Double Liebster
Tis the time for blogger awards, I suppose…
I’ve been blessed to receive two Liebster awards recently, in addition to the Sunflower blogger award I got a a little while ago. If these continue at this rate, by the time I reach the one-year mark, I’ll have more awards than most six-year old bloggers. I really appreciate it, y’all. ^^
Adele, at Howling Evanescence and Ana at Butterflies of the Imagination both nominated me for the Liebster award (Which, apparently, means “dearest” in German; I wonder how many people who use this award know that, now that it’s traveled around the internet this far). Thank you so much, Adele and Ana!
Eleven Facts About Me
1. I got a violin a few days ago, and am now learning all about beats and notes. Oddly enough, I’m learning from a series of videos on YouTube–British videos. Aside from the fact that it means the teacher has a neat accent, it also means I’m learning the British terms rather than the American ones. As those of you who read the Sunflower Award post might remember, I have the same thing going on with my First Aid book.
2. When I was a small child, I used to be afraid that I would turn into a boy. Thinking back, I now think that the whole idea came from the book The Land of Oz in which the main character, who was a boy, found out that he (she?) was really a girl who had been enchanted to be a boy when… she was a small child, in order to hide her real identity.
3. We’re having spaghetti for dinner. If you’re here before six o’ clock or so, you can come over for dinner.
4. I find it beautiful when it rains. Here, at least, when it rains the sky is gray, but the grass and the trees are so vibrantly green that it contrasts against the sky in such a way that it seems almost impossibly beautiful. The earth declares His glory…
5. I have an old manual Olympia typewriter which I got a little over a year ago. ‘Tis lovely, and has a wonderful ding at the end of each line. It pleased me ridiculously when I first heard it.
6. “I have Friends in High Places.”
7. Rather than watching modern television, I and my family tend to watch older movies or television shows. For example, the television shows that I’ve watched the most of are The Adventures of Robin Hood (with Richard Greene, not the modern one) Lost in Space, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and The Rifleman.
8. My name has three meanings in three different languages that I know of at this very moment.
9. I use Google Chrome, but very rarely allow the Most Visited boxes to collect there. Instead, I’ll go through and delete all of them, unless I expect that I’ll need one of them many times in the near future. This seems to irritate my browser to no end, and it repeatedly puts things on there which I have only been to once or twice. It’s rather unusual, both my habit and my browser’s habit, but I don’t really know why either happen.
10. The background behind my email inbox is dark wood grain. The tiled areas (linoleum, technically) of our house are faux wood floor. The paneling in our old house was… (wow! You guessed!) faux wood paneling.
11. I love the wind.
My Answers to Adele’s Questions
1.What are your goals for the future? Rate them from most important to least important!
Serving God – Loving children – being alive – getting a book published – learning how to grow wings.
2. Do you think you will be blogging 20 years from now?
I have no idea. …Does that count as a real answer?
3. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
Healing. Because there is so much that could be done…
4. Would you rather be poor but happy, or be rich but sad?
Oh. That is a hard question. Of course, I would rather be happy, and there are some things that money can’t buy… But there are also some things that money can buy. Like wells in Africa and homes for children in China, funds to help people adopt. I suppose that this is going to be a non-answer too; whether I’m rich or poor, I have joy in the Lord. He knows what He’s doing; I’ve just got to trust him.
5. What is your favorite book in the whole world at this moment?
The Bible. What other book is true, has such epic stories, is so wonderfully written, and is the best guide-book to live in the history of ever?
6. THINK FAST! THERE’S A PURPLE PEGASUS FLYING TOWARDS YOU. WHAT DO YOU DO?
Blink, then dodge. What happens next depends completely on what the Pegasus does.
7. What is the dumbest injury you have received? (Mine is a scar that received 5 stitches because I jumped off, but caught my leg on, some bleachers. XD )
I only have had two actual injuries to speak of, and I suppose that my dumbest one would be when I was very small (three?) and I was jumping on my parents’ water-bed. I jumped off of it and hit my head against the window-sill, having to afterwards go to the hospital to get stitches. I don’t remember any of it, but, the moral of the story, kids, is to not jump off water beds when you have low windowsills.
8. Have you ever watched Frozen? If you have, what is your favorite song from that movie?
“Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”
9. Cats or dogs?
Cats.
10. Favorite sport?
Ah. I don’t really have a favorite sport… Sports aren’t a major thing for me. I’ll say running, for now.
11. Why did you start blogging?
At this moment, I don’t really remember my exact reasons. I had a million different ideas circling around in my head, I believe, and wanted to put them down somewhere where people could read them.
My Answers to Ana’s Questions
Would you rather live without the ability to read or without the ability to write?
Without the ability to write. It would certainly be difficult, but a life without reading would be worse.
What is your favorite song, and if you’re Christian, what is your favorite Christian contemporary song?
