the Liebster, the Liebenator, the Liebster-owski!

My friend RakhStar from over at Youmeandlilg tagged me in her Liebster Award, so I have to answer her questions...thought this was a nice way to blog again since I've been so spotty lately.
1) What is your greatest gift? 
I can make people laugh. 

2) What makes you joyful?
Being with my friends and family, I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and my friends' kids.

3) What is one blog you faithfully read?
A Farmer in the Dell: I stumbled upon it when I lived in New England and loved it because: A. I was living on a farm in Massachusetts and so was Andrea (the author) and her hubby (though now I'm in the Midwest and she's in the West), 2. much like me, Andrea has a mom who's an excellent cook, but she herself didn't have a ton of experience, just a love of cooking, and 3. when I first found her blog I remember thinking, "HEY! Me too!" I look forward to reading about Andrea and Taylor's farm, and get excited/inspired by the recipes that Andrea shares! I fantasize that one day I will meet this dynamic duo and share a beer with them!

4) What is your favorite book and why?
Why don't you ask a parent which is her favorite child! Three books which I turn to the most and are definitely on my top 10 list are:
Gone With the Wind--This book is a phenomenal sweeping story of America past! I love the characters, and seeing how each one progression. Reading this books is a fascinating glance back at the elegant pre-war South (the topic of slavery is not covered appropriately, but if you take into consideration when this was written, that may help in understanding why), the horrors of war, and the desolation and frustration of Southern Reconstruction. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie...I mean it was made in the 30s and just look at it!! I appreciate the book even more after having read: Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood.

Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman
These poems are the stuff of life: gritty, raw, epic! I love reading these poems aloud as I pace around my apartment, lolling over the words, imagining Whitman lazying about, just dreaming up these wonderful words! Whitman is my favorite poet. Whitman also has a seat at my Heaven table (more on that later).

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
What a damn wonderful story! I remember laying on my bed at the ripe old age of 11, muddling through this, trusting Scout as my narrator-leader. I didn't get the impact of the story then and I still might not, but each time I reread it/revisit it, I feel like I peel back another layer. Atticus Finch is perfect. I love him so! And could Gregory Peck be any cooler portraying him in the AWESOME movie?!

5) If you had to play a fictional character in a movie, who would it be and why?
Jo March, Little Women--like many other girls before/after me might say, "THAT'S ME!" I love everything about Jo's character: her tomboyishness, her temper, her kind side, that she wants to be a writer. Also, she was played by one of my favs: Katherine Hepburn, and if I played Jo I would demand to wear dresses that looked absolutely like those Hepburn wore...especially the opera dress!

6) If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
PIZZA.

7) If you could hire help for one thing in your life, what would it be?
Seamstress

8) How are you God's hands and feet in the world today?
I think the best way to model God is through kindness, like Mother Theresa

9) What is your biggest pet peeve?
Biggest? Hmmm...I don't like when people can't take responsibility for themselves/their actions. Like own up, learn from it, and move on, DAMN IT!

10) What is your greatest fear?
Sharks coming out of my shower head...this is a very real fear that creeps back into my brain every time I watch Jaws. Ok, that and I'm afraid of loneliness.

11) When you are having a bad day, what is one thing that is sure to turn it around?
Laughing with friends. 

Now, I guess I have to tag someone, so:
And, feel free to skip the God question if it makes you uncomfortable!

Comments

RM said…
Sharks out of a shower head? I thought for sure it would be clowns! :)

March 7, 2013 at 9:49 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"howl the eternal yes"

Image
Just read a CNN article this morning about the Aurora Borealis making an appearance. It reminded me of Northern Exposure and Chris the DJ. So, thought I would share a quote as I reminisce about the Aurora Borealis, a.k.a. The Northern Lights, which I saw my first year at the Farm in Massachusetts, which I actually saw on my 23rd birthday!--the best birthday present I ever got!! "There's a dark side to each and every human soul. We wish we were Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the most part we are, but there's a little Darth Vader in all of us. Thing is, this ain't no either-or proposition. We're talking about dialectics, the good and the bad merging into us. You can run but you can't hide. My experience? Face the darkness. Stare it down. Own it. As brother Nietzsche said, being human is a complicated gig. So give that ol' dark night of the soul a hug. Howl the eternal yes!" ~ Chris, Northern Exposure, "Aurora Borealis (A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups).” It feel...
Read more

sample retirement acceptance letter

Image
The hardest part of being the Director in a small library is that we don't have an HR person, so on top of everything else we do we also get to do the paperwork for the new hires, and retires. Thank God for the internet or these processes would take a lot longer!  One of my board members pointed out that though I'd been informed of staff retirements, I had to officially accept them with a letter...I am finding that a paper trail is an important thing. So, I found a short and simple letter on one university's HR website (sorry forgot which!?) and honed it to work for us. Attached is my sample of a retirement letter.  Is anyone else out there going through this process too?
Read more

eggnog with lighter fluid and other cherished Christmas memories

Image
I started digging to find my favorite Christmas-esque scenes/lines from movies and I was pleased with what I found. In spirit of my 14's lists, here goes: 1. Charles De Mar: "Ah, come on! It's Christmas Eve! I could be home right now, drinking this *monster* eggnog my brother makes with lighter fluid." ~ Better Off Dead I also love the present opening scene on Christmas day, where his mother is dressed like a reindeer, his father gets an ardvark jacket and the kids get freezer dinners. Pan out to the neighbors Christmas when the French foreign exchange student gets a framed picture of Ricky. I LOVE THIS MOVIE! 2. When Zuzu says to George Bailey, "Look, daddy! Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an Angel gets his wings." George quietly agrees, "Attaboy, Clarence," as "Auld Lang Syne" rings out. That scene makes me cry everytime. (I also love that if George had never been around, Mary became a spinster librarian--see pic) ~ It's a W...
Read more