"Liebster" noun: favorite; dearest; beloved

I find that family matters have required my return to the snowy north for a few weeks.  So as I write - the snow swirls in gusts outside my window, as opposed to the sway of palm tress and the crash of surf.

On my first leg home, I was sitting in the West Palm Beach Airport, and perusing my favorite blogs while waiting for my plane to depart.  As seems to be the case for so many of us these days, none of my travel arrangements went as planned and my plane was first delayed for half an hour, then another half and then - it was clear that I would not make my connecting flight for the final trip home.  I was one of the fortunate ones and was re-routed, making it home only slightly later than I had been originally scheduled to. 

Anyhow - back to my blog hopping.  While reading, I stopped in surprise to find that one of my favorite bloggers,  Little Pink Cakes, had nominated me for the Liebster Award!  I actually read it in their post before I read their e-mail informing me of the nomination.

"Liebster" is German, with the approximate translation of "favorite" or "dearest".  This award is actually a way of "paying it forward".  There is no competition, no application, no judging.  The purpose is to bring exposure to small, wonderful blogs that may not be well known.  I, in turn, will pass it on to some of my favorite blogs.

So, here is how it works:

When you receive the award, and choose to accept it, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.  Then:

• Pass the award on to at least 3-5 (I did stretch it to 6) other blogs and ask them 11 questions that you have created.
• Make sure that you let them know that you have nominated them!
• You are not allowed to nominate the blog that nominated you!
• Make sure that the blogs that you choose have 200‑3000 or less followers.   Now, I did some exploration on the origins of the award - and some sites indicate that the number is 200-300 or less.  I took the liberty of choosing somewhere in between.

So here is goes, starting with 11 random facts about myself:

1. I love disaster movies - much to the amusement of my family.
2. I whistle incessantly - this does not amuse my family much.
3. Salmon is one of my favorite foods - though this was not always appreciated by some teachers in the faculty room back in my teaching days.
4. I am one of 5 daughters.
5. I am thoroughly obsessed with Downton Abbey.
6. I knit, sew, bead, make soap and love to read.
7. I am not a baker.
8. I have a 25 year old son.
9. I could wander the shore searching for seashells hour after hour and never tire of it.
10. Greens and ocean colors are my very favorite.
11. My favorite cologne is Eucalyptus by Thymes.

Now - to answer the questions put to me by Little Pink Cakes:

1. Where are you right now? 

 I am sitting at my parents' dining-room table - thank goodness they have wi-fi!

2. If you could beam yourself, where would you go in exactly this moment? 

 I would be walking though the paths of Pamet Marsh on Cape Cod with my husband.

3. What is the thing you never forget to take with you? Except your keys. And except your mobile. And except your camera. :)

 I never leave the house without Chapstick - and if I forget it - I'm swinging by a store to pick some up!

4. Take the book you are reading at the moment and quote the third sentence from page 42.
"She placed third in a competition to apply makeup, and she lived sedately and quietly, pouring all her energy into her studies."  Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

5. Is there a film you could watch over and over again? Which one?  

I could watch Moonstruck, with Cher and Nicolas Cage over, and over and over again!

6. How does your usual Sunday look like?  

Actually, now that I'm retired, Sundays look pretty much like every other day of the week - though I am inclined to maybe do a bit more cooking - guess that's a holdover from my teaching days!

7. How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Not as many as my husband seems to think!  I would say maybe ten.  OK, maybe more like 15.

8. Do you have any peculiar personal rituals (such as always hanging your washed socks in pairs)?
I have thought and thought on this,  and I don't really think that I do!  Well - maybe that I always have mascara on when I leave the house.

9. If an alien asked you which place to visit on earth what would you recommend?  

This is a challenging question!  I guess that I would want to make a good first impression, so I would recommend places of beauty that I know personally, like the West Coast of Ireland, or off the beaten path on Cape Cod.

10.What's your favourite quote?  

"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking."  J. C. Watts                                                                                                              

11. Popcorn salted or sweet?  

Salted, and with lots of real butter!

And now for the 11 questions I would like my Liebster nominees to answer:

1. What is the one food that you wish you liked, but you just don't? For example, I wish that I liked mushrooms - but I can't stand them.
2. How many books a year (or month or week) would you say you read?
3. What is one embarrassing memory from your youth that you feel comfortable sharing?
4. Hellman's Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?  There's only one right answer here - so be careful!
5. If you could do something else in your life other than what you are doing right now - what would it be?
6. Favorite all-time singer or musical group?  
7. Do you like riding on roller-coasters, and if so - do you have a favorite one?
8. Favorite season of the year?
9. If you could have one talent that you know you don't have, and will never really have, what would it be?
10. What is your favorite way to spend time by yourself?
11. Would you rather do the cooking, or do the cleanup afterward?

And now for my turn to pass the Liebster Award on to some of my favorite bloggers - and it's well deserved! 

• Tierney of Silver Trumpet Style
• Rebekah of Honeysuckle Life
• Vibeke of A Butterfly In My Hair
• Linda of Linda Marveng
• Dottie of It's Just Dottie
• Clarice of Storybook Woods

And finally - I thank Little Pink Cakes from the bottom of my grateful heart!  Your haunting photos, with their amazing colors, lights and shadows inspire me to be a better photographer!  Thank you!