Kevin over at Nitty Gritty Dirt Man nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. Since Kevin’s blog is one I faithfully read and enjoy, this was an especially wonderful moment in the short history of my humble little blog. Thank you Kevin for making me feel special on a day I believed I was lost in the crowd. I encourage you to visit the Nitty Gritty Dirt Man where you’ll find delightful humor rooted among helpful gardening tips and uplifting words of wisdom.

As a Liebster Blog Award winner, I’m to share 11 facts about myself chosen by my nominator:

1.) My favorite time of day is early morning. Husband and I enjoy a leisurely chat over a cup (okay, two or three cups) of coffee. After a 10-Minute Solution workout and a shower, our conversation resumes until it’s time to join no less than a million other commuters on the same strip of highway.

2.) Despite occasional evidence to the contrary, my passion is organizing. I dearly love a tidy home and an orderly schedule. Apparently I received this “gift” early in life. When I was three, my parents had to replace a toilet I had tried to clean with a comb.

3.) Ah, high school. My choices were questionable and the group with which I socialized even more so.

4.) Most of my blog posts were written on my laptop sitting in my family room. My seating choices are varied and plentiful and there is a television in the room. I’ve tried to write outside when the weather permits, but there are far too many distractions.

5.) The sound of babies laughing always make me laugh. It is the best sound in the world.

6.) Talent on TV? Oh please. Viewers wouldn’t be able to change the channel fast enough.

7.) Daisies are hands-down the happiest flowers.

8.) I listen to books more often than I read them. Audio books helped me reframe a “terrible commute” into “story hour”. At the moment I’m listening to To Kill a Mockingbird because my grandson just finished it. Recent reads that made an impression on me were The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.

9.) Brussels sprouts. Eee-yuck.

10.) Ooh, rainy winter day possibilities are endless! There are searches on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, memorials to create for FindAGrave.com, faux family history pages to scrapbook, new healthy recipes to try, photos to scan, patterns to sew, and seed catalogs to peruse.

11.) I have always admired Abraham Lincoln. He may not be a celebrity but I would love to hear his thoughts on the “progress” we’ve made since he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Next up are my nominations for the Liebster Award:

1.) Are My Roots Showing is written by a friend – a fantastic and funny woman who is climbing her family tree and having other adventures along the way.

2.) Another genealogy-related blog I enjoy is The Armchair Genealogist.

3.) Mostly Bright Ideas is just that and written with mostly humor to boot. Often causes me to reflect. Always encourages me to think.

4.) After discovering I had French ancestry, I found The French Genealogy Blog. The author now lives in France and shares her close encounters with nearby repositories. But that’s just the tip of the eclair; Anne has many words of wisdom worth reading.

5.) The Legal Genealogist encourages better analysis of my research finds which in turn makes me a better researcher.

6.) My research often begged the question Who Knew? Debi’s is a fun blog devoted to the answers to that question.

7.)  I love to sew, but have a life that takes me far away from my sewing machine. I love the humorous slant on that situation as described by Debbie at Stitches and Seams. Some of her comments keep me in stitches.

8.) More sewing stories and tons of creative craft ideas abound at Craftiness is Not Optional.

9.) As part of my new healthier lifestyle, I’ve been following Dr. Weil. I encourage you to visit his Daily Health Tips blog and I especially encourage you to watch his videos. He gears much advice toward a mature audience, but who couldn’t benefit from a healthier lifestyle?

10.) Want melt-in-your-mouth food that is actually good for you? You should meet Ashley at Edible Perspectives and see her food photographs. Just try not to drool on them.

11.) A blog that’s just right for this time in my life is Tiny Buddha. Lori shares some of the struggles we all encounter and provides insights from a learning-to-be-positive perspective.

Lastly the 11 questions I pose to my nominees:

1.) What is your favorite saying and where did you first hear it?

2.) Do you remember your first dress-up occasion? What did you wear and why?

3.) Have you been affected by a natural disaster? What was your experience?

4.) What do you see when you look out your kitchen window?

5.) Are you more comfortable speaking or writing and why?

6.) What did your childhood home look like?

7.) Were you ever fired or laid-off? How did you deal with that situation?

8.) Do you enjoy your birthdays or do you lament the passing of time?

9.) Which is your favorite holiday and why?

10.) Growing up, what your favorite television or radio show?

11.) Different times of life are satisfying for different reasons; which has been the most satisfying for you and why?

Now I must tell my nominees of their nominations. I hope you’ll settle in a comfy chair and visit the 11 blogs listed above. Happy reading!