A lovely new blogging friend, Jessie Gunderson, was kind enough to nominate me for the “Liebster Award”—liebster apparently being a German word for “favorite,” and this being a way to help get the word out about small-scale bloggers whom others might enjoy. The idea was to share 11 things about yourself, answer 11 questions, and then tag 11 other small-scale bloggers.
I’ve only found three friends able to join the fun this time, but I’m excited, because they are all amazing women whose blogs have touched my heart. I do hope you will check out what they have to share—not just this time, but for days to come. And please hop on over to Jessie’s delightful “Blog Schmog,”also!
I’ve only found three friends able to join the fun this time, but I’m excited, because they are all amazing women whose blogs have touched my heart. I do hope you will check out what they have to share—not just this time, but for days to come. And please hop on over to Jessie’s delightful “Blog Schmog,”also!
All right, now for 11 “random” things about me. Let’s see…
1. My family used to raise Nubian dairy goats in New Mexico. We milked by hand, played midwife every spring, made cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream…yummy. My little sister grew up playing with the kids. 🙂
2. I love to dance, though I’m not very advanced at any particular sort. But I’ve taken ballet, tap, and theater dance—both when I was little and as an adult—been part of a Swedish folk-dancing troupe, learned some ballroom, and attended English Regency dance lessons and Jane Austen balls.
3. When I was little, I used to walk around in circles telling stories to myself. Now when I have to work out a problem with a story in my head, it still often helps to go for a walk!
1. My family used to raise Nubian dairy goats in New Mexico. We milked by hand, played midwife every spring, made cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream…yummy. My little sister grew up playing with the kids. 🙂
2. I love to dance, though I’m not very advanced at any particular sort. But I’ve taken ballet, tap, and theater dance—both when I was little and as an adult—been part of a Swedish folk-dancing troupe, learned some ballroom, and attended English Regency dance lessons and Jane Austen balls.
3. When I was little, I used to walk around in circles telling stories to myself. Now when I have to work out a problem with a story in my head, it still often helps to go for a walk!
4. I tend to hold grudges on behalf of those I love. 5. I really, really don’t like worms.
6. The two places in this world closest to my heart are northwest New Mexico and Oxford, England.
7. I love babies.
8. I think I have the entire script of The Sound of Music film memorized. So did one of my friends when I was thirteen, and together we put on our own version, with her three brothers filling the various male roles and my two-year-old sister as Gretl. It didn’t win any Oscars, but we had fun! And I should have known, with the way my sister could act and memorize lines as a toddler, that she’d end up a theater major. 🙂
9. I used to wish I lived in the “old-fashioned days.” Today I still love the simplicity and fashions and charm of 100+ years ago, but I’ve also come to better appreciate such modern inventions as Internet and indoor plumbing. Hence the charm of historical fiction!
10. I have a heart for racial reconciliation.
11. I love Jesus.
9. I used to wish I lived in the “old-fashioned days.” Today I still love the simplicity and fashions and charm of 100+ years ago, but I’ve also come to better appreciate such modern inventions as Internet and indoor plumbing. Hence the charm of historical fiction!
10. I have a heart for racial reconciliation.
11. I love Jesus.
Hey, that wasn’t as hard as I thought! And now for the 11 questions I have to answer:
1. Why did you start blogging?
I’d like to say “to minister to people” or “to share my heart,” but I’m afraid it started out more mundane than that. In June of 2011, I had recently attended my first writers conference, where I got the impression (whether anyone actually said it or not) that all writers, if they wanted to rise to any significance whatsoever, “needed” to blog. But—I hadn’t the faintest idea how. Then I saw an advertisement on the ACFW email loop from a lovely lady—a homeschooling mom, which set me at ease—for her online class on blogging. I signed up, and Patty Wysong got me started. God knew what He was doing even if I didn’t…blogging has turned out to be a real blessing to me, and I hope to others as well.
2. What is your favorite genre to read?
Historical fiction.
3. What fictional character do you most wish were real?
Oh, dear…hmm. This is a toughie. I could say so many, but the one that sticks in my head is Father Tim of the Mitford books. It almost seems silly to say I wish he were real, because he already seems so much so. (Goes to show if books are really good, I’m not at all bound to my above-mentioned favorite genre. 🙂 )
4. Describe your dream office for writing.
Let’s see…mainly I need a quiet place, and uninterrupted time…at least to produce any very significant chunks of new material. My iTunes list for whatever story I’m working on is very helpful, with earbuds to help me enter that world. That’s about all I really need—and prayer.
5. Name one thing you couldn’t live without.
Jesus—is He a thing? It might sound cliché, but it’s true.
6. If you could keep only one book, what would it be?
Hmm…besides the Bible, what comes to mind is my big Chronicles of Narnia volume—it’s seven books in one! Does that count?
7. If you could magically transport yourself into a book, which one would you choose and what character would you be?
When I was little, I would definitely have said Little House on the Prairie, and I would have been Laura. One of my best friends and I were so engrossed in our Little House make-believe that we signed our names to each other (Mary) and (Laura) for years. Now—well, several recent favorites come to mind, but while I love the characters in Sarah Sundin’s With Every Letter and Laura Frantz’s Courting Morrow Little and Love’s Reckoning, Mellie, Eden, and Morrow have so much trouble (until the happy endings), that I’m not sure I’d really like to be them! Perhaps instead I’ll say Meg in Little Women.
8. Do you have any phobias?
I get nervous about natural gas leaking—I sometimes think I smell gas when no one else does, and go around outside sniffing like a bloodhound, and I always double-check to be sure the stove burners are fully turned off before bed. No particular reason for it that I know of.
9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who don’t consider others’ feelings and needs.
10. Describe yourself in 5 words.
I’ll paraphrase from the “about me” on my blog and say, “Learning to live as His.”
11. Who is your favorite well-known author and your favorite rising star author?
Well-known: Lauraine Snelling Rising star: Laura Frantz
This was fun! Thanks to those of you who’ve read this far. 🙂 Now, please check out the blogs of these lovely women—now and when they post for their “Liebster Awards.” Through their writing, these ladies have made me think, pushed me to look deeper, and challenged me to see anew the grace and mercy of God. Be blessed.
Kristi’s honest, sensitive commentary on issues touching Christianity and culture: Papyrus Will Grow.
Rachel’s sharing from her heart as a newly-married wife seeking to follow Jesus: Sincerely Rachel Christine.
Multi-published author (and dear family friend) Karen O’Connor and her “Stories to warm your heart and tickle your funny bone.”
I just answered some interview questions this past week-end, Lauraine Snelling was my choice for most influential author. Her writing CDs are wonderful. 🙂
Even though I write contemporary fiction, I too, love “‘old-fashioned days.’ The simplicity and fashions and charm of 100+ years ago.” I really enjoyed learning more about you. Hugs!
Oh, I love Lauraine–and her books. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by, Rita! Hugs and blessings to you too.
Hey, I used to ride my bike in circles while telling myself stories! And I still walk in circles around my house, working on plot or talking things out in e-mails I never write. I may have had a few conversations with you that way 🙂
Wow–great minds must think (and plot) alike. 🙂 But now I’m curious about those conversations we had that I didn’t know about!