Liebster Award

My friend and fellow blogger, Julie, nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Of course, I had to google to find out a bit about the award.  The origins are elusive, but I found one blogger who seems to have done her research.  Here is her take.  The current rules, as they stand, follow.  The rules can change because that is one of the rules.  Cool!  Just FYI, no one actually wins anything:)

After being nominated, you have to do the following:

• Acknowledge the blog that nominated you in a post.
• Tell 11 facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.
• List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition.
• Post 11 questions for them to answer.
• Notify all the bloggers selected that they have been nominated.
• And finally, you can’t nominate the blog who nominated you.

11 facts about me:

1. Coffee became an addiction after I had my kids.

2. I really love teaching, but I'm finding it harder to love the students.

3. Books are an escape for me.  There aren't too many things that I would rather do than read.  I get a little anxious/slightly depressed when I don't have a book in progress.

4.  My parents and my brother are awesome people.  I love them, of course, but more importantly, I like them.

5.  I teach English, but I don't know any grammar rules beyond the basics.

6. My son putting on an old DeKalb hat of my grandfather's made me cry.  

7. I treasure old things that belonged to my family.  Old pictures and cards are my favorite links to the past.

8. I would choose a Thrift Store over a mall any day of the week, even if I had all the money in the world.

9. The beach is on my mind constantly.

10.  My family is my reason for doing everything I do.

11. I volunteer to wash coffee cups at my church.  I have to go do that now...

...and I'm back.

Answers to 11 questions:

1. If you could relocate anywhere in the world, would you?  If I had money to  pay for private school for my kids and could pay for my retirement with no problems, I would go to a beach in South Carolina tomorrow.  I would also need movers....I hate the actual act of moving.
2. Are you happy?  In general yes.  I have everything I could really want.  I only feel a little less than happy when I'm not able to be creative, or when I feel like I'm not giving enough back to everyone that I have.
3. What are you passionate about?  The things I think about the most are reading, writing, sewing, my family, and coffee.  I guess those are my passions.
4. Who is your favorite author?  Diana Gabaldon  Her Outlander series is amazing!  I can't explain it because it has everything.  Just go get Outlander and start reading.
5. Is the movie ever better than the book?  If you answered yes, give an example. NEVER!!! 
6. Dog or cat?  I have a cat, and I love dogs so much that I don't have one.  I know it wouldn't get the care it deserves from my busy family.  There isn't a dog out there that could replace Trudy anyway.
7. What is a typical Friday night for you?  Pizza from Hy-Vee and a Redbox movie with the kids. Baseball on TV to go to sleep to.  
8. Do you believe in God? Yes!  
9. If you could go back in time and change one thing in your life that would rechart your life, would you?  And if so, what would it be?  There are things that I wish I had or hadn't done, but I wouldn't change anything.  I am here in this place that I love being, and I would hate to be missing this "big picture" just to change something that I probably learned from.
10. What was your favorite high school subject?  I loved all of my English classes.  Novels, my senior year, was my favorite of all time.  I also really liked History.
11. iPhone or Android?  Have an Android, want an iPhone.

11 Questions for you:
 
1.  What was your major in college?
2. Did you ever, or are you still using it in your current career?
3. What was the best vacation you ever went on?
4. What is your dream vacation of the future?
5. Guilty pleasure?  (Mine is Pop-Tarts.)
6. Who or what has influenced your feelings about the role of women in society?
7. What do you worry about the most?
8. What writing do you do other than blogging?
9. If there was no way to fail, what would you try?
10.  Were you a girly-girl or a tom-boy as a kid?
And most importantly.....
11. Toilet paper- over or under?

Now I am supposed to nominate 11 bloggers.  Ummm....I don't follow that many blogs, but I do follow these two, so I am nominating them.  (Breakin' the rules, woohoo!)  One is very established and cracks me up with nearly every post, and one is brand new and very promising.  Both ladies are excellent writers.  Go check out Karen and Almeda.