Libster Blog Award Coming My Way!

I checked out a comment to one of my posts here at Nuts to find that Jenny Lanctot at the blog, Are My Roots Showing? nominated me for an award, the Libster Blog Award. You can see her post and her own acceptance of the Award here.  Jenny gave me the award for my post, Cousin Bait Strategy Needed.

Here's what Jenny wrote about the award when she won it:
I've been awarded the Liebster Blog Award! (Liebster means "favorite" or "dearest" in German, apparently) The premise behind this award is that when you are nominated, you are supposed to answer 11 questions about yourself (chosen by the person who nominated you), and then nominate 5 bloggers with less than 200 readers and provide 11 questions for them to answer.

I'm honored, and thanks Jenny! Who doesn't like an award? She commented that at the very first she felt like she got a spam when she got the award, and I did feel a tad silly like I was participating in a chain letter, but what the heck, that can be fun! Then I started answering the questions and thought how cool it will be to pass on the award and find out more about other bloggers.

I know some folks out there looked on these awards in the past as a way to drive traffic to a blog, but I see it differently. I like knowing about other genealogy bloggers - we are a community - and since we're always blogging about our ancestors, here's a time to share something about ourselves... and have some fun.

Here are Jenny's questions for me. Let the Silly begin!!

1. What is your favorite time of day and why?
Morning. I'm a morning person. Now, where the heck is my coffee??

2. How and when did you first discover your passion, whatever that passion is?
Art was my first passion to appear on the scene, then a couple of years ago Mom hooked me on genealogy. Discovered art on a Friday afternoon in 3rd grade. Discovered the ancestors when Mom told me a story about the counter fitting twins.

3. Hopefully, you’re familiar with The Breakfast Club for this question. When you were in high school, in which social group did you best fit?
Oh, I'm gonna cry: am too old for Breakfast Club! But I'll go ahead and answer about the high school social groups: my high school graduating class was 124 so everyone was always in every one's business. I longed for the protection of a group. High school was so painful! UGH!

4. Where do you write your posts and why did you choose that place?
In my pajamas;) It's comfy! Actually my desktop is in the corner of the art studio. I badly need a new laptop!

5. What always makes you laugh and why?
My dog. He's 16 and still acts like a pup. Mixed breed vigor, or so the vet says and my dog's got it.

6. If you could appear on a televised talent show, what would your talent be?
Ha! Bob Ross! Love it when he paints those "happy trees"!

7. Which flower reminds you of happiness?
All of them even the "ugly ones". But I'm a sucker for orchids. Grew them when we lived in Florida and grow them here in SoCal. My house isn't complete without an orchid in bloom.

8. What is your favorite book and why?
I hardly ever met a book I didn't like. Ask my loaded bookshelves, and the stacks next to the bed! I love historical novels especially about areas and time where my ancestors were participants. I've learned a lot from them. Most recently enjoyed, How Green Was My Valley, a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn about a family in the coal fields of Wales. I learned a lot by reading that one, and I could see my ancestors on every page.

9. It’s important to eat your vegetables, but which vegetable do you always resist/avoid eating?
Wow, that's a difficult one. We love veggies in this house. From beets to leeks, on to kale and Brussels sprouts, whatever is in season at the local farmer's market... I'll take it! PS: I love to cook too.

10. What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
Either watch an old movie or do genealogy. Toss up!

11. Who is the one celebrity, past or present, you would like to meet — and what would you ask that person?
Andy Warhol! Met him once and this next time I'd like to ask him all the questions I should have asked the first time.

OK, the drill is that after answering these question I can nominate five blogs and ask my own questions, and that's the main reason I'm doing this: I'm curious and this seems like a way to get interesting people to answer stuff;)

Here are the five blogs I nominate:

Family History Fun by Sue Scott. I love the way she uses photos and the stories that they tell. Thanks so much, Sue! Maybe my Welsh coal miner ancestors worked for her Oldham coal merchants:) Maybe.

Ancestors Live Here by Leslie Ann. I really enjoy Leslie Ann's down home and personal tone. There one today that talks about sewing kits here. I clearly remember Grandma Kelly's tin box of buttons and the magic it held for me! Thanks Leslie Ann.

Countryfolk by Rhonda. Love reading about Rhonda's problem solving and thinking. Gives me ideas about how to go from one thing out to find solutions... or more questions!

Forgotten Faces and Long Ago Places by Teresa Wilson Rogers. Details in photos: what's not to love about this blog! Get a look at this wedding dress right here!! Thanks Teresa!

Trails Into The Past by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell. I get a real feeling for her family from Lisa's posts and I appreciate the way she gives her posts texture drawing me in. And, she also participating in the Family History Writing Challenge!


And here are my 11 questions for these nominees if they so choose to participate, and I really hope they do:

Credit for Questions 1 - 5: Tell us five important things about how you get interested in genealogy and why you blog? (Please make it juicy cause it's credit for five big questions!)

Question 6: Do you watch TV and if so what are your favorite shows/ types of shows?

Question 7: Please tell us about your journey of genealogy education? I'm self-taught and that can be dangerous. I'm curious, how did you learn what you know, and do you have recommendations (or cautionary tales) for the newbie?

Question 8: When you're not doing genealogy, what's your fav thing to do?

Question 9: Please share your pain: tell us about one of your brick walls and how long you've been working on it. (I need to feel better about my own brick walls;)

Question 10: Has there been one person, web site, or class that was the most beneficial to you?

Question 11: What's the funniest story you can tell us about your interest in genealogy?