Liebster Award
A man came into the hotel I was staying in and said I can make you better. For some reason a bug had laid everyone low and we were all in the lobby feeling weak with sickness. He gave us a brown liquid. We had no idea what it was. You can imagine how it tasted. It was brown. He was the hotel manager and he made us well with this drink. He lived up to his promise and we felt loved and cared for.
I feel thrilled to have been offered this traditional WordPress award by these wonderful bloggers with superb sites I continue to learn from.
Havendol has an instinctive ability for communicating his practice of martial arts. My own experience is limited but the way the journey is explained shows the benefits that slow movement can offer. Other treasures on havenmindmuses website include great fiction that similary open up the horizons of the reader.
Tucked behind eclectic images are the uplifting posts of eclectic female . Naomi writes with honest optimism about subtle issues that can have a big impact on life and I always learn something new from her well crafted posts.
Travelogues balanced with colourful photographs that take the reader right to the heart of the journey are featured on ‘Tales of my Journeys Across Oceans’. Enjoy the clarity and joy of discovery through Shmruthi’s travels here
The life-affirming ideas on Life Through the Storm are refreshing. There is an infectious positivity in the posts of blogger, author and artist Stormie Steele. This is a go to site to dip in for an instant mood uplift. Stormie writes with charisma and panache. More than this, the empathy and kind heart behind her words are a powerhouse of strength.
The down to earth philosophy of Just be V is a joyful read. The quirky photography sums up the individuality of the ideas of each post. A distant rainbow blurred by the rain splashed on the window it is seen through springs to mind. Verity always explains the science in her posts and cleverly expands the readers horizons.
I recommend a visit to Unload and Unwind. Jenni writes pithily about political issues in an informative but entertaining style. Jenni has a dry wit that is always life affirming and her ‘Just for Fun’ raises a smile every time. In the ‘Book Nook’ section, each work of fiction is given a thorough write up but the plot is never revealed. Jenni tells me all I need to know before I invest in a new book.
The destinations Jeny’s awesome blog takes me to always live up to the promise of the title. The Running Brook moves continuously to new pastures whilst never breaking the banks of good order and leaving the reader behind. The Running Brook flows with stories that share reflections of life on a ranch and is here to check out: http://jenyrunningbrook.wordpress.com
The girl behind the words of http://snapshotsofawanderingheart.wordpress.com shows much honesty and writes from a personal perspective and has a unique voice. This is a daily journal of a girl with big dreams and wild heart and following the posts in my Reader always creates a new world for my imagination to visit. Find out more here.
I am honoured to receive the historic Liebster Award from such awesome bloggers.
The Rules:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog
(2) You must answer the 10 questions given to you by the nominee before you.
(3) Nominate 10 of your favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers and notify them of their nomination.
(4) Come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
The 10 Questions I was asked:
(1) What inspired you to write?
Being bored at school and making up my own stories about the people around me.
(2) What brings you the most peace?
Walking along up a medium sized mountain. I don’t have the legs for a sky scraper sized summit. Fresh air and noises of nature clear the brain.
(3) What would you like to accomplish this side of heaven?
Peace. Maybe I should go on more walks (note to self)
(4) Do you live in the same country as your most distant ancestors? Do you know or practice any of their customs? Feel free to share about this …
No. I have lived my adult life in England but my heritage is both Irish and Welsh so I have celtic blood. I traced my surname back to a Celtic (Irish) tribe called Defiance. I like to think they would have me as a member. I have researched Celts in Britain but apart from their sheer bravery I do not know their customs. Their living style appears to be nomadic (to my understanding) and it is interesting how far over Europe they spread.
(5) If you were to be a character in a mystery novel, what character would you be?
Detective solving all the mysteries so I got to be liked. I enjoy watching Columbo maybe this has rubbed off. You always come off as clever too if you are the mystery solver. I don’t have the balls to be the one whodunit!
(6) What is your favorite food?
Chinese. I love the drama of the sweet and sour and the energy you can put into making a stir fry. The results are also fast to achieve.
(7) What is your favorite type of music?
Light ambient dance music is really fun to let go to (like Cafe del Mar) and jump around the living room to. On the other spectrum I like early classical music going back to first millennium played on the traditional instruments like harpsichords. In Oxford there is a terrific museum of ancient instruments called the Bate Collection which are fascinating. The Sheldonian Theatre here is built in the style of a Roman Amphitheatre (but has a roof), and hosts amazing classical concerts. Often the virtuoso performers have priceless instruments that date back centuries. They don’t make them like they used to!
(8) What was your most frightening experience?
Rock climbing and realizing I was on a ledge and hadn’t screwed tight the ‘right’ live carabina clasp. It was my bad and no one else was held by the belay and in some ways a simple act to just tighten up the screw would have solved it but at that moment if the crag had come loose it would have been a long way down. It reminded me how although we cocoon ourselves in comfort and safety truly our lives are always resting on a hair’s breadth.
