Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award[1] 


My awesome daughter received an award and then nominated me for it, too! How lucky am I?


Rules
  • Acknowledge the person who passed the award to you and provide their link.
  • Include the award logo on your blog.
  • Answer the ten questions posted below.
  • Make up your own ten questions for the next people.
  • Nominate blogs and link those you have especially enjoyed reading. The number you can select is up to you.
  • Notify each individual that you have nominated them.




The Magic Violinist's Questions for Me

1. Do you like to write? If so, what kind of stuff? (Stories, reports, poems, just blogging, etc.)
 
I don't like to write . . . I love to write. I like to write anything - emails, blog posts, whatever. But when I do work on my novels and stories, I tend to like semi-autobiographical writing and I like it to be funny (because I like to laugh). I also have noticed that I often like stories that deal with some aspect of mental health. 
 
2. What book or movie has inspired you most and why?
 
Hmmmm. Different books and movies inspire me for different reasons. For example, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Jane Eyre inspire me to want to write beautifully . . . words of worth. Those books are both so beautiful, that I feel myself taking in the words and savoring them instead of just rushing through for the story. On the other hand, the Harry Potter series inspires me, because it's so GOOD and so intricate and so, well, inspired! I think J.K. Rowling is an inspired genius and that, in and of itself, inspires me. As for movies, lots of documentaries inspire me by educating me and many foreign films inspire me with their wonderful, ambiguous endings that make me think and wonder and decide my thoughts on the story.
 
3. What song gives you chills every time you hear it?
 
"The Prayer" by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli - there is a note they hit, right at the end, that always gives me chills. In fact, I got them just now even thinking about that note. 
 
4. What is the weirdest thing you do?
 
I feel like I should let someone else answer this, because if I do something, I probably don't think it's weird. Lemme think . . . okay, I've got one. Whenever I eat, I do this thing - without even consciously thinking about it - where I eat a little of everything so that when I'm almost done eating, there is exactly one bite of each thing on my plate.
 
5. If you could eat a color, what color would you eat and what would it taste like?
 
Hmmm. I think yellow would be citrus-y and fresh. I think green would be healthy and energizing. I'm going to go with blue, because it's my favorite color and I think it would taste rich, but not overbearing, and delicious. I think it would make me feel calm and good all over, much like the color itself does. 
 
6. What is your favorite stuffed animal and why? (You can post a picture, if you'd like)!
 
I love all of my kids' stuffed animals because I know how special they are. A personal favorite of mine would have to be Tubby, my stuffed bear. I've had him since I was a kid and he is worn and loved and comfortable for snuggling. (I have always known that toys are real and have feelings - way before Toy Story).
 
7. What is your favorite gaming website and why?
 
Umm, I don't play a lot of online games, but I've always enjoyed Boxerjam's Strike-a-Match and we used to enjoy playing Ticket To Ride online, too. One More Level can be fun for a quick break now and then. I like Webkinz. And I want to check out Pottermore. I prefer blogging to gaming, though. Really, my bigger distractions on the Internet are news sites and articles as well as my email. 
 
8. What annoys you most?
 
Flakiness. And when people are disrespectful of my time. 
 
9. If you could have a million dollars for a day, what would you do with it?
 
Well, if I could have it for a day, I'd better use it, right? I'd pay off ALL debts, build a new custom house - no, two houses - one here and one somewhere else (probably on the beach), I'd hire a personal assistant, buy tickets to all the things and places and events we'd like to see - a trip to Europe, etc., help people who could use the help, maybe get a nice RV for road trips, and invest it as a way to make it last. As I type this, I am reminded of something someone just told me - money does not buy happiness, but it can sure help us not be UNhappy.
 
10. If you were ruler of the world for a day, what would you do to change the world? 

I'd want to rid the world of anything that would hurt people . . . so I think I'd try to get to the root of the issues . . . . and try to rectify ideologies that perpetuate harm. Encourage peace and equality for all.


Nominees
I nominate anyone who would like to do this post. I specifically nominate bythelbs to kick off her foray into traveling pants and sisterhoods. :) Otherwise, I'd love to hear Emily's thoughts, Jimmy's thoughts, and my kids' thoughts. But now I think I'm just naming the only people who actually read and comment anymore (who aren't already doing this tag - like Mark). :P And I suck, because I haven't read Emily's blog in about 3 weeks. I'd tag my other SILs, but I don't think they blog anymore. What is happening to the world?!?

My Questions 
1. What are 3 of your favorite TV shows and why?
2. What is one of your very favorite simple pleasures?
3. What is the name of one of the books you have in a pile to read?
4. What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)?
5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have quiet time?
6. If you could have a free meal weekly at any kind of restaurant, what kind of cuisine would you choose?
7. What is something about which you are VERY curious?
8. If you could build a dream house, what special room would you want in it?
9. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore?
10. Paper or Plastic?

Thanks again, Thing 1, for the award! :
 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

(I removed my previous comment in an effort not to insult Thing 1. She's a good writer and I had a bunch of grammatical errors. So I'm reposting with corrections.)

