Liebster Award

Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, Janet, sent me a note that she nominated me for the Liebster Award. I was flattered to be nominated for an award by one of my peers, but I had to look it up. The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

I think this is a fun way to discover new blogs and learn something new about our favorite fellow bloggers, so thanks again Janet!

RULES

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Share 11 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5-11 other bloggers.
• Ask your nominees 11 questions.
• Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post

ANSWERS TO JANET’S QUESTIONS

1. What is your greatest life lesson so far? Starting with something big here… The process of getting sober and all the lessons that accompanied it. Learning that something you have been conditioned to believe is a normal behavior, response, and way to cope is really a harmful, life-draining, destructive way to live. Through sobriety I learned about presence, perseverance, self-worth and contentment. It’s been the greatest gift I could have ever given myself.
2. What’s your favorite Car Karaoke song to sing? So this depends on my mood. I recently saw Carole King the Musical, and I think (while slightly before my time ;)), that any of her songs, especially “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”, “So Far Away”, “You’ve Got a Friend” and “That Loving Feeling” are great to belt out in the car. As far as contemporary melodies, I’ll take anything by Coldplay.
3. Name one habit you would like to quit, and one you would like to start? I would like to quit sugar, specifically anything chocolate. I gave it up for a month and felt good, but as soon as I let it back into my life, my sugar dragon returned. I would like to start being more intentional about writing for publication.
4. What has been your greatest challenge in the past month? Learning that, because of COVID-19, my husband would not be returning from his deployment as scheduled. He’s been gone since November.
5. Share one thing you’ve never shared before about yourself. Hmm. I’ve been sober for over a year and I still keep a wine opener in my underware drawer… It’s not that I plan on using it, I think it’s because every time I stumble across it, it reminds me of where I was, and the secrets I kept and motivates me never to return to that place.
6. What are you most afraid of? You know, the standard bats, snakes, car accidents, violent crime, heights, small spaces, hyperventilating while wearing my face mask. However I am most afraid of losing one of my children.
7. Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? I’ve never been mistaken for someone else, but many people have told me I resemble Hilary Swank. On my first date with my now-husband, the waitress at dinner told me I looked just like Hilary, and he objected vehemently, “She does NOT look like Hilary Clinton!”
8. What’s missing in your life? Connection with God-loving, inspiring, creative, authentic girlfriends. I have one or two but I feel like I’m missing out on those relationships. They are hard to come by.
9. What is the number ONE thing on your bucket list? There are so many places I want to travel to with my husband…you know once he’s actually in the same physical location as me, and the world is open and we have time and money. Sigh. We have an RV so I’d love to travel around the U.S. Also Europe. Extensively. I love nature and art history. Also uncrowded beaches.
10. Would you rather camp or do a five star hotel? The RV is roughing it for me… I like to be comfortable, but I don’t like the materialism and excess that comes with 5-star living. I like high-quality simple. Is that a thing?
11. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Can you tell by now? Definitely an introvert. Talking on the phone is painful, and Zoom meetings are my special kind of hell. I’d rather be lonely in the private sanctuary that is my home than in a crowd of people, but I will be happy when I can get back to seeing my friends and family again…in small, controlled doses.

11 FACTS ABOUT ME

• I was born on the Fourth of July.
• I have three wonderful children, ages 17, 14 and 7.
• I teach pregnant and parenting high school students.
• I am an animal lover and have or have had at some point: dogs, goats, rabbits, tortoises, fish, and birds.
• I love succulents and cacti, and spending time trying to grow them.
• I aspire to grow my own vegetables, but am only consistently successful with tomatoes and squash.
• I am a native Californian but would love to move somewhere else.
• I majored in Creative Writing in college and had several jobs in journalism and corporate writing before I went into teaching. I would love to get back to a place where I could write full time. Blogging has been my entry back into writing since I stopped drinking. I also enjoy writing short stories and have a children’s book called Annabelle the Bee That Couldn’t Boogie, which I hope to get published someday.
• The most exotic place I’ve ever traveled has been to the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal.
• The ocean is my favorite place to be…also lakes and other bodies of water. I have recently taken up paddle boarding.
• I enjoy cooking and baking and am now learning how to buy, prepare and eat healthy, whole foods.

MY NOMINEES ARE…

• Letitgocoach. Because she is a self-proclaimed “heart writer,” and it comes through in her words and topics.
• Faded Jeans Living. This guy is a fellow sober blogger who expresses light and love in his insightful writing.
• Ditching the Wine. This lady is real and honest about her struggles, but always sees the good and beauty in life’s situations and makes time to thoughtfully answer comments and encourage others.
• msnewleaf. She writes about her life in an honest way and is full of gratitude and positivity. She is also an encourager!
• Enhanced Perspective. Julie writes about mindfulness and healing. Her blog also offers advice, techniques, book reviews and other helpful information to anyone on a wellness journey.

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES

• If you had the ability to turn back time, what time period would you return to? 
• If you could return anything you own and get a refund, what would it be and why?
• If you could get rid of one vegetable or fruit in the entire world, what would it be and why?
• Is there an item that you find completely useless and it shouldn’t even exist in the first place?
• If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
• What is your biggest fear?
• What is your favorite family vacation?
• What would you change about yourself if you could?
• What really makes you angry?
• What is your proudest accomplishment?
• What was the last movie you went to? What did you think?

I’m looking forward to learning more about my nominees. Since we can’t be out doing right now, it’s fun to hear others ideas about their lives and what they’d like to be doing during this time. Thank you to everyone for participating!