I’d like to dedicate this award to ….

This is where I say thank you to the lovely Bendilyn Bach, writer of a blog that I read and unfailingly enjoy, by the name of ‘Loving a Frenchman’.  I’m saying thank you to Bendilyn not just for writing words that never fail to please me, for making me smile or think or both but also for nominating me for a Liebster Award.  The Liebster, as you may have found out on your blogly travels is a way of paying it forward and saying ‘take a look’.  The formula is simple – I now answer the questions Bendilyn set for me and her other nominees and then I nominate 11 Blogs which I love for the award and ask them 11 questions which they in turn answer.  I have laid out the rules below.  And in case you missed what I said THANKYOU BENDILYN!

The rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you for a Liebster Award and link their blog to your post.
• Answer the 11 questions they’ve asked you.
• Nominate 11 bloggers who have 200 followers or fewer for the award.
• Ask 11 questions to your nominees.
• Let your nominees know you nominated them once you’ve posted about your Liebster Award.
• Add the Liebster Award badge to your blog!

The questions asked by Loving a Frenchman and my answers:

1. Why write?
   Because it needs to come out
2. What is one item on your bucket list?
   To drive an ice truck
3. What historical figure would you most like to meet?
   William Wilberforce
4. Favorite book.
   Le Petit Prince, Antoine de St Exupery
5. Favorite movie.
   It’s A Wonderful Life
6. Favorite song.
   How Can I Tell You, Cat Stevens
7. What is your biggest regret?
   I don’t have them – no rear view mirror or I would eat myself up with guilt and remorse
8. What will you never do?
   Knowingly eat Andouillette (the dish of death)
9. Dogs or cats?
   Dogs (but I don’t hate cats)
10. Whom do you admire?  Why?
    The Queen (though I am not a Royalist) – she has the most difficult job, had no choice as to whether to take it and has carried it out for decades with dignity and aplomb
11. What can we do to make the world a better place?
    Be mindful

Drum roll …. my nominees are:

1. The Mindful Expat … I love this blog written by an American Psychologist who, for the love of a French Engineer has found herself in Lyon
2. 750 Metres …. the husband of another blogger I follow and love (La Petite Maison Bijoux) writes about gardening in Haute Loire at altitude – lovely pictures and clean, clear script make this a favourite
3. Ditzy and Disapproving … the new kid on the blog this is a funny irreverent blog which alternates between the Dizzy lover of all things and the grumpy old woman in the making.  The author to my certain knowledge is 24!
4. No Blog Intended … another young woman blogging about life in Belgium and the aspiration to study in Russia
5. Carls Crafty Kitchen is my favourite food blog …. Carl is a wonderful cook, a great raconteur and a closet comedian
6. Create and Consult … Peronel Barnes is a very talented artist and a very smart business woman – her words are worth reading
7. Femme au Foyer ... the writer lived in Clermont Ferrand capital of The Auvergne, France with her husband and tiny children and is now back home in the USA with the same husband and an extra even tinier child … this is a warm and lovely journal
8. Diving for Pearls – the blog of a one time professional photographer who makes you wonder at her skill and long for her to be professional again.  She blogs in a wonderfully conversational way about creating and creativity and peppers her site with the most beautiful photographed images.
9. Michael Gordon online is all about the healthier way to be – from barleygrass to magnets, Michael covers it all.  And water.  And as a BOGOF Michael is an independent celebrant whose other blog Vows that Wow is a great introduction to the alternative means to a baby naming, a wedding or a funeral.
10. Living in Light – Bobbi Kumari is the lightest brightest of shiny stars and her fashion designs are wonderful.  That she is a Christian underpins her work, her life and her writing.
11. The Politics of it All – Another bright young thing – this time Alfie Lambert … smart, contentious and articulate his writing never fails to prick my grey cells in a good way

And here are my questions to the nominees:

1. Why should people read what you write?
2. Fruit or cake?
3. What is success?
4. Advice to your 14 year old self
5. Favourite place on earth
6. Pictures or words?
7. If you could spend an afternoon with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
8. First love
9. Town or country?
10. The greatest invention of the last 100 years
11. What is content?

If blogging be the food of life, write on 😉

PS:  The title says I would like to dedicate this award to and I do dedicate this award to my husband (he of the Two Brains) and The Bean.  One got me through the early days of being alone in the deepest depths of a foreign land and the other makes me a better person – I’ll leave it to you to work out which is which ….

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