RECENT AWARDS

I would like to thank Aquileana, Julia and Rameesha for nominating me for several blogger awards:  The Premio Dardos Award, The Leibster Award and the Versatile Blogger Award.

I encourage you to pop in to each of these blogs and see what they have to offer.

Aquileana has an amazing history and mythology blog where I am learning so many interesting things.

Julia’s Red Page blog is a quirky collection of fashion, recipes, movie reviews, poetry and photography.  All excellently crafted to tantalize my visual and intellectual taste buds.

Rameesha has created a blog that is both beautiful and filled with thoughtful inspirational insight.

The criteria for the awards include posting the Award Logo on your page, link to your nominator, answer the questions pose, nominate other bloggers and create your own questions for your nominees to answer.

I am humbled and so happy to be nominated.  I appreciate their support and the encouragement the nominations represent.  However, I no longer accept awards as I have difficulty nominating others.  Not that I cannot find bloggers who are deserving, but because I agonize over picking one over another.  I have difficulty making decisions.  I will respond to the questions asked as part of the award, but decline the nomination process.

All of the bloggers I follow are wonderful and are deserving of awards, each for their own unique approach to life and style.    If you wish to be nominated for one of these awards, please let me know. It would make be happy to nominate your blog.

Julia from  https://myredpage.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/premio-dardos-award/

Rameesha at   https://rameeesha.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/yay-second-nomination/

Aquileana at        https://aquileana.wordpress.com/

Here are two sets of questions posed by my nominators.

1. Why do you blog?

I began blogging in January of this year (2015) in an attempt to give my day some structure, provide me with prompts and topics, a writing community and an opportunity to work on my discipline.

2. What do you blog about?

I am an introvert, not one to blog about my daily activities.  I do blog about meditation in The Meditation Cushion.  Other than the prompts I enjoy writing poetry, posting photos and am still looking for my voice.

3. What is your craziest passion?

I am addicted to chocolate. I’m not sure it can be called a passion, but I am passionate about it.  I can’t help it.  I can’t keep it in the house.  It’s crazy I know but that is the way it is.

4. What inspired you into writing?

I began writing when I was a young girl, Poetry commemorating the death of my Great Grandfather is the first time I can recall writing, other than for school projects.

5. What do you like to read in other blogs?

Inspirational topics, travel, other cultures, history, slices of life, poetry, photography and art.

6. What is your favorite book and how did it change you?

I love Anne of Green Gables and all the sequels.  It opened my eyes to the possibilities of female equality,  feminism and of being independent in a time when women weren’t thought of as being capable of leading their own lives.

7. What is your favorite quote?

Everything happens for a reason.  Not easy to accept sometimes, but in the end with hindsight it proves to be true.

8. What do you love about writing?

The words, the language, the putting down on paper my ideas and thoughts, the beauty of how words can be visually stimulating.

9. What are you most likely to think when you look up at the blue sky?

Wide open spaces, freedom.

10. How do you define happiness?

As a meditator happiness is a stabilized mind, where I don’t experience extreme highs and lows of emotions.  Helping others always makes me happy in my heart, always has always will.

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1.What is the thing you think about the moment you wake up?

My dreams and my day

2. What is satisfaction to you?

Getting to the point in a project when I know it is done.  There is no more to add or subtract, maybe just a little editing.

3. What is your surmise on sacrifice?

Sacrifice is essential for growth.  It is not always possible to take the step which sacrifices something you cherish, a belief, a relationship, the status quo in order to move forward to the unknown.

4. Where is the line between insanity and creativity?

I believe that depends on who is defining it.  Many people think creative people are insane, they live their lives so differently than the norm.  A person can be insane and not creative and visa versa.  Insanity is a destructive, negative force or mind set.  Creativity is born of creation and hope.

5. What defines you?

My soul, which represents all of my experiences from the beginning of existence until the present and the future.

6. If you had to teach someone one thing, what would you teach?

To meditate.  It helps people become compassionate and loving.  There is no room for hate and intolerance when meditating.

