The Liebster Award: Part I

I  received two nominations for the Liebster Award! It surprised and delighted me to receive even one nomination. But to think that two folks out there find my blog to be “dear” enough that they think this award is deserved … Well, I don’t mind admitting that I feel honored and a bit floored by that.

Many, many, many thanks, first of all, to Experienced Tutors (http://experiencedtutors.wordpress.com), a blogger who nominated me for this award almost a month ago. I’m so ashamed that it’s taken me this long to do my reply post. Life has a way of getting away from me, and I am horribly slow at doing “awards” posts. It takes me a long time to figure out who might want a nomination, and it also takes me a while to figure out answers to questions and random facts. Even so — a month is inexcusable on my part, and I hope Experienced Tutors can forgive me.

As for their lovely blog, I was lucky enough to meet Experienced Tutors a few months ago, and I am so happy I did. I love, love, love this blog. I never fail to enjoy Experienced Tutor’s posts, insights, and opinions on life, and I feel they have become a great blogging friend to me here on WordPress.

The Rules:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)

4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog

Questions from Experienced Tutors:

1. What do you think WordPress should do about cyber stalkers on their site when they receive a complaint?

I have to admit that I don’t feel entirely qualified to give this question a good answer. I don’t know what WordPress currently does (if anything) in this situation. And, honestly, I’m not sure what they should do. Luckily, I’ve never been cyber stalked, so I don’t know what I would do or feel in that situation — although I can imagine how terrifying it must be. The one thing I don’t think WordPress can do is “nothing”. Some type of intensive investigation needs to be done. And, possibly, a banning of the stalker, if it seems required / prudent … and if such a thing is even possible.

2. Do you think we should be able to block individuals from looking at our blog?

Yes. I don’t think putting something out there on the internet means we have to open ourselves up to stalking and/or base meanness. By “base meanness”, I don’t mean a simple difference of opinion or disagreement, although I can see how these things could degenerate depending on the personalities involved. Given this, though, I am not sure it’s possible to keep someone from looking at your blog. Practically speaking, perhaps we could block a certain user name, but we all know that people on the internet change identities and names more often than they change their socks.

3. If someone follows your blog, do you think it good manners to follow theirs and do so?

Usually, yes. Sometimes, I intend to come back to follow a blog once I’ve had time to read more of the entries … and then I forget to do this.

4. Were you pleased or annoyed to receive this award?

Pleased. But, as I’ve already mentioned, I’m incredibly slow at doing “awards” posts, so feeling pleased was quickly followed by feeling very guilty.

5. Have  you ever blogged with any site other than WordPress?

Yes. I used to blog on Live Journal for several years.

6. If so, what was your experience?

At first, it was a good and fun experience. At the end, it wasn’t a good experience. Overall, I felt like my LJ blog — and my LJ experience, in general — devolved into something negative and not good for my life. I felt like LJ was too much like a “social networking” site to have an effective blog or to get my writing to a wider audience. Also, my LJ mostly dealt with my cel collecting hobby and with anime, in general. Eventually, I wanted to change the flavor of it to focus on a wider variety of topics and on original writing. It seemed easier to do this by starting fresh with a new blog.

7. Approximately what percentage of posts do you read from blogs you are following?

I try to read all of them, but it’s not always possible. Some folks post a lot. Typically, I will read 85-95%, even on days when I can’t read everything.

8. Approximately how long do you spend blogging each day?

Not as much as I would like. My ideal would be to post each day, but I’m not sure I am creative enough to do this. It sometimes takes me a while to come up with an idea for a post. A typical post will take me 1 – 2 hours to finish, between drafting and editing and, then, finding appropriate photos to add into the text. I try to balance my blogging time with time spent writing original fiction, but I’m not always successful at this. Also, I sometimes get bogged down in reading and replying to posts from folks on my “Following” list.

9. How many blogs are you following?

106

10. Which is the favorite blog you are following?

Although she hasn’t been active in recent months, I have to say Charlottesville Winter (http://cvillewinter.wordpress.com). I am absolutely in awe of this blogger’s talent. Her writing is evocative, amazing, and just breathtakingly beautiful. Every piece I’ve ever read of hers has stuck with me, and I am still carrying some lines with me months and months after reading them.

