The Liebster Award

Thank you to Lisa Thompson of Lisa Thompson Live, who nominated me for the lovely Liebster Award.  The award is for the smaller blogs.  So, forget the big guys for a minute…
The Liebster Award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers. The goal is to help people find these blogs that are worthy of a bigger following. In German “Liebster” means kindest, beloved, valued, and welcome.


I totally cockroached Lisa's post for the Liebster award description, so my apologies for being unoriginal.  That doesn't mean I'm not feeling really lucky and honored right now!!  :)

The current rules for accepting this award are:

1.    List 11 random facts about myself.

2.    Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated me.

3.    Nominate 11 more blogs who have less than 200 followers and let them know they’ve been nominated.

4.    Post 11 new questions for those bloggers to answer (if they wish to accept the award—it’s completely optional).

Random Facts About Me
1. I knit and have been working on a cape for the last five years.
2. I live in a place that never snows, but I love to ski.  Really.
3. I can burp louder than a 200 lb. guy.
4. I used to dye my hair blonde.
5. When I was pregnant, people couldn't tell from behind.  When I turned around at a stoplight corner one day, I literally saw two people 'jump' in reaction to my enormous belly.
6. I can't drink coffee, it gives me a stomach ache.
7. I listen to certain songs when I'm writing to help me get the words out.  Peter Gabriel's "Secret World" sometimes helps. 
8. I didn't shave my armpits or legs in college, and the boys lined up, anyway (Ani Difranco).
9. I learned to body surf naked in Australia.
10. My favorite scent is lavender; it reminds me of my mom.
11. When I was going through my divorce, my brother called me and said he loved me, the first time I can ever remember him ever saying that.

My answers  to  Lisa’s questions…

1.  What is your reason for launching your blog?

As  a way to process what we were/are going through in rebuilding my life as a single mother, having left an abusive marriage.  Hoping and wishing somehow, in some way, to reach other women who might be or have been in a similar predicament and offer understanding and help if needed.

2.  What is your all time favorite ice cream?

Mint chocolate chip.

3. What advice would you give your 20 year old self?

You can absolutely overcome any obstacle that you face, but please don't try and 'save' the man you fall in love with if it turns out he needs 'saving,' because "love" is not enough--without behavior, actions, and words to back it up.  Screw Disney's old version, and believe in yourself and your capacity to love and grow.   

4.  What keeps you writing, coming back to the keyboard?

My daughters and my passion for writing our story.

5.  What has been the hardest lesson you've learned so far?

No matter how much you love someone, and you think they love you--you cannot save or change them.  They have to save and change themselves, and if they don't, they can and will hurt you to the point that can cost you your life.

6.  If you could could change one thing in the world what would it be?

Gender equality.  I think much of the dynamics of oppression and domestic violence and conflict in the world could be avoided if there were true gender equality in the world.

7.  Where is your dream destination?

My home.  I worked so hard to protect it, and now it's my sanctuary that I love.

8.  One book you read over and over and still love!

Jane Austen--all of them.  Couldn't pick one, because I re-read them all every few years.  Le sigh. :)  

9.  What was the title of your first piece?

While I will not share the title, it was a narrative essay describing what it was like to be an outsider in my country of origin.

10.  Finish the sentence "I wish I hadn't...."

raised my voice with my new husband about conflict with my ex husband and our children.

11.  You've just been arrested for protesting, who did you call?

My  new husband, who would bail me out in a heartbeat and probably carry the sign the next time I protested. 

My Nominees for the Liebster Award (although apologies if you have more than 200 followers, I can't tell!)

Bo Blog - Bo was born on 6/3/07 with the rare congenital disorder currently known as Microvillous (Microvillus) Inclusion Disease. It took 2 hospitals and 5 weeks to diagnose. He became the 61st baby in the US to receive Omegaven. His nutrition is 100% TPN/Omegaven. We believe there will be a cure for this in our lifetime, and that a transplant is NOT the best option for this disease. This is their story.

The Stay At Home Feminist Mom -Betty Fokker is intelligent, thoughtful, and thoroughly hilarious as she wrestles with the world of patriarchy.  I thank my lucky stars that we are on the same side.

Captiv8ed - I found this writer on Blogher, and her most recent post haunted me and and touched me as a fellow women making sense out of our screwed up world.

Red's Wrap - A feminist writer, no holds barred.

Jen Hayley - is a young adult writer, whose career i've been following on and off for a while. (I'm sorry, I'm not a stalker, truly!)  She has good advice about the writing process.

Liv by Surprise - I found her through Lisa's nomination page, and already commiserate with the challenges of "co-parenting" !!!

Okay, I have a confession.  I am a shitty blogger, and I promise I will add more to this list as I discover them.  I think increasing readership is awesome, so maybe I don't really deserve this nomination, since I can't pay it forward to six more people...?

My 11 Questions for the Nominees

1.  Who is your favorite character in a book or a movie?
2.  Why did you launch your blog?
3.  If you could wave a magic wand and change something about your life, what would it be?
4.  If you could change one decision in the past, what would it be and why? 
5.  Who do you admire and respect the most in the world?
6.  What is your biggest dream?
7.  If you were stuck on an island and could only bring three things with you--what would they be?
8.  What is your ideal vacation? 
9.  What do you want to be when you "grow up"?
10.  What advice would you give your teenage self?
11.  You've just been arrested for protesting, what was it for?