7. When you think of your home, what immediately comes to mind?

Sleeping in my own bed all comfy and cozy

8. What is infinity?

The illusion of time

9. If you dropped everything to pursue your dreams, what would you be risking?

Everything that represents stability, family, status quo, possibly sanity.

10. If you spend a day watching movies when you should be working a day wasted or well spent?

Well spent if I enjoyed the movies. I can always use them for inspiration.

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Blogging 101 – Liebster Award

Thank you Sarah Best  http://sarahbesty.com/about/    for nominating me for the Liebster Award.  I appreciate your support and generosity for thinking of me.

Pop over to Sarah’s  site and check out her thoughts on contemporary issues.  She is a teacher, a writer and a life long learner.  Her blog reflects her passions about life and blogging.

I have agreed to answer the questions, but opted to not nominate others. I apologize if this annoys anyone.  Many of the blogs I follow do not accept awards, and I do not wish to inundate those who do with multiple requests or be a blog pest.    All of the blogs who I follow are wonderful and are deserving, each for their own unique approach to life.    If you wish to be nominated for this or another award, please let me know. I would be happy to nominate your blog.

I answered both sets of questions, the questions Sarah answered plus the questions she posed as part of the nomination.

The questions Sarah answered

1. How do you make time to blog?   I started blogging as a way to create a schedule for myself and to learn some discipline.  I try to begin my morning with at least on blogging activity.  Responding to comments or writing a post. I’m not always successful.
2. Do you have a blogging schedule or write when the mood takes you?  I do both.
3. Were your schools the best of days of your life?  No.  I felt like an outcast, oddball, different from everyone else.  We move around every few years.  I didn’t have the set of close friends who were always there, who knew me, who I knew well, who I could trust and rely on.
4. If your house was on fire, what is the possession you’d grab as you ran out of the door?  Oh my!.  Do I say my toy box, full of my writing and art supplies or my camera bag, full of my cameras and accessories?  Maybe I will start storing my camera bag in my toy box.
5. If someone offered you a seat on Richard Branson’s first space flight for fare paying passengers, would you go?   I have no interest in going into space, even for photographs or creative inspiration.
6. What city would you recommend others to visit?  Calgary.  It is a diverse city, which offers many indoor, outdoor, historical or cultural activities or events.  The city is close to the mountains and not far from the badlands.  The weather is usually great, sunny or not.
7. What is your signature dish?   Dessert – My mom’s Lemon Squares.
8. What genre of books are you most likely to choose?  The books I read usually depend on my mood, what I am doing at the time or where I am shopping. I will purchase Fantasy if I am looking for something to read and disappear.  When I am learning something new, I will pick up a book that is activity specific , ie meditation, spiritual healing, or craft related.  Finally if I am just browsing at a used book store, reference books always catch my eyes, – writing, photography, cooking, language, or any of the above.
9. Best film from your childhood?   I wouldn’t say these are the best films, but I have two that have stayed with me over the years.  I do not know their titles or the whole story anymore, but I do remember the feeling I had while watching them.   One was an animated movie that I believe is based on an Asian folktale. I was intrigued by the female character, her animal friends and of course the male prince who won her heart.  The 2nd movie is a western in which the heroine sets out to right some wrong, is captured by the bad guys and threatened with being thrown down a steep cliff into the Devils Canyon if she doesn’t comply.  Of course the American paradigm comes into play and a tall dark cowboy saves her.
10. How fare back can you trace your family history?  On my mothers’ side I can trace two lineages.  One lineage goes as far back as 1765 in Switzerland.  The other lineage reaches back to 1815 in  Carlow Ireland.

The questions Sarah posed as part of the nomination.

