next door! Romantic - yes, that's the word for it. I've always wanted to take a cross country train trip, staying in a private cabin where I could sleep aboard.

      I picture doing this in France. Long sigh....

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  8. Congrats, Nancy. And thank you for the nomination as well!!

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    1. Thank you. And you are very welcome!

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    2. It took some time, but I finally finished my post on the Liebster Award. Thanks again!

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    3. Thanks for letting me know... I'm heading right over!

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  9. I loved that Carol Burnett skit!! I even looked it up on youtube to show my kids so they could carry that memory with them throughout their life :) I, too, love sitting by water. It is so relaxing. Good for you on getting 11 blogs to list. I feel bad for not doing that :( God Bless

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    1. What a great idea to look up the skit on Youtube! Because you mentioned it, I did the very same thing, and sat here giggling all over again. If anybody else wants to know, the classic drapery-wearing scene is in "part 2" on youtube. But I enjoy all of it.

      Thanks, Laura!

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  10. Congratulations, Nancy! This will be an interesting meme to follow, and find out all those interesting things about some of my favorite bloggers. (Loved reading about you!)

    BTW, do you suppose we could call Papa Benedict our "liebster" pope? : ) Trying to make a joke, because I'm counting the days and blinking back tears as well. God bless him!

    I'll be over here for consolation later this week. xoxo

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    1. How perfect. Our Liebster pope! I AM SO GLAD YOU SAID THIS!!! To me it is a very real, very comforting thought. I know now I will always think of him this way... he will always be my liebster pope.

      What a tender, gentle way to see him go now to his "cloister," where he will be praying for us. What an intercessor we shall have on earth.

      Thank you, Patricia.

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  11. Congratulations on your award and thank you for naming me too! Like Karin I have a lot if thinking to do, but this actually sounds fun! It will take me a few days to get started, but I look forward to it!

    Oh, I like that books are your wallpaper of choice!

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    1. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy answering and coming up with questions! It took me longer than I'd anticipated, but as we can see from my post today, I kept on going with it!! I look forward to what others come up with.

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  12. Nancy, I loved your replies....how interesting and fun!
    Thanks for participating in this..I have to admit that while I was so honored to be nominated, I hesitated to nominate others with all the time -consuming "strings" attached....but it WAS fun!
    And there are so many blogs out there that are just so warm and appealing; it was so easy to choose 11 but hard not to inc all.....

    I pinned this post so that when I get a min to breath, I can head back and visit all your nominated blogs...they look so inviting!

    I answered your 5 ques in the other post and then when I hit PUBLISH, my com disappeared....it was fun to answer, but sadly I don't have time to re-do...sorry about that.Great questions tho.
    Have a lovely day---you have a big fan in NY...love your inspiration.
    xoxoxo
    Chris

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    1. Thank you, Chris, so much. I felt the same way about nominating others because of the time involved, but I figured they could accept or decline as they felt drawn to do, and for me it was fun. And not only is the image a great honor to have on the blog - but I also LOVE the design of it and the colors! (more so the more I look at it)

      Isn't it interesting how different people answer the same questions? It really can give us a glimpse into who they are :).

      Thank you again!

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