11. Has 11 of everything on this Liebster Award post been too many? Should it have been the original five?

I’m not sure. Eleven has been a lot — in particular with trying to find eleven blogs to nominate, because I often fear people will be upset or unhappy with a nomination. On the other  hand, I know that I feel happy when someone thinks of me for one of these awards. And only picking five blogs would leave six others with no recognition. So … I think my answer is really a “no answer”.

My 11 Random Facts:

1. My favorite season is winter.
2. I still cry over Tex, my Springer Spaniel who passed away seven years ago.
3. I never planned on getting married or having kids. Good thing I did, though, as I am so blessed by both my husband and my beautiful daughter. I can’t imagine my life without them.
4. I hated being a lawyer because it sucked all the creativity out of me.
5. Seeing the cherry trees bloom and the robins hopping around in my yard make me happy. Even though I don’t get along with Spring.
6. I struggle with Depression. Constantly.
7. I am afraid of the ocean.
8. I am a horrible housekeeper, and I feel really guilty about this.
9. I feel terrified and overwhelmed by the thought of editing my book — which is why I’ve been stuck on it for years now.
10. If I hadn’t started blogging on WordPress, I sincerely believe I would have given up on writing all together.
11. I do not like to carry a purse or my cell phone with me wherever I go — but I do because it’s expected of me.

Questions for My Nominees:

1. What are your hobbies, other than writing or blogging?
2. If you could be a bird, what kind would you be — and why?
3. What is your least favorite household chore?
4. Do you prefer typing on the computer or writing long-hand first and then typing?
5. What is your dream vacation?
6. Do you watch TV, and what’s your favorite show?
7. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
8. What’s your favorite childhood memory?
9. Do you prefer black ink, blue ink, or another color in your pen?
10. What annoys you the most about blogging and/or life on the internet? (Hopefully, you won’t answer “being nominated for this award”!)
11. Do you have any phobias?

My Nominees for the Liebster Award:

Okay. So here comes the “dreaded” (or not) nominations section. Some folks love being nominated for these awards. Some folks hate it. As a person who simply loves and follows all of these blogs, it is impossible for me to know into which camp various bloggers may fall. So … I’m going to list my nominees in the hopes that they will enjoy this, and that receiving a  nomination will be a good or happy thing for them, as it was for me. In the end, I think what’s most important is driving traffic to a blog or a site. All the writing in the world — no matter how creative or beautiful it might be — is for nothing if no one reads it. For anyone who managed to make it to the end of this extremely long post, please, please, please go and visit these blogs. Each one is a little gem, and I think spending some time with them will make your day a little happier and your heart a little lighter.

For the bloggers I’ve listed below, please take this nomination for what it is: an act of love and devotion from me to your blog and the time and effort you’ve put into its content, as well as a resounding “thank you” to all of you for the way your posts lift my spirits and make me think on a daily basis. You are all rock stars, as far as I’m concerned. If you like getting these awards and playing along, then feel free to do so. Pass the Liebster Award along to some more deserving blogs. If you don’t want to participate, that’s quite all right, too. But please always remember how wonderful you all are and how your blogs enrich the lives of those of us who follow them.

Jacqui Reed (http://jacquireed.wordpress.com)
Brad Young’s Art  (http://bradyoungart.wordpress.com)
Yahobahne “Designs” (http://his4glorydotcom.wordpress.com)
A New Perspective Perhaps (http://anewperspectiveperhaps.wordpress.com)
Mindful Musings (http://lookingforphyllis.wordpress.com)
Squirrel Sciuridae (http://squirrelsciuridae.wordpress.com)
St. Sahm (http://stsahm.wordpress.com)
On Wylie Hill (http://onwyliehill.wordpress.com)
Jill Weatherholt (http://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com)
Momisms – My Moments in Motherhood (http://mymomismmoments.wordpress.com)
Ephemeral Gecko (http://ephemeralgecko.com)