1. If you could give your 10 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?  Develop a love for exercise such as running or walking.  Not just playing outside.  At some point you will stop playing outside and will need to maintain a regimen of daily physical exercise.
2. What was your favourite TV show when you were growing up?  I loved watching “A Family Affair”. It a series that ran from 1966 to 1971.  A story about three children who went to go live with their handsome Uncle Bill who was played by Brian Keith.   At first I was a little confused because Mrs. Beasley, Buffy’s doll, was identical to my invisible friend, Mrs. Beasley, who visited me when I lived in Germany.  She departed abruptly, leaving Mrs. Hamilton in her place.  I never bonded with Mrs. Hamilton and missed Mrs. Beasley immensely.  In my child’s mind Mrs. Beasley left me to become Buffy’s friend, my first experience with jealousy.
3. If given the chance/opportunity, would you make blogging and writing a full-time career?  This is not why I started blogging, but yes I would.
4. One flaw about yourself?  I avoid conflict to the point I can create more problems for myself and most likely to those around me.
5. Are you a generous person with your time?  I believe so.  I do a lot of volunteering.
6. Your favourite genre of music?  Only one    Rock and all of its’ sub genres.
7. Cheese or chocolate?   Chocolate
8. Your favourite board game?  Monopoly
9. Do you have a nickname?  Not anymore
10. Do you like scary films?   Yes, those starring: Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee, and those directed by Alfred Hitchcock or Roger Corman.

Versatile Blogger Award

I am one happy girl.  I am go glad I began blogging.  In addition to being a creative outlet, a learning experience, the kind blogging community makes me feel appreciated, understood and part of a wonderful group of people.

I am grateful to Donna George of “Donna George Blogs, Beyond Extraordinary Days, Little Bits of This and That” for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award.  Donna is a versatile blogger in her own right.  Her blog is filled with beautiful photos, inspirational words and loving sentiments.   I have enjoyed many visits to her site,  I recommend you stop by to see her photos, and listen to her generous voice for yourself.    Donnas’ photos and words have been a blogging inspiration for me and I am very happy to have found her site.

The Rules for accepting the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:

1) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their site.

2) Tell 7 things about yourself

3) Nominate 15 bloggers

4) Link to their sites and let them know of the nomination.

7 THINGS ABOUT MYSELF

1)  I come from a military family.  Even did a few years myself.  I learned to drive big trucks and shoot very well.

2)  I love dogs and cats.  I currently have 2 lovely  kitty furboys who love looking outside at the birds bathing in the baths placed throughout the yard.

3) I have always enjoyed writing, even if it was only writing memos.  I never thought I had a voice.  I am finding it now with blogging.

4)  I have lived in, not necessarily in this order,  Shilo – Manitoba, Regina – Saskatchewan,  Montreal – Quebec, Soest – Germany, Calgary – Alberta, Toronto – Ontario and for a very short while Ottawa – Ontario.

6) I never celebrated a birthday at home until I was 6.  My family always travelled during the summer.  I can say I have celebrated my birthday in many European countries.

7)  I learned to speak, English, French and German at the same time.  Now, there are some days I can barely speak English.

THE 15 BLOGGERS I WANT TO NOMINATE:

1)  Mitsubachicats  of Featherstone Homestead

2) Marcelle Davis  Frecklesoul at A Jar of Love

3) Marie Williams of Come Fly with Me

4) Kanzen Sakura 

5) Elan Mudrow

6) Kurt Brindley

7) Spaceshipchina

8) Dr. Rohithz of My Life

9) F.G.M. of poems and poemes

10) Keith Garrett of Keith Garrett Poetry  

11)  Colleen Walser

12)  Marty Leake – An Aspiring Writer 

13) Gretchen Yuma

14) Mia of Heart Cloud Blessings

15 Allyson Lee Adams

4th Assignment – Feb 4 – Statistics

I am not someone who is interested in the technical aspects of blogging, especially the statistics.  Math and numbers are not even one of my weakest strengths.  However I do understand their importance regarding marketing and promotions.  I am just figuring out this blogging activity and not concerned with marketing or promoting my blog.  Maybe one day, but now I am just having fun.

