Liebster Award

Many thanks to, Millie Thom, for tossing me under the lorry (awfully large truck), given I have never been selected for much of anything and am slightly nervous at this time. I will get over it! See, it was not that difficult!

Sincerely, thank you very much Millie! I truly appreciate you giving me this wonderful opportunity and allowing the selection of some Great Authors who fit the criteria for the same award. This was quite a lovely request!

SIMPLE RULES

1. Thank the person/people who nominated you by providing a link to their blog in your Liebster Award post.
2. Give 11 random facts about yourself. Have fun with this one! You get to use bragging rights or things you’ve wanted to get off your chest for a long time, so go for it!
3. Answer the 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you. Know that you can have fun with this as well!
4. Nominate 11 other blogs that have 200 followers or less. That was the criteria used here.
5. Ask your nominees 11 questions of your own. Time for you to get some satisfaction after you answer your questions.

RANDOM FACTS – ABOUT ME

1. I am Canadian, but currently reside in the USA after completing a project in Houston, Texas. Have taken some time off to relax before returning to the Great White North. Basically, I did not want to return in the middle of winter.
2. I’m older than dirt (new dirt) born in 1956. In fact, I am 24 years old… in each eye, and my hair is arctic blond. My glasses could start a forest fire if left in the sun for any length of time. As they say, blind in one eye and cannot see out of the other one.
3. The oilfield has been home for most of my working career, mainly in the drilling industry. This work has taken me to quite a few countries and opened my eyes to many cultures. It was a great career with many opportunities!
4. We have a senior rescue dog named “Doc Watson”, who we got just over a year ago. Doc is basically blind and deaf but makes a great friend and loves to guard the house. He makes his rounds every night at bedtime to make sure the perimeter is secured. He is about 12-13 years old.
5. My first job was that of a paperboy delivering newspapers. My brothers and I did that from 1966 to around 1972. We moved to the country so had to leave our paper routes.
6. Computers and I have been working together since 1984. The funny thing is I use them mainly for work and outside of the blog; I really do not need one. However, at work I made a living for several years both training people and utilizing programs like Excel (my favorite program).
7. In the many years of work on various projects, I lost track of how many places I lived in, after 30 moves. I detest moving but love living in different places. It’s all about people, that make it interesting.
8. My first pet was a rabbit named “Bugs”. I think my parents let me take him to grandma’s farm to play hide and go seek. He was a very good at hiding because I never saw him again.
9. I froze my ears when I was in grade 11 going from the house to the school bus as I forgot my toque (hat). It felt like what a windshield looks like after a car accident, where the glass is in all the small pieces. Yes, I cried! It hurt!
10. Living in Canada, snow is quite common. I have had to dig vehicles out of six feet (about 2 meters) of snow, quite a few times. One time I could not make it all the way home and had to abandon the car in the middle of the street and walk home. We brought our 48” snow shovel to Texas, just in case.
11. Although I have too many electronic gadgets around the house, I gave up at the VCR and have not a clue how to run the Smart TV. Funny how that works!

QUESTIONS FOR ME

• What are the main types of posts you write and what type of blogs do you enjoy reading yourself?

The blog started out where people could learn how to use Excel spreadsheets. After about 1,500 views and only a couple of comments (3 months), I shut that down due to lack of interest. I then decided to put some old poems on there and was intrigued by the community involvement. I read a lot of poetry sites but have been attracted to blogs that talk about many issues from life in other cultures to others personal interests.

• Do you have a particular time of day when you do your blogging and how often do you generally aim to post?

Because I am out of work, I spend a lot of my time blogging. I enjoy viewing other peoples work and commenting on as many as I can. It is always nice to see feedback and because I feel it is all about community, I love to give back while I am able. There are no longer kids at home so it is the Mrs., me and the dog so I can write when I feel up to it. My favorite time is when the house is the quietest.

• Have you a particular genre you like to read or watch on TV/movies, and are there any genres that you would avoid at all costs?

Reading non-fiction is preferred and watching television would be action shows, humor and some love story types. I refuse to watch horror movies.

• What would be your ideal holiday destination? (e.g. are you a sunshine-and-beach kind of person or a sightseer, a sports-driven holiday-seeker, or what?

One day I would love to go on a Disney cruise. They say even adults love their cruises. I have to admit, I would likely take a computer along to write.

• What is your biggest goal in life at the moment?

The biggest goal is to either find another job or decide to retire. It is hard to sell a house when you do not know where you are going to go next. I am going to take some poetry classes to channel more interest in that area.

• What is your favourite type of music? Do you have any favourite performer(s)?

Many genres: Country, bluegrass, folk, blues and some popular music. Nick Drake, Mumford & Sons, David Mallett, Snow Patrol, Gordon Lightfoot, Stevie Ray Vaughn just to mention a small handful.

• Do you have a favourite musical instrument and do you play anything yourself?

I play guitar but also enjoy listening to piano.

• To what extent are you influenced by fashion in your choice of clothes?

Blue jeans and T-shirts.

• Describe your ideal meal/venue for a meal on a special occasion or night out.

Chicken is likely my favorite, but given the number of Mexican restaurants in Texas verses Canada we are taking advantage of that during this period. My favorite meals out are typically breakfast.

• When you were a child, what did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

I wanted to be a social worker. For quite a few years I worked in human resources.

• Now the biggie: What do you think of ‘Game of Thrones’ (book or TV series)? This seems to be a popular discussion point at the moment!

Game of Thrones is letting me off easy as I do not know the series.

MY CHOICE OF GREAT BLOGGERS!

Abubhaji

Bird Like Banter

Heart Words for Poetry

Jane’s Musing – Moon World

Lillian the Home Poet

Misses Remington

Poetical Journey

Roads, Path’s & Trails

QUESTIONS FOR YOU

1. Given your choice of countries to live in, which would be your number 1 choice and why?
2. What would be your favorite mode of travel if you could chose i.e. Airplane, Automobile, Boat, Bus, Helicopter, Motorcycle, Train etc. and why?
3. What is your favorite dessert?
4. What would be your favorite beverage?
5. Who is your favorite poet in the entire world?
6. If you are one who plays board games, which is your favorite? If not board games your favorite sport?
7. What was your all-time favorite movie?
8. Do you recall the first book you read as a child? What is the name of it?
9. Do you recall your favorite teacher in school (any grade), what was their name and why?
10. Do you play a musical instrument and if so which one?
11. This question is for you to fill in and give us the answer to your own question. This should be fun so just give it a go and let’s see how you do.

Only a couple more things about this award. If you could please confirm back, through the blog, that you accept the nomination, that would be great. As I found out, it takes quite a bit to put one of these together but it can honestly be fun and rewarding. This is a wonderful community to be in and great to be a part of a place where I have yet to see harshness enter into the lines of great words by folks like yourselves. It is an opportunity to have a voice, that can be heard. All the best to each one of you and remember to make it a lot of fun.