Perfect timing--I can finally comment on blogs!

1. What are 3 of your favorite TV shows and why? 1. The Middle--I love each of the characters' quirks. Mostly because I see a lot of my daughter Sophia in Sue Heck. And sometimes Axel reminds me of myself at that age. 2. 60 Minutes because it makes me feel smart. 3. Suburgatory. It's really pretty stupid, but sometimes the characters crack me up, especially the dentist. (I seem to easily relate to shallow, not so bright people.) But really I like that Tessa is a bright, pretty girl and in that sense she's a good role model for my daughters. Also Dallas has a heart of gold underneath all those layers of makeup.

2. What is one of your very favorite simple pleasures? Nesquik. I'm 44 now and every time I drink it, it takes me back to being a little kid drinking chocolate milk. I love that stuff. One glass makes the world right for awhile.

3. What is the name of one of the books you have in a pile to read? I don't keep piles of books around simply because with a family of our size, there's not room for me to have piles of anything. I'm currently working on Massacre at Mountain Meadows. And I'm enjoying the Sunday School curriculum this year, The Doctrine and Covenants.

4. What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)? So I am an only child, but I love to get together with my cousins and one of the things I like most about my extended family is that we are good at just visiting. We're not the same religion, we're not the same when it comes to politics, but we love and respect one another and we can get together and laugh and talk and just enjoy being with each other around the kitchen table.

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have quiet time? I rarely have the whole house to myself but generally when that happens, I turn on music and fix things around the house. I fail sometimes, but I like to try. One of these days Joy is going to come home and find me passed out either lying next to a ladder or holding two electrical wires in my hands.

6. If you could have a free meal weekly at any kind of restaurant, what kind of cuisine would you choose? Chicken enchiladas w/red--from the Frontier down by the University.

7. What is something about which you are VERY curious? Why didn't I do better when I know I could have, especially from a spiritual perspective.

8. If you could build a dream house, what special room would you want in it? A dance studio for my daughters.

9. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore? Favorite-I like vacuuming. It's mindless and I like seeing the tracks on the carpet. I also like doing dishes with one of my daughters drying and putting away. I hate sweeping indoors, but I like sweeping the driveway.

10. Paper or Plastic? Plastic, because hardly anyone offers paper anymore. If Emily remembers Joey Gaby she'll know why this is one of my all time favorite questions. Joey was a special needs guy in the singles' ward I attended. He got a job at a grocery store and I remember asking him how it was going and he told me it was really hard. He'd ask people, "Paper or plastic?" and then he'd forget what their answer was. So he's telling me about this and he does the "I could of had a V-8" slap on his forehead and says "Think Joey, Think. Paper or plastic?" It was really funny and I think Joey did a lot to bring unity to that ward.

Dr. Mark said...

Wow! The way you eat your food is SO freaky weird! ;)

Excellent answers. I'll post mine soon and you'll see some similarities. Go figure!

I'll answer your questions, just for kicks, and because I like these kinds of questions.

1. What are 3 of your favorite TV shows and why? "The Big Bang Theory" because I wish I'd embraced my inner geek younger in life. I really enjoy science and math and geeky stuff. "Modern Family" because the writing is very clever and the amalgam of characters is incredible. "30 Rock" because it's new to us recently and because I always laugh, and laughing is so much better than, like, NOT laughing.

2. What is one of your very favorite simple pleasures? Watching the San Francisco Giants play baseball. I don't get a chance to watch many games since we're in the East, but I've been fortunate to enjoy them win 2 World Series in 3 years.

3. What is the name of one of the books you have in a pile to read? Game of Thrones.

4. What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)? We don't see each other often, but I always enjoyed playing sports with them in the backyard or at the school. Even tossing around the football we talked a lot about other things.

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have quiet time? Wonder why things are quiet all of a sudden! I like to read or listen to music.

6. If you could have a free meal weekly at any kind of restaurant, what kind of cuisine would you choose? Keep the Mexican food coming, any of it, all of it, whatever.

7. What is something about which you are VERY curious? Parallel universes and alternate dimensions. And black holes. I just think it's all so fascinating.

8. If you could build a dream house, what special room would you want in it? A game room, with room to play ping pong and pool. Also, it needs an awesome gaming table like the one Wil Wheaton has in "Tabletop."

9. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore? I've always disliked vacuuming, although I'll do it. I suppose I like doing dishes, but there aren't really any chores I would call my favorite.

10. Paper or Plastic? I refuse to answer since question #10 on my list bears a striking resemblance to this one.

Emily said...

Your one bite on the plate thing made me laugh out loud. Funny. Also, I love that song too! Andrea Bocelli in general gives me chills. Also, I've tried Pottermore but I don't think I understand it. It's kind of hard for me to navigate. I firmly believe that money can buy happiness. I'm just saying, if you have one less worry in your life, you're more happy, right?