The traffic on my blog increases in the days just after I have posted my response to an assignment, a new post under “The Meditation Cushion” or reblogged from another site.  eg:  the 2K International Writers Blog Tour.  The most interest was exhibited during the week I received the Liebster and Sisterhood of World Bloggers awards.

Visiting friends and checking out new blogs can be very time consuming, therefore, I try to keep my posts short, as not to take up too much time of the people who stop by.  It appears that once someone pops in to take a peek, they also take a boo at one or two other posts, much the way I do when I visit a blog.  I haven’t posted much this week, except to reblog the artist interviews posted on The 2K International Writers Blog Tour.  I am featured near the end of the month.

Here is a  video produced by Khan Academy introducing statistics to the uninitiated.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8EYEJ32oQ8

Feb 7/2015

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

I want to thank Hannah of Simply Hanes for nominating me for The Sisterhood of World Bloggers Award.  I am so very honoured and grateful for her consideration.   Please pop over to her blog she is a versatile writer with many categories to delight you.    The Sisterhood of World Bloggers Award is given to writers who express the unique female experience.

The Rules for Accepting and Nominating are as follows:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their site.
• Put the award logo on your blog.
• Answer the ten questions sent to you.
• Nominate seven blogs.
• Make a list of ten questions for your nominees.

My Answers to the Questions:

1. What is your biggest fear and why?

Being successful, I would then have to accept that I can do anything I set my mind to.

2. What are you motivated by?

To help.  If I believe I can be of help to someone I am all in 100%

3. What was the last dream you remember?

It was an apocalypse dream where the captured were forced to tattoo their own hands with hunting knives.  Then the captors cut them off and left the victims to die by being skewered on a fence and hit by fast moving vehicles.  (Sorry… I ate something before bed, I shouldn’t have )

4. What is your favorite book and why?

The Rhyming Dictionary – it is an invaluable resource

5. If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

Buddhas’ Mother – he ordained her.  It would put to rest the squabble between Monks and Nuns regarding the suitability of Nuns ordaining Nuns.

6. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Do you still have that childhood dream?

At one time I wanted to be a Nun, an Actress, a Writer and a Conservationist (That’s what they were called back then).  Yes I still have those dreams.  Did the actress thing, practice ecological behaviour, I am now blogging and I teach Samatha Meditation based on the Buddhist Thai Forest tradition.

7. Do you have a bucket list? If so what are the top three items?

a)  I would like to travel in my RV.  b)  Travel on meditation retreat with my Venerable Teacher.  c) Create a multi discipline creative healing retreat.  A large lodge with smaller cottages sequestered in the woods to accommodate, writers, musicians, healers, meditators and artists.  The property is located  in an area of wooded rolling hills and has a river running through it, for swimming and rafting.

8. If you could boost one of your five senses, which would it be and why?

Improve my ability to listen to my intuition.  Not only hear it but listen to it.

9. Would you rather die young, or live forever?

Die young, if it meant not coming back.

10. What is your favorite thing about yourself?

My ability to enjoy being alone.

I nominate the following, in no particular order. 

Allychat’s Blog

Anecdotes from Along Life’s Road

Daily Cup of Wisdom

Iridescent Spirits

Shannon McFadden – Global Grandma

Kate M Colby

Serins Sphere

The 10 Questions.  I chose to ask the same insightful questions that were asked of me.

1. What is your biggest fear and why?
2. What are you motivated by?
3. What was the last dream you remember?
4. What is your favorite book and why?
5. If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
6. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Do you still have that childhood dream?
7. Do you have a bucket list? If so what are the top three items?
8. If you could boost one of your five senses, which would it be and why?
9. Would you rather die young, or live forever?
10. What is your favorite thing about yourself?

Keep on Blogging and Enjoy the experience of writing.

The Liebster Award – Discover a New Blog

LIEBSTER AWARD

Wow!.  A. aka Mymischiefmanaged of My Lost Lexicon Blog https://mylostlexicon.wordpress.com/  nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Thank you.    Please pop in at take a look at her posts.  She has a welcoming voice and a flair for unique imagery.