(9) Where would you like to travel?
Reading the exciting blogs here on WordPress (and I have found every blog has gold to be mined) I think my horizons have widened and so far the flowers of the Rocky Mountains are top of my list.
(10) What is a little known fact about you?
I used to collect postcards as a child. Avidly. I had boxes of them and still lose track of time near a postcard stand.
These highly enjoyable blogs I nominate are in no particular order:
http://lizard100blog.wordpress.com
http://disappearingwoman.wordpress.com
http://iblogstr8sicit.wordpress.com
http://josephrathjen.wordpress.com
http://dragoneystory.wordpress.com
The 10 Questions that I am asking YOU.
(1) What is your favourite building to look at?
(2) Is there a city that has changed you in some way (if so which one)?
(3) On a day off what museum or gallery would you visit?
(4) If you were putting a raft together to survive the floods what would be your secret building material (it can be crazy or practical)?
(5) If food had no calories what would you fill your table and plate with?
(6) What is your favorite method of transport?
(7) Do you remember the first time you smiled and around what age were you?
(8) What (who or where) inspires your writing?
(9) What is your favourite body of water (ocean, pool, spa…)?
(10) What advice would you give to your younger self (fun, fictional or factual)?
I hope you enjoy these questions! Hearty thanks for the brilliant contributions you make.
lita doolan productions 
Thanks for sharing about you and of some great blogs I recognise. Q4 you have incorporated all of United Kingdom, that’s so brilliant!
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UK is such a melting pot. I think maybe the Celts started a trend!
Loving your blog. I note that you are wishing to go award free so I will big up your blog with the likes instead! 😀
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Thanks for noticing that and for your return visits! I’m enjoying your fantastic blog and you deserve these awards!
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Thank you again! 🙂 🙂
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Congratulations Lita..!! Good Work pays off..!! 🙂
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Wow! I’m quite touched by this process. Thank you for awarding me this acknowledgement. It’s also like a writing challenge which I will enjoy.
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Brilliant! Your website has so much to offer. I already have learnt so much and look at the countryside in a new light. More power to you.
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I’ve now passed it on. I enjoyed your questions!
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Wicked! Will have a read ;-))
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Thank you for nominating me! This looks like so much fun! I feel very honored :)!
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Well deserved! Bravo to your blog 😉
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Wow! I really don’t know what to say, I’m overwhelmed and speechless! So kind of you to even notice my humble blog. You are a beautiful person. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I’m so new to all this WordPress stuff that I’m not sure how to work the answering 10 questions and how to link to the awards button in order to nominate 10 other persons. I work from my galaxy note 3 phone for we are traveling; however, I will be staying a few months in this particular city and will be up and running in a few days with my laptop which will help greatly!
Again, thank you for the nomination I’m ecstatic!
Sincerely, dawnasong
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Hey Dawnasong
Lovely to hear from you. Any award for your great blog is well deserved! That’s amazing that you achieve such great content from a phone! Clever you. I’m a bit new but I’m pretty sure you can take your time on responding. It does look a bit overwhelming at first but when I got into it, it was a lot of fun!! Hope it is the same for you 🙂
Can’t wait for my next visit to your site. I love how there is always something new to explore. Your originality shines. You are talented. More power to you!
Good regards
Lita
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Thank you so much lita, you make me want to shine! Rainbows forever!!!
Dawnasong
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Rainbows all the way! 🙂
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Thanks for the great award Lita! Love your blog!
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So well deserved. Your articles are great Joseph. A total resource.
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Congratulations on the award. Its nice to find out a little bit more of the woman behind the blog! 🙂
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hehe! it was so much fun answering the questions and quite tough (but also fun) to make up more questions! Thank you for the encouraging words and being a part of the journey! Your site is awesome and I am looking forward to more visits. Here’s to lots of happy blogging.
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You are the real McCoy. A genuinely nice blogger. I liked your answers, especially 2, 4, and 5.
You definitely have celtic blood in your veins. The hills, the celts, And Columbo is my alter-ego is that’s the correct word. I have mentioned him in a short story called ‘I’m a writer, get me out of here’. Plus i am reading this in a hotel. Your opening line caught my eye. Well done. I Knew you were good.
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Aw I could watch Columbo 24-7. It’s that split second where he suddenly becomes the GENIUS who has the case sorted. Thanks for this lovely comment. I think my Irish ancestors are from County Clare so lots of hills and farms.
I’m going to check out your story ‘I’m a writer, get me out of here’ on your blog. I love the style of your work and I’m already looking forward to reading more. Enjoy your weekend.
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You won’t find it there. I wrote it a few years ago. I will get some stories transferred onto wordpress soon. This place is so interesting. How do people get any writing done?! Have a good weekend also. Ps..Clare is my fav county to holiday in. Seriously. They do ancient history like no other county.
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Nodding in agreement. So many new things to discover on WP! Enjoy weekend.
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