1. What are 3 of your favorite TV shows and why? Gilmore Girls (I'd die to live in Stars Hollow), Downton Abbey (Interesting time period, terrific clothes), and Mad Men (took me a while but I just LOVE that show. I don't know why.)

2. What is one of your very favorite simple pleasures? Reading a great book.

3. What is the name of one of the books you have in a pile to read? No pile, I don't buy books anymore but I'm looking forward to reading Rebecca for book club.

4. What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)? play games

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have quiet time? Watch TV shows backed up on the DVR

6. If you could have a free meal weekly at any kind of restaurant, what kind of cuisine would you choose? Ooh, good question. I think probably Italian food. I love cream and pasta.

7. What is something about which you are VERY curious? The creation of the earth.

8. If you could build a dream house, what special room would you want in it? A library with a fancy big desk, a fire place, and endless book shelves.

9. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore? Favorite: laundry. I just looove my washer & dryer. Least: cleaning toilets. Boys are gross.

10. Paper or Plastic? Paper. Unfortunately.

Emily said...

Ohhhh Joey Gaby. I'll never forget him. The day my dad was called as Bishop of the singles ward Joey attacked me thinking I was my sister Ellen (he was in love with her).

Emily said...

Mark, did you watch the show Fringe? It just had its series finale last week but it's all about alternate universes and stuff. Creepy but super cool, probably Dave's favorite after Lost. Speaking of Lost I think I should have put that on my list, I love that too.

Dr. Mark said...

No, Emily. I haven't watched "Fringe." It sounds very interesting and a little creepy. Honestly, I have so little time to add new shows. I'm still catching up on so many things people have told me I should watch. And by catching up, I mean making sure it's in my queue on Netflix.

The Magic Violinist said...

LOL, Jimmy! XD That's very nice of you.

1. What are 3 of your favorite TV shows and why?

Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and Go On. I love them because they all make me laugh, they all have great characters, and Big Bang Theory also because it's geeky.

2. What is one of your very favorite simple pleasures?

I have two that come to mind very quickly. 1. Good food. 2. Reading a good book under a blanket with stuffed animals and Scout.

3. What is the name of one of the books you have in a pile to read?

Just one?!?! Well, okay. Les Miserables. The abridged version. I'm not sure even I could get through the original.

4. What is your favorite thing to do with your sibling(s)?

Laugh and play imaginative games such as Stuffed Animal Adventures and Imagination.

5. What is your favorite thing to do when you have quiet time?

Read, write, listen to music, and just think. Thinking is a very good thing to do. (Unless it's in the middle of the night and you have a very active imagination).

6. If you could have a free meal weekly at any kind of restaurant, what kind of cuisine would you choose?

Japanese!!!! Sushi and hibachi free weekly?!?! I'm in.

7. What is something about which you are VERY curious?

The kinds of stuff I'm not allowed to watch on TV yet that you and Daddy watch while we're in bed.

8. If you could build a dream house, what special room would you want in it?

A writing room. Filled with pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, writing books, a computer, and a speaker to plug my iPod into so I can listen to music while I write. Now I'm imagining it painted all yellow with fun designs printed on the walls.

9. What is your favorite and least favorite household chore?

I love to clean my room. Surprisingly, I don't love to clean any other room. I like cleaning my room and my computer desk because I rediscover toys and things I haven't used in a while and I LOVE to organize. I can't organize any other room in the house because it isn't MINE. My least favorite chore is doing dishes of any kind. No matter how hard I try I just keep on gagging.

10. Paper or Plastic?

Paper. You can't write on plastic.

This was really fun! :D

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about it and I think I got a little carried away with myself on number 7. So I want to change it to-- Casey Anthony, why?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about it and I think I got a little carried away with myself on number 7. So I want to change it to-- Casey Anthony, why?

Boquinha said...

Jimmy, hilarious! I love that you edited it. That's so cute/funny. Also? It's fun to read your answers! I like Dallas and Tessa, too, though I am REALLY questioning her smarts in dating that dumb, football jock. I do love how the writers get us to like Dallas - she is great.

Your extended family sounds like mine. And I can relate to the only child thing.

Also, a dance studio for your daughters? Cool. We share that in common - a desire to have a room our kids enjoy (we'd do a game room and writing room). :)

Mark, I love how much we have in common. I think that is really, really fun and super, super cool.

Also? I can not BELIEVE we both wrote the same question for #10. Actually, I can, but seriously, how cool is that?!?

Emily, Gilmore Girls really is great. I'm so excited to watch them all with Kate.

Also? Rebecca is my favorite novel. SO SO good. Gothic novels are awesome.

It's kind of ironic that you love Italian and Mark loves Mexican, given that we have an over-abundance of Italian restaurants here and you guys have a plethora of Mexican restaurants there.

Oh, you're right - add a library to our list of rooms.

I checked Netflix - no Fringe.

Hey, Thing 1! You and I have the same favorite shows! Go figure.

#7 - Bwahahahaha!! I love it. Also? A writing room? Great idea. Added!

#9 - insightful and #10? HILARIOUS!