They’re one and the same, if I can think of my favorite. I listen to very little non-Christian music. But I have such difficulty thinking of a favorite artist, how can I pick a favorite song?
I suppose I shall go with Walk On, by 4Him, but I reserve the right to change it at any time, with or without warning.
What was your greatest accomplishment this year?
Keeping this blog running steadily for so long. Even though I took a break in the middle.
What advice do you have for newbie bloggers?
Blog regularly, and keep in touch with your readers. If someone comments on your blog, you should respond to their comment, and go check out their blog if they have one. If they follow your blog, definitely go check out their blog, but be aware that some people will like and follow blogs to promote their own; if that’s the case, it’s very likely that on their “About” page, there will be many comments saying “Thanks for the follow!” It’s not necessary to follow everyone who follows you, but it is good blogging etiquette to at least look at their blog. And you might find some great blogs that way!
What is the word count of the longest piece you’ve written?
Ah. Well, as embarrassing as my first major writing work is, that takes the prize length-wise. It’s around one hundred twenty thousand words or so.
What is your favorite thing about your personality?
I haven’t half a clue…? I’ve never had to contrast it with someone else’s.
What do you like more: sad books or funny books?
I like sad books with hopeful endings rather than funny and fluffy books, but I like funny and deep books better than sad books without hope in the ending.
Do you speak more than one language? If so, what languages do you speak?
My first language is English. I speak a smattering of Spanish, can recognize a few words in Russian, Hebrew, Japanese, and German, and am working slowly and steadily towards being fluent in Chinese. Emphasis on the slowly.
Can you share a picture of your handwriting, please?
Certainly. My handwriting has been slightly off for the past few days, but here’s a picture.
(Quote by Malachi, from Adventures in Odyssey episode “Malachi’s Message.”
Who is your favorite author?
Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” For fiction writers, Anne Elisabeth Stengl.
Do you frequently read e-books or do you read more physical books?
Physical is most certainly best. I have read a few books e-books style, but I don’t ever expect to prefer that over hard-copy. Ever.
The Nine Bloggers I Nominate
- Katie (or Anna, if she’d like!) at Cousins in Christ
- Kya Lightwing at Journal of an Ambassador
- Abrielle Lindsay at Indonesia Around Me
- Sofia Marie at teensliveforJesus
- Alea Harper at Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings
- Krazy at My Point of View
- Elyse Moiser at Blessed Beyond Measure
- Bethany at The Ramblings of a Young Author
- Hannah Jane at Walking in Grace
My Questions for My Nominees
- Why did you start blogging?
- Who are your favorite three fictional characters?
- What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
- If your home was going to burn to the ground and any people and animals were safe, what one thing would you grab?
- Do you prefer the sun or the moon?
- Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
- Do you speak any second languages?
- What makes you cry in fiction? (Do you cry at fiction?)
- Who is your favorite historical figure?
- (Just as a random question…) Describe your floor.
- What is the skill you’re the most proud of?
Thank you so much for your nominations, Adele and Ana! If anyone else wants to be officially nominated for this, comment. I’ll edit your name into the post. *whistle*
Red Lettering 
I enjoyed reading!! If I hadn’t recently been nominated I would have loved to answer your questions….but, I have 🙂 Look forward to reading more!!!
Coolio!
Coolio? xD It sounds like the name of some sort of flower… Thanks again for the nomination. 🙂
Thanks, Athelas! I’ll try to do it this or next week. 🙂
You’re welcome! I look forward to seeing it. ^^
Okay. Breathe, breathe. There, there. That’s better. I literally started hyperventilating when I saw the caption for the picture of your handwriting. You watch Adventures in Odyssey too? I love Adventures in Odyssey so much! You are awesome! What is your favorite episode? I really liked the Green Conspiracy Series, but then again, I’ve listened to so many episodes that it’s hard to keep track of them all, so I might be forgetting a really good one.
Fact 1-I play the violin too!
Fact 2-That is so weird. Childhood is a funny thing, isn’t it?
Fact 5-I got two typewriters as a gift. They are so fascinating!
Fact 7-I love, love, LOVE old comedies. Also, even though I watch a lot of the modern Doctor Who episodes, I also get a kick out of the older ones.
Adele’s Q 10-Running. Is. Awesome.
My Q 2-Cool. I like Hold Me and Beautiful Day by Jamie Grace. Also, I, too, listen to very little non-Christian music.
My Q 5-I am officially speechless.
Great post, Athelas. I loved seeing all that we have in common. And for the record, yes I knew what Liebster meant in German.
0.0 You listen to Adventures in Odyssey? That~is~awesome! I listen to an episode a day off of their website. The Green Ring Conspiracy had some very good parts, but my favorite would probably (definitely) be “The Labyrinth.” After that would come The Blackgaard Chronicles, and then the Novacom Saga.
Fact 1. – That’s awesome! How long have you been playing?
Fact 2 – Agreed.
