The Liebster Award

Miss Megan nominated my bloggy for a Liebster Award... Thanks Miss Megan! You can read her writings at The Dizzy Dandelion. 

So here's the low down on this beautiful award. (I've already printed off a picture of the above...my printer is black and white so I need to color it in... and I shall wear it pinned to my tee-shirt.)

Wait. What was I saying?

The Low Down! The rules!

Here they are: 

The Fun Rules:

• The nominee must link back to the blogger who nominated them.
• The nominee must state 11 facts about themselves, and then answer the 11 questions provided for them by the person who nominated them.
• The nominee must then nominate bloggers with less than 200 followers, who they think deserve the recognition, and pose 11 new questions for them to answer.

Here are 11 facts about me:
1. I am a natural redhead. 
2. I am currently eating Chester's Puffcorns and listening to myself sing songs on my recorder from last night's rehearsal. 
3. When I was a little girl I would sing, "Somewhere Out There" out my window and pray that a casting agent was listening from the field behind my house. Cause they do that. 
4. My parents were divorced when I was 11. 
5. I grew up with a slew of siblings as a result of my parents' subsequent marriages. I am awfully fond of them. 
6. My favorite place in the world is at the beach. I love swimming in the waves. Water is magical. There's nothing like feeling the water lift you off the sand and carry you. It's like flying. 
7. I'm horrible with money. 
8. My love life is complicated. I am looking for my match. This is hard. 
9. I've always felt overweight. Always. I wouldn't even know what it felt like to feel thin. 
10. I really like that moment of going to bed--but for some reason, I have always had a hard time getting myself to go to bed at a decent hour. 
11. My politics are a complicated mix of libertarian and liberal. But my personal code of ethics is pretty strict. And I love that I have the freedom to decide that. 

Questions from Miss Megan:

1. What was your favorite toy as a child? I loved my Strawberry Shortcake doll because she had red-hair like me, she was soft, and she smelled like strawberries. 
2. What do you do when you are sad? When I'm sad, I sing. I turn up sad songs on my ipod in the car and I belt away. Or I cry. 
3. What did you want to be when you grew up? I imagined myself doing a lot of things. I always wanted to be married and have a family--but I also imagined my kids running around backstage at the theatre too. 
4. Beavers or ducks? ha ha! I love the movie. 
5. What was the last book you read, and what did you think of it? I'm still working on Intuitive Eating. I love it. I am horrible at reading non-fiction though. Before that, I read a book about a blind cat. I can't remember the name of it. But it was wonderful. So if someone offers you a chance to read a book about a blind cat--read it.  Wait--through the magic of google--the name of the book is Homer's Odyssey.
6. Which sports do you follow, if any? I come from a family of sports enthusiasts, so I always enjoy sports when I get around to watching the games. I generally enjoy college football over pro--but pro basketball over college basketball. March Madness? Wha? 
7. What is your favorite food to pig out on? Ice Cream and I have a long standing relationship. I love Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake. 
8. If you could have a conversation with absolutely anyone -- living or dead -- who would it be? This is a really good question! One of my favorite plays is called The Meeting. It's a fictional account of a meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. I think rather than conversing myself, I'd love to listen in on a couple of conversations. I think I'd love to hear a conversation between  Muhammed, Jesus Christ, and Buddha. The three faiths don't feel contradictory. The Muslim faith is about doing. Christianity is about events. Jesus lived and died and was resurrected.  And Buddhism is about states of being and transcending. All three are required for salvation. Faith, Action, Virtue. (Well, that was a complicated answer...)
9. What is one talent you wish you had? I wish I could dance better. I love dancing--but I just don't have the control over my body that I'd like. I have dreams where I am running through the forest without taking a breath. I wish I could run! 
10. Where is the most exotic place you've ever been? (The definition of "exotic" is up to you!) The furthest I've traveled was a weekend I spent in Wales on the coast. The TV was in Welsh! Who speaks Welsh? I'll tell you--the Welsh! 
11. Why did you start blogging? I started blogging in 2008. I don't remember what inspired me to start. I have always kept journals and I like writing. I think it was reading Melanie Hess's blog. 

And the nominees for the Liebster Awards Are:

Cinnamon&Sassafras
Confessions of a Drama Teacher
Salmon Tolman Fam
Pursuit of Happiness
Academic Diary
The Rains Came Down

Questions for Nominees:

1. If you could change your name for a day--what would you change it to and why?
2. If you were Oprah Winfrey--what awesome gift would you bestow on everyone you know?
3. If you could live anywhere for 3 months--all expenses paid--where would you live?
4. What is the bravest thing you've ever done?
5. What song would describe your life this past year?
6. What is your greatest strength?
7. What three values best define you?
8. What was the last movie you saw and what did you think of it?
9. Who is your favorite fictional character and why?
10. What living person inspires you today?
11. If you as your adult self could go back in time and have a conversation with your 11 year old self--what would you tell her?

I am curious to read your answers to these questions! If you don't have a blog, or if you're Larissa and I'm certain you have been nominated by someone else--I would love to hear your answers as well! Just leave your answers in the comments.

 Thank you Megan for this experience!