Oscar who? I won the Liebster Award!

OH EM GEEEE! I won something! Thanks for nominating me, Mary!

So, according to the person who nominated my nominator, “The Liebster Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster? It is a German word and it simply means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.”

Official rules for the Liebster Award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
2. You must answer the 10 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 of your favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers and notify them of their nomination.
4. Come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

Here are the questions Mary had for me:

1) Describe, in detail, your favorite beverage.

Lately, my favorite beverage is beer! Ha! I really like Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, but I’m also a big fan of some local breweries that I’m not going to name for the sake of anonymity. I can tell you about a brewery I really enjoyed last time we drove down to Denver, Colorado, though. Wynkoop Brewing Company has a delicious beer called Rail Yard. It had hints of caramel and vanilla, and it’s kind of like drinking a cookie. Yum! I just wish it was closer to home.

2) What’s your pet peeve?

Spelling “a lot” as one word. Allie explains this pet peeve perfectly in her blog, Hyperbole and a Half. If you haven’t already, check it out. It’s hilarious.

3) Tell us the book that has most impacted what matters most in your life.

Ummm…this is an impossible question. Picking one book is like picking children! I love anything by John Steinbeck for his excellent analysis on human nature. I also like all of Khaled Hosseini’s books and his incredible talent for writing about ugly truths in a beautiful way. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series, of course, will always be a favorite for obvious reasons. There are many, many more, but I’m short on time so I need to move on to the next question.

4) How do you take care of your soul?

Walking, blogging, and drinking beer with close friends.

5) Favorite quote or Scripture?

6) What’s your favorite post you’ve written and why? Include a link.

A Trip to the Principal’s Office: Turning Negative Experiences into Positive Outcomes because it is a big reason why I decided to start blogging again. I’ve blogged before, but I wasn’t writing for me, I was writing for an audience. It didn’t work out. I got bored and lost interest after only a few months. After that experience with my principal however, I realized that I had stopped focusing on my passion, and started focusing on politics. In typing that post, I felt like the fog had lifted and I was able to enjoy my job again.

7) What’s your favorite post of mine and why? Include a link.

When Saying No is Saying Yes, because it is so, absolutely true! As a young teacher, it is WAY to easy for me to take on more than I can chew. The problem is, I can do everything and be mediocre, or only take on a couple of extra responsibilities and be spectacular. That was a difficult lesson for me to learn, and an even more difficult thing for my boss to accept.

8) What is the greatest joy of blogging?

Discovering new ideas through reading others’ blogs and reflecting my own practice!

9) What is the greatest anxiety of blogging?

Honestly? That my secret identity will be revealed!

10) Which blog speaks most poignantly to you? Why? Include a link.

Becky Says Things. I love laughing, especially as a way to lighten up some of the uglier things in life. She’s awesome!

11) Bonus question, if you’re so inclined: give my some feedback on my blog.

You have some great posts! Since you have a static homepage, use your Top Posts widget to direct your readers to the posts you would most like them to see.

Introducing Harriet’s Liebster Nominees…drum roll please….

1. Magpie That
2. My Strange Brain
3. Teacher Versus Mum
4. Unsolicited Tidbits
5. tcrwpliteracycoach
6. Teaching +
7. Norah Colvin
8. Cathy Miyata’s Blog
9. Skeptycal
10. Joystick Learning

Congratulations! You now have homework. Please answer the following questions:

1. Congratulations! You just won the Liebster Award! What are you going to do next?
2. Describe yourself in three words.
3. Describe your thoughts on your very first job.
4. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
5. I like food. What is your favorite recipe?
6. Give a short summary of the book you are currently reading.
7. What inspired you to start blogging?
8. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
9. What do you do when you experience writer’s block?
10. Which post are you most proud of and why? Provide a link.

Happy blogging!