Fact 5- Neat! What sort of typewriters are they?
Fact 7 – Heh. I tend to avoid comedies, both old and new mostly, but I adore some old dramas. I’ve watched one Doctor Who episode, but I’ve seen a million different things about it on the internet, so I know ridiculously much about it.
Adele’s Q. 10 – I agree! I’ve never really seen it as much of a competitive sport, but I adore running for the pleasure of it. Barefoot. In the country. Call me romantic if you must. xP
Ana’s Q. 2 I don’t think I know those songs… My favorite songs are older songs, but I do love some new ones, too.
Ana’s Q. 5. Don’t be. It’s really bad.
Thanks! And thank you for nominating me. 🙂 I was amazed to find how much we have in common– especially Adventures in Odyssey. I don’t find a lot of writer-girls who listen to it.
I listen to the episodes from the website too. Ooh, yeah. The Labyrinth was good and so are the Blackgaard Chronicles. However, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the Novacom Saga. It doesn’t ring a bell, but maybe I’ll stumble upon it someday on the website.
I’ve been playing violin for about three years now, and I plan to continue by playing in youth orchestras as long as taking private lessons.
I actually have no idea what kind of typewriters I have because they aren’t actually at my house right now. All I know is that one of them is really old.
Barefoot running in the country? Very romantic. I run competitively, but I also like to run just for the fun of it.
You’re welcome for the nomination. You deserve it! Also, I know almost no one else that listens to AIO, much less writer-girls. More people should listen to it!
The Labyrinth was so good that I made my whole family listen to it several times when it first came around. And when it did the second time. xP Novacom was their second epicly-big adventure, spanning… thirty episodes or so. At the rate things are going, they should play it in a few months. Anywhere from three to six, I would guess.
So I definitely shouldn’t let you hear my playing. I’m very bad right now. Any tips you would give me as an absolute beginner?
Do they both still work?
Unfortunately, I was forbidden to go outside bare-foot when I was… twelve? One thing that they forget to mention is that, in the country, there are a lot more poisonous spiders, snakes, and rusty nails. :-p
Oh, thank you. =) More people should definitely listen to it! Some of them are awesome. Some of them are slightly meh-ish, but a lot of them are excellent.
Yes! I love epicly big adventure series on AIO so I’ll have to keep my eyes (ears?) peeled for when Novacom’s played again.
Ooh, tips. I have a few tips. For one thing, early on, you should develop a habit of making sure that each of your notes are in tune when you are playing a song. Playing the violin is all about being perfectly in tune. Unlike instruments such as the piano where the note is clearly defined by a key, a violin’s notes are played by pressing a finger down on the string, and unless you have tape, it’s the notes aren’t marked. So even though it can be hard, whenever you hear yourself playing a note that is out of tune, you should stop and correct it. Also, make sure your posture is correct. Your left fingers should be curved, not flat, and your left wrist should be upright and not touching the neck of the violin. Your right fingers should also be relaxed and not too far apart from each other on the bow. You should also not be timid with your violin. Use long bow strokes unless you are playing staccato or really fast notes. Put a lot of pressure on the string so that you produce a really resonant and solid sound. Otherwise, you’ll sound squeaky and unsure of yourself. I hope those tips help!
Both of the typewriters still work. The newer one works perfectly fine. However, the older one is really battered up and some of the keys don’t move, so you actually have to lift the arms of some of the keys and press them against the ribbon manually.
Oh great. Poisonous spiders, snakes and rusty nails do not sound good at all. I can’t decide which of the three is worse.
You’re welcome again. A lot of the episodes are excellent! Also, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, but another good Christian radio drama is Paws and Tales. I don’t listen to it that much because it seems to be more geared toward younger kids, but it’s still a pretty good show.
I just want to say that your blog is really beautiful. I’m on Blogger, now I want to change to WordPress! 🙂 I enjoyed reading this post as well. It’s cool, the whole blog awards thing! I’ve never heard of it before.
~Ana
inkspotwriter.blogspot.com
WordPress is awesome. It has some great themes–all the credit goes to WordPress for how the blog looks.
The next time a blogger award is given to me, I’ll pass it on to you, then! 🙂
Thank you so much for the nomination!
Oi, there’s so much I could comment about from your answers. Adventures in Odyssey – and a quote from one of my favorite episodes, no less! Violin – I took lessons when I was a kid and have been wanting to take it back up recently, and plan to as soon as possible. There’s so much more, too. Your answers are awesome!
You’re an Adventures in Odyssey girl, too? That. Is. Awesome. I never thought I would meet this many other writers who listen to it! 🙂 Violins are, I’ve found, amazing to play. I’m really very bad at it, but I’ve been enjoying it a whole lot. I hope you get a chance to pick it up again!
I finally answered! 😛 http://kyanalightwing.blogspot.com/2014/10/hello.html
Yay! You do still exist! :p