A Word Please

I’ve been nominated for The Liebster Award by Maria Savva!

Here are the rules:

1. The person receiving the award posts 11 random facts about him-/herself and answers the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated him/her.
2. Pass the award on to 11 other blogs (while making sure to notify the bloggers nominated!)
3. Write up 11 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees.
4. One is not allowed to nominate the blog that nominated one’s own blog!
5. Paste the award picture into your blog.

Good thing I have the directions in front of me, because I’m already confused.

Here’s the link to Maria’s nomination post, where she talks about phobias and snooze buttons: www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3315188-the-liebster-award

Now I have to tell you 11 random things about myself.

1. I’ve been a vegetarian since 1997.
2. My biological father left when I was 4 and I have no memory of him.
3. I have a B.S. in Natural Health
4. I’ve dyed my hair most every color except black.
5. My brother took me to my first rock concert when I was 15. We saw Heart.
6. When I was a teenager, I had a 3-foot glass bong. (It was the ’70s. Need I say more? )
7. I wrote my first year college English term paper on Led Zeppelin.
8. I’ve lived in 14 different homes.
9. I almost died when I was born, and again after giving birth to my first son.
10. I’m married to an incredibly talented, super supportive man.
11. I’m a total introvert.

If I haven’t bored you to sleep by now, here are Maria’s 11 questions and my answers:

1. What’s your earliest memory?

I have very few early memories. My earliest is from first grade. My teacher sent me to deliver a message to another teacher on the floor below us. I got completely lost and wasn’t able to find the classroom. I was already beginning to have health issues at that time, and disorientation became a lifetlong challenge. I was extremely shy to begin with, and being lost embarrassed me to near tears. I didn’t want to tell my teacher I couldn’t find the classroom she sent me to. I think I lied and said the teacher wasn’t in the room.

2. Favourite food?

Chai soy latte from Starbucks. Does that count as a food?

3. Country you haven’t visited that you would like to visit?

I’d like to see the Australian Outback. I’d also like to do an African Safari tour and see the Egyptian Pyramids. I’d love to explore untouched land (what little is left) and historical sites of all sorts.

4. What song makes you cry?

For a song to make me cry, I have to connect lyrically. But I also need to feel the emotion from the singer and be swept away by the music. When all factors are in place, many songs can make me cry, depending on my mood and the circumstances. For instance, right now I can’t listen to Linda Ronstadt sing Goodbye My Friend. The lyrics are about losing a best friend, and it makes me think of Sid, the dog I recently lost.

One song that gives me chills and moves me to tears every time I hear it is Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah. Some people assume the song is religious, which it is not. It’s about heartache and loss.

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who has seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

There’s something so absolutely heartwrenching in Jeff Buckley’s voice when he sings this. It’s beautiful and utterly heartbreaking at the same time.

5. Favourite colour

Crimson Red

6. Do you speak any languages other than English?

No, and it’s quite odd that I don’t. I grew up in a bilingual home. My grandparents came from Portugal and spoke both Portuguese and English at home. My great grandmother spoke very little English. And my mother spoke Portuguese well. For some reason, I never picked up on it, though I’m not sure why. I also took four years of French. I could read and write it perfectly, but my tongue tripped over itself when I tried to pronounce the words!

7. If you could interview any famous person on your blog, who would you choose?

I’m not typically awestruck by fame and celebrities. For instance, I don’t think a famous actor is inherently more interesting to talk to than the ‘average’ person. Passionate people interest me far more than celebrities. I’d prefer to interview a woman who dedicates her free time to volunteering in an animal rescue or a man who spends his weekends taking his kids on nature hikes. But those people aren’t famous, so that doesn’t answer your question.

One famous person I would love to interview is the Dalai Lama. He radiates a quiet strength and a sense of peace I find inspiring. Of course, I don’t know him personally. He could be a tyrant when the cameras are off. (Though I highly doubt that!) I would love to talk to him, or, really, just listen to him speak.

8. Something you want to do before you die?

Wow. Just one thing? I could give you the idealistic answer, like create world peace. While I would certainly love to do that before I die, it’s highly unlikely. I could name places I’d love to visit, like São Miguel Island, but, given my health, travel beyond my front yard is questionable at best. I have no burning desire to climb a mountain or jump from a plane. I’d love to hit bestseller status as an author, but that’s something that happens, rather than something I do. The very phrasing of this question requires a substantial answer; something of magnetude. So, where does that leave me? My life is simple, and so are my desires.

I would like to spend one perfect day with my husband, two sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

9. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

I’ve never been a big breakfast eater. My typical breakfast is a chai latte with soy milk.

10. Twitter or Facebook?

I use both. I prefer Facebook. It might be the people I follow, but my Twitter feed is largely promotional stuff and various links. Conversations are less spontaneous and don’t have as varied an input. I’ve made more solid and lasting connections on Facebook.

11. Favourite type of music?

This is a toss up between Blues and Rock. I’m rooted in The Blues, particularly Chicago Blues. The moan of a blues guitar is magic to me. But, ultimately, I’m a rocker. I love all forms of rock, from the Acid Rock of the sixties and seventies to the modern Folk Rock of today.

***

Whew! We made it through all that muck. Now, when I’m famous and have a category of my own on Jeopardy, you’ll be able to answer all the questions.

Time for me to nominate 11 people. Can I find 11 people who haven’t already been nominated? Do I even know 11 people?

The nominees are:

Lana Voynich
Stacy Juba
Gareth Lewis
RJ McDonnell
Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Sharon Cathcart
Susan Helene Gottfried
Jaleta Clegg
Julie Elizabeth Powell
Doug DePew
Charles Colyott

Now that I have turned 11 friends into my enemies, here are the 11 questions my nominees must answer:

1. When you’re angry, are you more likely to vent by yelling or quietly plot revenge?
2. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
3. Sit Coms or Crime Dramas?
4. Are you an introvert or extravert?
5. If money was of no concern, where would you live?
6. You were just given $1,000 and an hour to spend it. Where do you go and what do you buy?
7. What was your favorite toy as a child?
8. Do you play video games?
9. Bell bottoms or straight-legs?
10. What is your greatest strength?
11. Have you ever stolen anything?

My job here is done.

Thanks for reading.

Tags: Blog Awards, Chai Latte, Chicago Blues, Hallelujah, Heart, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Liebster Award, Maria Savva, Memories, Natural Health, Natural Health Degree, Random Facts, Random Questions, Starbucks, Vegetarian Authors