Liebster Award
The last couple of months have flown by, and I’m spending a lot of time breaking up fights between Girlchild and Boychild (welcome to summer). Just trying to keep anything running smoothly. All the while kinda dying inside because there has been no spare minute to write anything. At. All. The less I’m able to do it, the more I want to. Until…I start to give up.
That’s where I was last week—on vacation, reading David Sedaris’ new book and feeling discouraged in myself, wondering why I try so hard to make time to write when the time is not there. Maybe I could be happy without writing, I thought, and really tried to convince myself of this. That’s when I received notice that blogger Sue Ekins nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award. I really needed this kick in the butt, and I’m very thankful to Sue for the recognition. Sue writes an inspirational blog for women. Thank you, Sue!
“Liebster means favorite, dearest, or beloved in German,” according to Sue. Typically the award is given to blogs with fewer than 200 followers (I’ve broken the rule with some of the blogs I nominate below, oops). As part of my acceptance of the Liebster, I had to answer the following 11 questions from Sue:
1. What is your favorite inspiring quote?
I never have a simple answer for anything. Unfortunately for you and anyone I ever talk to. Sorry. So I have 3 that are on my mind a lot lately:
- “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” –Mother Teresa
I like this one because sometimes I lose perspective and think I’m not doing enough, in any given area of my life. Then I remember I’m a mom, and it counts. A lot. Having a loving parent or parents is something most people take for granted, but when that’s not the case….think of the repercussions, not only for children, but for society. So when I get down on myself for something not accomplished (or..a lot of things not accomplished….yet?) I look at my kiddos and hug them. (Good thing for them I’m self-critical because it means lots more hugs.)
- “What people think of you is none of your business” –Deepak Chopra
I read this recently and thought of how profound it is. I’ve spent too many minutes (?) of my life trying to convince certain others, groups of others, etc. why they should like me. I don’t have that kind of time to waste. Also, do I REALLY want to know what others truly think of me? If it’s good, I hope they’ll tell me. If not, ignorance may be bliss.
- “It is in many people’s best interest for you not to find yourself, but it only matters that it is in yours, and the whole world’s, to proceed.” —Anne Lamott
I like this idea that finding your true self is not only your personal duty, but your responsibility to civilization. That’s kinda heavy: you’re not allowed to not figure out why you’re here.
2. Do you take care of yourself?
There are 2 reasons one is asked this. Either I look terrible or I look awesome, and you’re either concerned about my well-being, or you want to steal all my stylists and assistants. I’ll assume the foremost. 😉
Believe it or not, I do take care of myself, with semi-regular grooming, and occasional exercise. Beyond appearance, I am happy to state that I’ve recently written off participation in all martyrdom competitions. Let someone else win them, I say; for the sanity of my soul and my household shall not be compromised. Other shifting pieces of my self-care puzzle include but are not limited to:
–quiet time to write. Or even just…think?
–reading. More than Facebook.
–date nights with Manchild during which we dine at leisure and without duress and at establishments that are not part of any national chain that hands out balloons or crayons
–girls’ trips—vacations without Manchild, Girlchild, Boychild, or Dogchild. Usually my friends will start getting desperate text messages from me about 6 months after our last trip. As in, “WHEN CAN WE ESCAPE?!” or “I’M GOING TO FAKE A MAJOR ACCIDENT, AND WHEN I’M TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, DRESS IN SCRUBS AND WHEEL MY ARSE OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY TOWARD ANOTHER METROPOLITAN AREA OR AN AIRPORT. YOUR CODE NAME IS NURSE SHIRLEY. GO!!”
3. If you could publish a book, what would it be and why?
Beyond books written for others to tell them all the things they do/have done wrong (LOTS of ideas there, peeps), I’d say a book or short stories or humor essays. Or, maybe a diary of my sinus troubles. In volumes.
4. What is your favorite season?
I love them all, except that winter portion that is post-New Years but pre-flowering spring. I get squirrelly and diagnose myself with seasonal affect disorder. For which the only cure is a girls’ trip…
5. What is the main reason you started your blog?
Mostly to call my friends’ bluff when I joked about starting a blog and they remarked, “I’d read it!!”
Most of them don’t read it.
6. If you could travel anywhere and money was no object, where would you go? Why?
Back to Hawaii. No snakes!!
Then back to Italy, back to England, and explore Ireland and more around Europe, with a translator present, of course.
7. What is your favorite genre to read and why?
Humor and fiction, because I need to escape my day a lot, and to laugh. Short stories and essays always work well because I’m usually interrupted in the daytime, or exhausted at night. Nonfiction ‘cause I still gots me some learnin’ to do. I thought I was a self-help addict for awhile there.
8. Who is a hero/role model for you?
Ugh, sorry, but I hate this question. Humans kinda suck overall. If you choose someone as your hero/role model, they will let you down eventually because no one is perfect. Instead I like to find good qualities in all kinds of people—friends, family, celebrities, athletes, saints, whatevs….and try to remember and emulate those specific qualities where they apply.
9. What do you do for fun?
Torture and embarrass my children, laugh, garden, write, drink, cook if it’s not for my kids who never like anything I cook, read, hang out with Manchild and/or my friends, travel, HipHop Abs or Zumba or yoga or my own made-up fitness program based on the dancing of Napoleon Dynamite.
10.How would you like people to remember you?
For most anything except catty, idiotic, weak, worthless, or an emotional vampire. Refer to that quote in answer 1.
11.What are your 3 most positive words?
Resilient, grateful, hopeful.
And now my 11 nominees for the Liebster Blog Award (I can’t count–working on that):
For the nominees, here are the rules for accepting the Liebster Blog Award:
- Answer 11 questions from the nominator. (See below.)
- Nominate 11 other people to receive this award. The award is meant for people who have less than 200 followers. (If you have more than 200, feel free to accept the award if you so choose.)
- Create 11 questions for the new nominees to answer
- Place the blog award on your blog
- Link back to the person who nominated you for this award
- Inform your nominees of their award from you
My 11 questions for the nominees:
- Did you ever want to change your name when you were little? If so, to what?
- What is the household chore you most love and why? Are you ashamed you love a household chore? If it’s ironing, will you come do it for me?
- Dogs or cats?
- If you could be famous, what would it be for?
- Favorite inspiring quote?
- Why did you start your blog? Has the blogging experience been what you thought it would be?
[Since I stole the following questions from James Lipton’s list, I went over 11 questions. Sorry for this unfairness. 😉 Life isn’t fair, ask my children.]
- What is your favorite word?
- What is your least favorite word?
- What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
- What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
- What sound or noise do you love?
- What sound or noise do you hate?
- What profession would you not like to do?
- If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Don't Repeat This in Preschool 
7 Responses to “Liebster Award”
I read your blog. And I’m so excited when I see you’ve posted something here.
You know I love you, Nurse Shirley. 😉 Friends 4eva!
Wow, you managed to write wonderful responses to all of these questions that award winners always take for granted. I love, love, love that Mother Theresa quote. Brava mama!
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