I rarely do blog memes, but I just received The Liebster Award from Kerry Steele over at Design Du Monde and it’s perfect for a round-up blog about me and some of the spaces I like on-line, and have recently found.
4. Go to their pages and let them know. (no tag backs)
I’m guessing I’m supposed to put things in here that others don’t know, but since I’ve been blogging for over 6 years regularly, those kinds of facts are hard to find! So I’ll just to a general roundup of things others (new and/or regulars) might find interesting.
1. My longest friend and I have been friends for almost 63 years!
2. I can type over 100 words per minute
3. My first pets were Tommy Whiskers, a grey cat with big cheeks, Stuffy something of a mixture with Welsh Corgi in there somewhere, and Georgie, a canary.
4. I LOVE living around big bodies of water (currently, the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River). I find solace in waves hitting a shore. And oceans make me feel like I’ve come home.
5. I’ve always drawn and painted but was never picked out as artistic, and was often discouraged by my art teacher in high school. When I started working full-time as an artist 10 years ago, it took me a full-year of practice before I could say “I am an artist” without looking around to see if someone was going to call me a liar.
6. I need 8 hours of sleep every night or yellow-caution tape around me.
7. I believe passionately in social-justice and spent 20 years of my life as a community-based organizer working with folks who found themselves marginalized by society.
8. I was a go-go dancer for 3 years in my early 20s.
9. I’ve run a printing press and a Linotype machine (do they even have those anymore?!)
10. Favorite books of the last few years include Room, and The Vanishing of Esme Lennox. Also, The Woodcutter which I have on my Kindle where I collect free books and read all the time these days.
11. I believe in magic and unicorns.
Questions posed by Kelly
1. What is your favorite place to have visited? The Redwoods in Northern California.
2. What is your favorite food? It would probably be easier to say what I don’t like: brussel sprouts. But if I have to pick a favorite, I guess it’s a toss up between Cherry Pretzel Squares (which you can also make with blueberries) and Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad.
3. What one expensive item for your home have you been saving for or recently splurged on? Not exactly a splurge: a new roof, then a new well pump (old one taken out by lightening).
4. What bad habit, that others have, really annoys you. More attitude than habit: not taking responsibility for themselves or acting like a victim.
5. What celebrity do you most resemble? Don’t much follow Hollywood. Couldn’t even begin to guess.
6. Where did you grow up? Arlington, Va. with copious amounts of time spent on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where my Aunt was a caretaker on a huge estate on the Tred Avon River, where the owners were never home, giving my cousins and me the run of the place.
7. What is your favorite kids movie? Up – I’m not convinced it’s really for kids. And I have to add Wall.E and E.T.
8. Do you prefer online shopping or real stores? on-line
9. What and where is your favorite restaurant? Yellow Fin, Annapolis MD
10. If you could live anywhere else, where? some place close to a big body of water where I could see whales on a daily basis. I have to say, I am enchanted with my home of 18 years and don’t really want to move, but I’d love to travel more and then come back here.
11. Cake or pie? Pie. or cakeballs.
Questions for my nominees:
- Who is your favorite author and which of their books is your favorite?
- What 5 books would you have to have on a desert isle?
- Name 4 people you would like to have dinner with (living or dead).
- Where would you and your 4 people eat that dinner (anywhere in the world)
- Tell me 2 things on your bucket list.
- If you had your life to live over, would you change anything? If yes, what? If no, why?
- Is the age you are in your head the same as your chronological age?
- If you had one wish granted, what would it be?
- If you could have a super strength, what would it be and why?
- What is your secret talent?
- What is your best personality trait?
Nominate others: I am ignoring the under 200 followers because I have no way of knowing numbers.
- Ruth Davis, Spark the Heart
- Lisa Rough, Sacred Circle Creative Life
- Stacey Curnow, Midwife for Your Life
- Hieke Sharp, Goddess in the Grove Ruth, Lisa, Stacey and Hieke keep me grounded. Love their blogs!
- Leah Piken-Kolidas, Creative Every Day (definitely over 200 followers but she’s a favorite and I’m a rule breaker)
- Heidi Chadwick, Alchemy of the Arts – new to me. Discovered on Lisa Rough’s blog above (she’s having some amazing guest artists over on her website!) Love Heidi’s art – it is fiery and true and wonderful!
- Sue O’Kieffe, Sacred Circle Mandalas – her pictures glow. Her mandalas start with her own photography and grow from there – they are wonderful! Also on Facebook.
- Tracy Swartz and her gorgeous gourd creations (along with her absolutely fabulous personality that leaps off the page)
Now here are some wonderful spaces that aren’t necessarily blogs but will fill up your daily beauty quotient again and again:
- Elizabeth Slettnes, The Girl God, on Facebook. More stunning art. I want to have her talent!
- Carol Long Pottery on Facebook – some of the absolutely most amazing pottery work I have ever seen!
- Mary Costanza A Womans Heart and Soul (Facebook) – lovely reminders of the important things
I know I’m forgetting folks – I plan to come back and amend this as I remember because this is going to be my own go to page when I’m looking for joy and inspiration!
Oh – and if you’re so inclined, you’re welcome to answer my 11 questions in the comments below.
9 Comments
Oh Goddess, LOVE that you were a Go-Go dancer for 3 years! I can totally see that in your beautiful spirit :)! Thank you for nominating me…as always, I am a bit late…but you already know me well enough. I will ponder on this MEME today…and continue it.xoxo
not just art teachers either. I have met some teachers way past their passion hanging around for retirement. Toxic!
Number 5 could have been written by me. I think there are a lot of “art teachers” who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near children and young adults..
I have to check I have you on Pinterest!
Rita – hold that thought. Together we can make it a reality!
I think I will always picture you by oceans and whales. Such fun to read. Have a super Thursday! 🙂
Elizabeth – nice to meet you too! Thanks for dropping by!
As a fellow nominee for the Liebster Award by Kelly, I enjoyed meeting you and visiting your blog. I look forward to seeing some of your art work.
Kerry: I’ve heard some say that not believing you’re an artist is one of the signs of a *real* artist. There are so many talented people out there who won’t call themselves “artist” and then I look around at some of those the culture recognizes as Artist and have to wonder!
I love #5 in the facts about you. I am still waiting for someone to knock on my door and tell me to stop pretending to be an artist. Ha!