Sunshine and Happiness

This much delayed response to multiple award nominations received in September and October shall serve as my NaBloPoMo post for today.

 

 

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In just over a month I have received four award nominations; two for The Sunshine Blogger Award, one for The Blogger Recognition Award an one for the Versatile Blogger Award.  Since all four nominations came at relatively the same time, I have decided to take a page or two out of the “book” on how to handle multiple award nominations written by A Momma’s View.  I will be writing one post for all four nominations.

First up is The Sunshine Blogger Award.  I would like to thank Inspiring Max  and Sabah Batul  for nominating me.  I truly appreciate your support and kind words.  Since Inspiring Max nominated me first, I will answer their questions first and then those of Sabah Batul.  Quite fair of me, don’t you think?

Inspiring Max’s Questions:

Where is your favourite place you have lived?

I think my favourite place that I have lived is the village Arundel in Sussex, UK. I was a student at the American college, New England College. At the time, I wanted to stay but didn’t because I didn’t want to become an illegal.

If you could change one thing what would it be?

There’s a part of me that wants to say I would change the decay of manners and common sense. Really just get on your Facebook feed and I’m sure you will find examples of what I mean. But since you said one thing, ignore what I just wrote.

If I could change one thing, I would eliminate all cancer. Too many people suffer and die as a result of it. I lost my mom to lung cancer; I’ve seen a neighbor just dwindle away from cancer; my other half’s cousin battled breast cancer for a decade only to die earlier this year leaving amongst her survivors a devoted husband and their eleven-year-old son. Too many people hurt by it and my nephew is currently battling lymphoma.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

I am blessed to have a childhood filled with lots of wonderful memories. Choosing one favourite would be quite difficult. I will share with you a quirky memory from childhood. As a young girl, I insisted that I didn’t sleep. I was absolutely positively sure as sure can be about that fact as far as I was concerned. I argued my point with my parents who insisted of course I slept. I told them that after they put me to bed I stayed in bed reading books until they told me it was time to get up. This debate went on for quite some time. All I knew to be true was that when I went into bed I was reading and when my parents came in to wake me I was in my bed reading. The concept of lost hours did not enter into my equation or understanding. I remember my astonishment the day I first realized I actually slept. Is it no wonder as an adult I have sleep issues?

What is your dream job?

That’s a tough one, my career has been in commercial real estate and a dream job would’ve been to work on historic renovations of old mill buildings and the like. I am in transition, working on opening my own company focusing on writing blog content for small real estate firms and developing their social media presence. Making that a success would be a dream job. That said, if I got the chance to develop historic sites I’d be thrilled at that or if I was hired by a firm to manage their philanthropic/community service activities that would be dreamy.

What was your best subject at school?

Social Studies and English.

Do you prefer to live in the country or the city?

Both. If I have to choose one it’s the city. I’m a city girl who loves being able to get into the country. Either one wins hands down if property is located riverfront or oceanfront.

If you were stranded on a desert island which celebrity would you take with you?

Norman Reedus. I think he’d have me covered for whatever came our way.

Everyone has a song that makes them want to dance, what is yours?

I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas.

Favourite colour?

Blue. Cobalt blue, ocean blue, sky blue. Anything blue.

Do you prefer camping, caravaning or staying in motels?

Make that luxury hotels, please.

How many different careers have you had?

I guess five and working on number six.

Sabah Batul’s Questions:

Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert?

An introvert who enjoys frequent bouts of behaving extroverted.

Are you proud of the person you are, or are you  still a work in progress?

I am definitely a work in progress, I believe all people are works in progress. At the same time, I am proud of the person I am.

What would be the one thing you would do different, if you went back to high school?

I would relax more and not take things so seriously.

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

My three wishes would pertain to health, happiness and prosperity for myself and others.

Your best memory of your childhood vacations?

Being by the ocean with my family. We didn’t take many vacations as a family because my Dad worked in construction. But, when we did it was places along the New England seashore usually in Maine.

Your happy place would be?

Near water, particularly the ocean.

Your dream job would be?