The Liebster Award is awarded to new bloggers, those with less than 200 followers.  It is a way to encourage them to keep writing and posting to their blog.  It certainly worked for me.  I am so pumped to keep going, to improve my writing, to conquer the blogging world.  I cannot express how thankful I am to Mymischiefmanaged enough for the nomination.

I feel so encouraged.   I am glad I started Blogging University 101.  Everyone I have met has been very supportive and I am grateful for their comments and kindness.

The Liebster Award Rules for Nominees

• Thank and link the person who nominated you.
• Answer the questions given by the nominator.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers, who have less than 200 followers and link them.
• Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer.
• Notify all nominees via social media/blogs.

Here are my response to Mymischiefmanaged’s Questions

• Are you a morning person or a night Owl?

I am a night Owl, always have been always will be. I nap in the afternoon in order to get enough sleep.

• What is the one thing you are incredibly bad at?

I cannot count.  I can administer a million dollar budget, but don’t expect me to go out onto a warehouse floor, count the number of pallets of pop produced that day and give you the correct number.  Even if I count the product four or five times, I will give you a different number every time.  I know it, I accept it and I no longer worry about it.

• What is your favorite movie soundtrack?

The soundtrack to “The Keep” by Tangerine Dream.  I watch the movie almost yearly, just to listen to the music.

• Describe yourself in three words.

Spiritual, Round, Creative

• On a scale of 1-10, how adventurous are you?

Depends on the circumstances.  1-3 when it involves my work, 6-8 if I am out camping or rafting.

• Where do you live? Do you like it?

I live in Calgary, Alberta – Canada.  I love it.  I’ve lived in many cities in Canada, one in Germany.  I  selected Calgary as my permanent home.

• What is a piece of advice you would give to your future self?

Learn to listen to your inner voice earlier.  Don’t listen to others when they say you can’t or shouldn’t do something. You can and you should.

• Are you more of a cat person or a dog person?

I am both.  Each touches my heart and soul in different ways.  The dogs in my life have shared their enthusiasm for everything with me.  The cats have taught me to love gentle solitude and independence.

• What is your guilty pleasure?

A hot bubble bath in the middle of the afternoon and a good book.

• What is your favorite color?

Green, the verdant green of the newly opened leaves of the spring.

• Do you have any advice for me and/or other bloggers who are just starting?

Find a way to write everyday.  Connect with other writers who will encourage and support you.    For me this has meant registering for the Blogging 101 challenge.  I need the discipline and accountability offered by completing the daily assignments.    When all is said and done, I am hoping it will become a habit, one where I will write on my own daily, without the formalized schedule.

I NOMINATE THE FOLLOWING BLOGS

https://hirundine608.wordpress.com/        Needle at Sea Bottom

https://popnowlin.wordpress.com/            The Creek

https://simplyhaynes.wordpress.com/        Simply Haynes

https://eatliveescape.wordpress.com/         ELE

http://beanandbantam.com/                       Bean & Bantam

https://mrsmrobinson2014.wordpress.com/        MyMiaCreations

https://wisdomsquill.wordpress.com/                  Wisdom’s Quill

https://littleredstrings.wordpress.com/               [L]ittle Red Strings

https://blackgirlinsyracuse.wordpress.com/        Hello World

https://everythingpeculiarmaria.wordpress.com/          LiveLaughLove

http://wanderwomanblog.com/                            Wander Woman

MY 11 QUESTIONS

What always makes you laugh?

If you were a colour, what colour would you be?

Where is your favourite place?

How long have you been writing, blogging?

Who do you look up to?

What is your favourite and least favourite personality trait?

What is your most difficult experience?

What is your favourite word and why?

Who would you be if you were a person in history?

What do you look for in a post or a blog?

What has been the best piece of advice you have been given?

Enjoy writing and life with Love and Light

Cheryle