So I’ve been slacking this Lent and on week second-to-last made a half-hearted attempt at giving up something.  Actually,  my schedule made it for me.  I’d noticed that the last few Sundays I hadn’t been logging on / checking in on my blog, Facebook, e-mail – all that fun stuff that sucks up inordinate amounts of time.  I’d been filling my time with family, house stuff, etc.  And since this occurred on the day of rest, I saw it as a sign that perhaps I should leave that time untouched by multi-media’s dirty little mitts.  Yes, it is a bit rationalization.  No, I didn’t put it to particularly good use in praying or praising the Lord.  (Though my husband and I did take up watching Mark Burnett’s interpretation of the Bible – ha!)  I did, however, want to check my stats and inane Facebook updates more than ever. Has my soul grown by fighting that temptation?

Perhaps.

Perhaps the Lord has rewarded me!  This past Sunday afternoon, I was speaking on the phone with my mother.  She mentioned reading my latest posts and excitedly announced that I’d gotten an award.  What?  You have to go on and check, she exclaimed.  But it’s Sunday . . .

Waiting until Monday morning to read the exciting news made my nomination for The Liebster Award that much sweeter.  Who deemed me worthy enough?  Which of my readers enjoyed my writing enough to choose me amongst all those out there?

Tieshka, that’s who!

Many, many thanks to Tieshka for awarding me with The Liebster Award.  I found her blog, Jardin Luxembourg, by way of her post about a micro-brewery tour with friends.  A weekend getaway tasting small batch, hand-crafted beer?  Sign me up.  And she even hiked the next day and managed to think about cleaning her house.  She may be my hero.

She shared the rules of The Liebster Award with me:

1. Proudly display The Liebster badge!
2. Thank the person who nominated you.
3. Share eleven random things about yourself.
4. Nominate eleven blogs/bloggers worthy of the award (who also happen to have less than 200 followers).
5. Answer the eleven questions asked of you.
6. Pose eleven questions to your nominees.

So, on to the sharing of eleven random things about myself . . .

1. I’m thinking right now that random is easier said than done.

2.  I wear orthotics (which is a fun word to say).

3.  I really don’t like Justin Bieber but thought those with Bieber fever might appreciate my play on words in the title.

4.  Plus, I love alliteration!

5.  I am a word geek, in case you couldn’t tell.

6.  I apparently intimidated a waitress last night when she tried to take away my half-eaten dessert thinking I was done.  I was not.

7.  I just bought a bird cage, but do not, nor plan to, own any birds.

8.  I have been in a writers’ group for nearly two years now.

9.  My new favorite driving music is The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit (Thanks, D!)

10.  I want a chain saw.

11.  I am not a psycho-killer, Qu’est-ce que c’est

And in the event that they still want to associate with me after that, I’d like to nominate the following blogs for The Liebster Award:

• I’m Fine, But Mommy Has Issues
• Nailing Jello to a Tree
• Living in Evanescent Increments
• Tiny Steps, Big Journey
• Half Past Normal
• Sorrygnat, World Citizen
• Under the Big Blue Sky
• The Red Tent
• mindbodybrew
• What Would She Think?
• Infinite Sadness . . . or Hope?

The eleven questions Tieshka offered for me to answer:

1. How many siblings do you have, or are you an only child?  I am an only child.

2. What is your favorite vacation spot?  Alone with my husband, preferably with a bottle of wine.

3. Are you afraid of heights?  The edges of them!

4. Can you swim for at least half a mile?  Um, no.

5. Which blog have you enjoyed writing most (topic)?  Chopping Potatoes.

6. What two foods do you detest?  Vegamite (sorry to my Australian friends) and anything so spicy it makes my nose run.

7. What is your favorite sport?  To play?  Basketball.

8. Would you rather wash dishes or take out the trash?  Surprisingly, wash dishes, though you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at my kitchen sink!

9. Have you ever traveled outside of the country you live in?  Yes.

10. What is your favorite cartoon (or used to be when you were a child)?  Garfield.

11. Do you prefer to use a PC or Mac computer?  I am a Mac convert.

Hmmm . . . now what do I wish to know about you?  I feel like I have to channel my former self circa grade eleven/sixteen years old.  It is fun, though!

1.  Why did you start your blog?

2.  What’s your grandest dream?

3.  What’s your favorite color?

4.  Name the favorite room in your home and why.

5.  What’s your favorite word?  Okay, two – I know it’s hard to choose.

6.  What do you put off in order to write?

7.  What do you do instead of writing?

8.  Where’s your favorite spot to write?

9.  Have you ever been to Spain?

10.  What’s the last meal you cooked?

11.  What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?

Thank you to all the bloggers whose writing inspires and thoughts provoke.  I hope you accept and share the blog love.  For, I love reading.

Long Live the Lieb!