Let us put by some hour of every day for holy things...

I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea
Come drifting home with broken masts and sails.
I will believe the Hand which never fails,
From seeming evil, worketh good for me.
And though I weep because those sails are tattered,
Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered:
I trust in Thee.
--Ann Kimmel

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Liebster Award

Doubl Glo Christmas Ornaments Flocked Skaters by melmacparadise,

It's December again!  Time to pin up an advent calendar and start poking through the chaos of last year's hastily-stored-away boxes of decorations...  Time to let the Christmas music I've been surreptitiously listening to for the past week really rip! 

I've got lots of fun stuff planned for the blog this month so I hope you'll check in every day....  Let the holidays begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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A week or so ago, Etsy friend and blog reader Christina nominated me for a Liebster Award. 

You've never heard of a Liebster Award?  I hadn't either.

Actually, it's kind of fun, and a very nice encouragement for those of us blogging away to our tiny little bands of readers. Only bloggers with fewer than 200 readers are eligible. (I am exceedingly eligible.)  

Here are the rules, which I have lifted wholesale from Christina's blog, Callisto Funk. Please check her blog out! She's a very classy young woman.

The rules are:

  • Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.
  • They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them.
  • They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.
  • They must then choose 11 special bloggers to tag & award with the Liebster award with less than 200 followers.
  • These lucky bloggers must be told in a comment on their blog 
   
My blog intro already tells you I'm married, have 4 grown children whom I homeschooled all the way through, and that I love kitchy junque. And you've probably already figured out that I am a Christian, and that I love my three poms wildly. So let me tell you some stuff you probably don't know.
I must admit I'm likely to be challenged at choosing 11 special bloggers--I only read a few. But I will buck up and show myself worthy of my award!  So here goes...
Eleven Things About Me
  1. Back in the dark mists of time, I was a ballet teacher. I still love dancing and am often found cavorting about the house doing port de bras and lousy pirouettes.
  2. I hale from Ohio originally, and lived in Florida during my teen years. I've been in the Pacific Northwest since the mid-seventies. (The 20th century's seventies, not mine!)
  3. My favorite flowers are perennials--bearded iris, oriental poppies, and daylilies.
  4. My husband works at home, and has done since about 1984.
  5. I love to read, but don't get to do nearly as much of it as I would like. Lately I've fallen for Arthur Upfield's golden age "Bony" detective stories and I've read every one I can get my hands on. 
  6. If I could have written any book in the world, I would like to have written Village Diary by Miss Read (Dora Jessie Saint).
  7. My favorite movie is The Seven Year Itch.  A close second would be Make Mine Mink.
  8. I whistle all the time. Even when I'm not aware of it. My dad was the same way. I didn't realize I did the same thing until my daughter mentioned it.
  9. I also talk to myself a lot. It's a habit, I think, from raising kids and having little dogs following me about all day, but also I think better if I vocalize my thoughts. 
  10. I adore hamming it up in funny skits.
  11. I despise melon--all varieties. And I'd rather face a root canal than a raw carrot.
Now, to answer Christina's 11 questions:
   1.  Do you dream? If so, tell me about last night's dream or a memorable one.
2.  What is your favorite ethnic cuisine?
3.  If you could live in any fictional world (from books, movies, games, etc.), what would you choose and why?
4.  How are you spending this year's fall and winter holidays? 
5.  What are you currently obsessed with?
6.  What fashion trends make you cringe?
7.  What are some of your hobbies?   


8.  Do you wear makeup? If so, what are your favorite brands? 9.  Tell us one favorite childhood memory. 10.  What is your favorite family activity? 11.  Are you happy?

 
1. Yes, I dream. Bigtime. In technicolor. Long, convoluted plots I can barely even remember, let alone relate afterward. One dream I have almost nightly, in some form or other, is a nutty one in which I realize I still haven't graduated from high school, and I've forgotten to go to my classes or do any of my assignments. I'm always mortified to realize I'm in my mid-fifties and still haven't managed to fulfill the requirements for a diploma. And I can never find my locker or remember its combination.
2. Favorite ethnic cuisine...hmmm..  I've not led a very dashing life so haven't much to go on here. I love Mexican food and Italian. Does that count?
3. Beats me... Star Trek original series? Star Wars? I'm drawing a blank here.  I know!  Mayberry!!
4. Christmas this year will be at home, as always. I love Christmas at home. When I go somewhere else, I feel out of sync and as if I've missed it, somehow.
5. My current obsession--and there are always several--would be making bangle hats, I suppose. I've also been on a vintage greeting card kick.
6. I'm old-school enough to think tattoos are for burly muscle men and sailors, and that body-piercings are grotesque. I realize I'm in the minority on this one, but there it is. Another thing I hate are fitted skirts with little ruffles around the bottom. Ghastly.
7. The hobbies you already know about. Garage sale-ing and knitting and crocheting and easy sewing, when I can manage the time. Punch-needle rug making. Reading. A bit of gardening. Listening to classical music.
8. I don't generally wear make-up at home, but when I'm going to church or to town and want to appear reasonably presentable, yes, I do wear make-up. I don't know which brands. Usually what's on sale. I'm not picky. I like the way I look when I have make-up on, but I hate putting it on. Particularly as I'm blind as a bat and have shaky hands. 
9.  Choosing one favorite childhood memory is a toughie, as I have many to choose from. I have lovely memories of being read to by my paternal grandmother from the book, Little Brown Koko. She would also play games with me--number games with paper and pencil, marbles, and Chinese checkers.