That’s a tough one, my career has been in commercial real estate and a dream job would’ve been to work on historic renovations of old mill buildings and the like. I am in transition, working on opening my own company focusing on writing blog content for small real estate firms and developing their social media presence. Making that a success would be a dream job. That said, if I got the chance to develop historic sites I’d be thrilled at that or if I was hired by a firm to manage their philanthropic/community service activities that would be dreamy

The top thing on your bucket list?

I don’t have a bucket list. As much as I like lists to keep me organized I think I am resistant to a bucket list because life is not a neat checklist.

What would you want written on your tombstone?

She made the world a better place by being in it … oftentimes with just her smile.

Your favorite Disney princess?

Ariel – she’s the fan favorite of all the little girls in my life and she lives in/near the ocean.

Reading a book or Watching a movie….On a lazy Sunday evening

Reading a book while watching a movie and falling asleep.

The Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

• Thank the person/people who nominated you.✓
• Answer the eleven questions from your nominator(s).✓
• Nominate eleven other bloggers and give them eleven questions to answer.

 

Thank you to Sabah Batul for nominating me for the Blogger Recognition Award created by the book blog, Edge of Night.

 

The Blogger Recognition Award Rules:

• Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to.
• Write a post to show off your award!✓
• Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers.✓
• Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.✓
• List who you’ve nominated in the post. Make sure to also attach the award itself! (You can do this by right-clicking, saving, and uploading the image above).
• Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to the award post you created.
• Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night. That way, anyone can find the original guidelines and post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing.✓

I started writing my blog because my best friend Sam encouraged me double-dog dared me to start a blog as a way of encouraging me to write.  I definitely spend more time writing than I did before I started blogging but along the way I have discovered that blogging is not just about writing.  My two pieces of advice for new bloggers are:

1. Tap into the resources and blogging community WordPress provides by enrolling in Blogging University classes WordPress offers for free.
2. If you are trying to build an audience use Twitter to promote your blog and participate in Blogging hashtag days.

 

Thank you to Perse from Far Beyond the Stars for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I often worry that I am too all over the place on my blog.  I guess what I worry about you appreciate and refer to nicely as versatile.  I truly appreciate your nomination.

The Versatile Blogger Award Rules:

1. Show the award on your blog. ✓
2. Thank the person who nominated you. ✓
3. Share seven facts about yourself. ✓
4. Nominate 15 blogs.
5. Link your nominees’ blogs, and let them know.

Seven Random Facts About Me

1. I have curly hair that most woman would love but it drives me cray cray most of the time.
2. I grew up in New England but am not a big fan of cold weather or lobster.
3. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
4. I hate wearing shoes and sport my flip-flops well into November – yes it was 48 degrees tonight and I walked home in flip-flops.
5. I’m a softball aunt – I attend more of my nieces’ softball (and basketball) games than some parents do.  #JustSaying
6. My baking season runs year round – if someone wants me to bake for them I don’t say no because it is summer or not baking season, which apparently runs from about mid-fall to New Years.
7. My idea of a perfect date night at home includes Chinese Food and catching up on episodes of The Walking Dead.

As you read the rules for each of these awards you’ve probably noticed some checkmarks (✓✓✓) and some missing.  I have a hard time with awards.  I truly appreciate the gesture and support of my fellow bloggers when I am nominated.  At the same time, I recognize that the awards feel like chain letters when it comes time to nominate other bloggers.  If I were to follow the rules, in this post I would be nominating 52 bloggers for an award.  That would inflict too much angst on me and perhaps some of the other bloggers.

I do foresee a time when I will stop accepting awards as much as I appreciate the nominations.  But until that time, I am accepting the awards but breaking the rules.  I will not be nominating any of my fellow bloggers for the awards I have been lucky enough to receive.  Instead, if you are reading this and wish I had nominated you and want to participate please consider yourself nominated.  I surely would have nominated you had I known you would have been amenable to receiving my nomination.  Please remember to visit the bloggers who nominated me: Inspiring Max,  Sabah Batul  and Perse from Far Beyond the Stars.