Pleasantly surprised

My first nomination for the Liebster Award or any award for that matter! After getting over the initial shock since I have grown accustomed to seeing them on everyone else’s blog, I asked myself the most typical INTP question one would ask in such a situation ….. Why my blog? Now don’t get me wrong. I like my blog, I just like to understand why someone else would too.

Thanks to annesquared who nominated me for this award, I can proudly say that someone thinks I am “very creative, artistic, funny, sensitive artist.” Each word is such a compliment but a whole string of them in one sentence – golly gosh, just so lovely.

I like Anne’s intelligent humour. Of course I like her intelligence and humour separately but especially when they are combined. Witty, well written, researched, interesting, varied, passionate and embracing. Such a compliment receiving this nomination from annesquared.

The First Step for the Liebster Award is to tell 11 things about yourself:

1. I love cashew paste and banana on toast. In fact, I love anything on toast, I just love toast, or bread, cheese and bread, cheese alone even, or with a cracker, the soft gooey cheese, or my great grandfathers cheese …. oh…..

2. My great grandfather is Papa Hanson, known as the first cheese-maker in QLD, Australia. He came from Denmark and had to adjust his recipes for the climate. His cheeses are still made today. Although I love all cheeses, Papa’s Malling Red is my favourite – it bites.

3. I’m dairy intolerant.

4. When I meet a new person I like to know their profession and what their childhood dream to become was. No reason, just find it interesting. I also like to know their type, no not blonde’s or red heads, the MBTI silly.

5. I have an active imagination but also quite a convincing one. At my age, I am still scared of the dark.

6. I was obsessed with Wesley and Buttercup from the Princess Bride. I wanted to name my horse Buttercup only, I didn’t have a horse. I decided just in case I ever did acquire a horse, that would be his or her name. Didn’t seem like a suitable name for a dog, cat, rabbit, or turtle, all of which I did have as a child.

7. When my career counsellor suggested I be a novelist I thought he meant finding novel things. This confused me as I thought how could I find something universally novel without having invented it myself?

8. I love Chopin.

9. I love to spontaneously study. This doesn’t mean I study at spontaneous times, or that I actually study spontaneity but I love to change topics of study spontaneously.

10. I am really concerned about my ability to peacefully live with 3 teenage boys when the time comes. They are close in age with 3.5 years between the eldest and the youngest. I don’t know how many grunts, smelly socks, rotten food lingering under the bed I will be able to calmly acknowledge.

11. I bake my own bread. Am I bragging? Yes I am. Admittedly I use a bread-maker.

The Second Step for the Liebster Award is to answer the 11 questions asked by the nominating blogger:

1. Is there a population solution that you favor in particular? (Just kidding.) How many siblings do you have?
I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. Although the age gap between them and myself was like having siblings who visited when growing up.

2.Who is your favourite artist?
Edgar Degas

3. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
Both, can I say that? I had a cat called Pebbles that died after his back was broken by two dogs. We still have our border collie Tailor, although I was going to call her Bam Bam.

4. Do you have a recurring dream? Good or bad?
I had a recurring dream that repeated itself 6 times in the same night. Each time, it got quicker and quicker. I was a cowboy and the dream ended with me loosing a dual against 5 other cowboys at a card game in a saloon.

5. What is your opinion about the flying monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz”?
I don’t remember the monkeys. Were there flying monkeys?

6. How many states and/or countries have you had a driver’s license in?
2 states.

7. Would you rather survive a pandemic that killed 99.4% of the population, or be among the 99.4%? (That is the scenario in “The Stand”, by Stephan King.)
Whichever my family is in.

8. Did you know that HIV/AIDS is no longer classified as a “sexually transmitted disease” (STD)
No, what is it classified as?

9. You are at an estate sale that is selling work by Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet and other renowned artists. A local woman is running the sale to keep the prices lower to the buyer but give the estate more return on the items. (Her entry into the market.) The deceased, an eclectic collector of beauty, has an incredible collection of work. You are offered the following: 5 exquisite, but unsigned watercolors on textured paper. The provenance is gone. The dearly departed hired people to come into his home to search for the documents – but nothing was ever found. Given the collection of items that is being sold, and the 5 unsigned watercolors look simple, but unique, would you be willing to pay $250.00 for the set of them?
Why not?

The Third Step for the Liebster Award is to nominate 11 bloggers with relatively few (less than 200) followers:

Row’s Pottery Shed – you never know what will pop up on Rowena’s next post but it is always something I wouldn’t normally see if she didn’t point it out for me.

Middleagedyo – I have only just recently found this blog but have devoured the contents. So interesting, informative, creative, funny and entertaining.

Sketch4health – Amy is on a mission to make the therapeutic benefits of art available for individuals that may not have access to such possibilities. I admire her determination and of course, believe in the benefits of art for all and would love to see this project flourish.

Creativityrulez – Eddy loves to write about creativity and I love to read it.

Misadventures in craft – such a cool blog with colourful ideas in craft and activities with kids.

Jacklyn Hancock Visual Artist – what can I say, I like her art and she is talented in a number of mediums.

Creatice Mondial – a newish blog but is becoming filled with interesting stuff that I like and look forward to seeing much more.

Just another outlet – we share an interest in personality and understanding the differences in people and how these differences matter. Quite insightful.

Discover & Create – Jutta has some beautiful art but I particularly love the sculptures.

The sculptors wife – opening my eyes to a world that I am becoming increasingly interested in – sculpture.

Eclectic Threads – love the photos on this blog. Tells a great visual story.

The Fourth Step for the Liebster Award is to ask your nominees 11 questions:

1. What is a fond childhood memory?

2. Your favourite movie?

3. If you could do/be anything – what would it be?

4. Most common item you buy that is under $10.00

5. Something that annoys you

6. Something that gives you pleasure

7. Find your self daydreaming about ….

8. Where do you get your ideas for your posts?

9. Which do you enjoy most, pondering the possibilities or narrowing down the options?

10. Favourite novel

11. Advice for a mum who will one day have 3 teenage sons – at the same time?