I’ve been nominated for another Liebster Award.  And, I have to say how appreciative I am of those of you who take time out of your busy schedules to read Fourth Generation Farmgirl and all about the happenings on Green Hill Farm.  It is also an honor to be acknowledged by fellow bloggers in such a lovely manner.  These awards allow us an opportunity to get to know each other a bit better, and perhaps, help others get noticed, too.  All in all, a wonderful way to build community.

I’m delighted to have been nominated by Ritu, the author of the creative and eclectic blog, But I Smile Anyway.  I was also nominated by the author of the blog, The Modern Theologian.  This blog provides interesting and thought provoking discussions on religion.  These nominations are such a surprise, and I’m happy to accept.

The following rules are associated with the Liebster Award:

1.  Link the person who nominated you to your blog post and let them know you answered their questions.

2.  Answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominator.

3.  Nominate other bloggers for the award that have fewer than 200 followers.

4. Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them.

My 11 Questions from But I Smile Anyway:

1.  Who would you most like to meet, from the past?

Queen Elizabeth I, because I admire her intelligence and fortitude.

Before the expected invasion by the Spanish Armada and despite the urging of her advisors to go to a safer place, Elizabeth I left her bodyguards behind to walk among armed troops in order to raise morale.  She did this prior to delivering her inspirational speech at Tilbury in Essex.  Excerpt from the Speech to the Troops at Tilbury:  “I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England, too.”  Elizabeth I’s 45-year reign was known as the golden age.

2.  Cat or dog?

They are both too charming and wonderful to choose.  I absolutely love them both!

3.  Do you believe in the afterlife?

Yes, but I think that we should still make the most of our time on Earth.

4.  What is your worst trait?

Probably worrying.

5.  Do you still sleep with a soft toy?

Soft toy animals were my favorite thing when I was a child.  My bed would be so full of them that there was hardly room for me.  I continued to sleep with one soft toy animal through high school, but I stopped once I went to college.

6.  What would be your ideal car?

Something sporty but also practical for my lifestyle.  After all, I have dogs, cats, and chickens that visit the veterinarian for one reason or another throughout the year.  I’m afraid a Porsche wouldn’t be a chicken-friendly mode of transportation.

7.  Why did you start blogging?

Last May marked the 10th anniversary of restoring my ancestral home, which has been in my family for over 100 years.  When I was in high school and college, I enjoyed writing stories and poems but hadn’t written in years.  As I reflected on the restoration, memories of my grandparents, and growing up on Green Hill Farm, words began to flow onto the page.  Before I knew it, I had written several stories.  I realized how much I enjoyed writing and sharing memories of growing up on a farm.  So, I started the blog as a creative outlet for my writing and photography as well as a platform to share the happenings on Green Hill Farm.

8.  If you could rename yourself, what would you use?

I really don’t know.  Probably something old-fashioned.  Maybe Rose or Claire.

9.  Sweet or savory?

Sweet, especially with a cup of tea.

10.  Tell me one thing no one else knows about you?

There’s a radio in the barn that’s always left on for the barn cats.  Anyway, sometimes when I’m in the barn doing chores, like cleaning litter boxes or feeding grain to the sheep, a really great song will start playing.  And, I just can’t help releasing my inner “Dancing Queen.”  So, midway through my sheep feeding routine I may find myself twirling, grooving, and bee-bopping around the barn, indulging in my own private dance party with a grain scoop in my hand–all while the barn cats cast curious looks in my direction.  It gives “barn dance” a whole new meaning! 🙂

11.  What is your favorite drink?

Champagne.

My 10 Questions from Modern Theologian:

1.  What do you do to unwind from the problems of the day?

I love to sit in my garden and watch the sheep grazing in the pasture behind my house.

2.  You’re given a time machine that can make only one trip, when would you go, and why?

I think I’d pass the time machine along to someone else, especially since I’m not sure whether this is a round trip or a one-way trip. While it may be fun or interesting to visit another place and time, I would still want to come home.  Besides, I have enough trouble with airplanes.  I would need a very strong drink to get into a time machine! 😉

3.  Has Earth been visited by Aliens?

The universe is an infinite place.  I think we’d have to be naive to think that other intelligent life didn’t exist.  Now, whether they’ve been to our neck of the woods, I’m not completely sure.  There have been some odd, unexplained observations, reports, and happenings over the years.

4.  What was your favorite thing to do as a kid?

I really enjoyed roller skating.  I remember getting the most beautiful pair of roller skates for my eighth birthday.  They were white boots with cherry-red toe stoppers.

5.  You can solve one of the world’s problems…which one?

Neglect and abuse of children and animals.

6.  What is your favorite book, that one that you could read over and over and never be bored?

The Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu is a book that I could read over and over and never be bored.  I have a coupIe of different translations of it, but I prefer the one by Taoist Master John Bright-Fey.  I think the prose is beautiful, and I love how each word in a verse stretches my mind to grasp the underlying meaning or intent of the passage.

7.  Stuck on a desert island, what one food would you want?

At first, I thought CUPCAKES, of course!  But, then logic kicked in, and I remembered I’d have no refrigeration.  Plus, I would need something with a bit more nutritional value.  So, I chose peanut butter.  It’s yummy, and it would be a little more life sustaining.

8.  Do you have an unrequited love?

I think most of us have had an unrequited love at some point in our lives.  “Let no one who loves be called altogether unhappy.  Even love unreturned has its rainbow.”  ~J.M.  Barrie

9.  What was your favorite subject in K-12.

I always enjoyed language arts/English classes.

10.  With whom would you want to have lunch?

I would want to have lunch with Winston Churchill.  He was such an inspirational, larger than life person. Churchill may have come from a privileged background, but he still had obstacles to overcome:  uninterested parents, depression (“The Black Dog”), and a lateral lisp.  Despite these difficulties, he always persevered–KBO  or “Keep Buggering On” was his mantra.  Winston Churchill was a lover of words and because of this, he was able to use language in a powerful way to move and inspire people at a critical point in history.  He may have had his detractors, but I believe that he was the right man for the right time.  World War II would’ve definitely turned out differently had it not been for him.  Churchill’s perseverance personified Great Britain during this difficult time.  He was a fascinating man:  a writer, a politician, a bricklayer, and an artist.  But, above all, Winston Churchill was an inspiration.

“Never, never, never give up.” ~Winston Churchill

I nominate the following blogs for the Liebster Award:

BARNRAISED

BubblyBee.com

Catterel

Hot Rod Cowgirl

Random Writings on the Bathroom Wall

The Chicago Files

Riddle From The Middle

Riding Metaphor

Here are your questions:

1.  Which word best describes you?

2.  Who has been your greatest inspiration?

3.  What is your favorite quote?

4.  When are you the happiest?

5.  Are you an “early bird” or a “night owl?”

6.  Where would you like to travel if money and safety weren’t issues?

7.  What is your most treasured childhood memory?

8.  If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would you invite?

9.  Do you have a preference in wine region when considering a bottle of wine?

10.  What would you like people to remember about you?

11.  Have you ever had an experience or interaction with an animal that confirmed your notion that they are sentient beings?

Many thanks to the authors of the blogs, But I Smile Anyway and Modern Theologian for the nominations.  Please take time to visit their wonderful blogs.