10.  Favorite family activity...  When the kids were little we had scads of fun things we did together, but now that everyone's grown up, I guess just getting together to visit and eat and hang out is what I like best. We usually figure out some sort of mayhem to amuse ourselves.


We usually manage to make our own fun...easy to do if you're willing to cast your dignity to the four winds.
 If all else fails, we haul out an Yma Sumac CD and lip-sync to it. (Photo 1)
You'll notice I conveniently left out any incriminating photographs of myself!


11.Yes, praise God, I am happy. I enjoy my life, and can usually find something to laugh about--even if it's just myself! Things haven't always been so mellow, though. I've definitely been through challenges. I think it's like Winston Churchill said. "If you're going through hell, keep going!"  Or, as the scriptures put it, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." The trick is toughing out the night!



Okay, now for my own blog nominations for the Liebster Award:

vintagetoyfun.blogspot.com

The rules are:

  • Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.
  • They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them.
  • They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.
  • They must then choose 11 special bloggers to tag & award with the Liebster award with less than 200 followers.
  • These lucky bloggers must be told in a comment on their blog 

vintagetoyfun.blogspot.com

coldhamcuddliescalling.blogspot.com

bloomingtailsdogduds.blogspot.com

claresherwen.blogspot.co.uk

kerrihouston.blogspot.com

c-creativity.blogspot.com

thebeadedcanine.blogspot.com

kingmtntreasures.blogspot.com

mymulberryjunction.blogspot.com

wateredsoul.com

winscolt.blogspot.com


Okay, nominees, here are your eleven questions:


1. Name a historical figure that you admire, and tell why.

2. What are the names of some of your favorite books or stories from childhood?

3. Describe your idea of an ideal day.

4. What are your pet peeves?

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

6. Share a favorite Christmas, holiday, or birthday memory.

7. What's the best compliment you ever received?

8. What's your favorite meal?

9. What would you do with an extra 3 hours today if you had it?

10. Name a place you'd like to visit.

11. Name a goal you'd like to accomplish or a skill you'd like to learn in the next 2 years.



It will be interesting to see what these bloggers have to say! And you don't have to have a blog to answer. Feel free to comment here. I'm sure we'd all enjoy getting to know one another better.  

P.S. If I tagged your blog and you have more than 200 readers (you lucky dog, you!) I just goofed. Or if you have a blog I read and I didn't tag you even though you have less than 200, I apologize. On some of the blogs I couldn't find a membership count.        

9 comments :

  1. Thanks for nominating me for the Liebester Blog - consider it to be an honour, even though I've been nominated and complied with all the requirements before! Your questions are so different, it's like a totally new experience, but forgive me if I don't do it until later next week! I've just had a successful Christmas Bazaar event, and need to sort things out as a result!

    All the best. Was fascinated to learn more about you, especially, as until now, I had not realised you were reading, let alone following us at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com!

    All the best - and thanks again. Isobel!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Isobel!
    Hey, it took me almost two weeks to get going on this so you've no cause to explain! It will be great fun to read your answers whenever you have time to post them.
    Best wishes,
    V.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a pleasure to learn more about you and thanks for nominating me for the award. Interesting questions you posed. When I get a little time I will try to respond to them. Hope you're enjoying a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, Wanda! Yes,it's fun getting to know one another, isn't it? Take your time. Life is busy enough at this time of year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. A ballet teacher- I love it! I love irises and poppies too. I also despise melon! They are seriously the only fruit that I hate. Just thinking about cantaloupe or honeydew is making my stomach turn...and I really don't know what the big deal is with watermelon. It just tastes like, well, water to me.
    It's so weird, I dream about being in high school a lot too. Most of the time, I don't know my schedule and I'm panicking because I don't know which class to go to next, then I end up getting lost and the school is a giant maze or I am late to school and in trouble.
    Mexican and Italian do count! I think anything besides your native food counts? Then again, the USA is a mash up of everything!
    Your family pictures remind me of my family. We do the silliest things for fun, sometimes I wonder 'how in the world did we start doing this?!' I've documented with photos, I just might have to do a blog post including them sometime :D
    I'm having a pretty tough time lately and have been needing something like that Churchill quote, thank you!

    Thanks so much for taking the time to do a post for the Liebster award! I loved reading your 11 things and getting to know more about you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Christina,
      Sorry to hear things aren't going so well right now. I've been praying for you every time you come to mind. Take a little time for yourself if you can--that exercise and eating right you mentioned in your blog. (I need to do that, too! I've gotten completely away from it in the last few months and I'm feeling like Quasimodo the hunchback!)

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  6. I love learning new things about you!
    I never would have guessed that you used to teach ballet


    Oh and your not alone I really do not like tattoos or piercings..I have one little crappy tattoo on my hand that I did myself when I was 14 its a K ( I had a boyfriend named Kevin at the time ) really wish that I had been smarter and realized that most highschool romances dont last.


    Ohhh and thank you for nominating me
    Im not sure how this works do I answer the questions here or put them in my blog orrr??

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aren't you glad you didn't end up with the guy you thought you couldn't live without when you were an adolescent? :-)

    Yeah, Vanessa, that's all there is to it. Just answer the questions on your blog and we'll all have fun reading them!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for nominating me. I enjoyed reading through your post and browsing you blog. Loved being included in the fun.

    ReplyDelete