Hello readers.  I shall take some time off from my normally scheduled programming to say thank you to Lula Harp for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award.  Like many of these awards, there is a built in blog post built in with the nomination where I get to talk about myself.  So, without further ado here are my responses to Ms. Harp’s questions:

1. What are 6 things you couldn’t live without?
   • In no particular order: air, food, Diet Dr Pepper, books, outside and my daughter.
2. What time of day do you do your best writing/work?
   • I really only get to write in the morning (which is horrible) or at night (which is better.)  I think I might write well during the day, but that’s normally when I’m writing e-mails, proposals, performance reviews, and other worky writing things.  Worky writing is not my best or my favorite.
3. Biscuit or scone?
   • Both, but if I was forced to choose I would pick biscuit, especially because lots of times scones have gross things like cranberries, blueberries and currants in them.  I told my husband recently that if I suddenly had infinite time available I would learn how to make the perfect biscuit.  I have heard rumors that it involves grating the cold butter.  My husband thinks I have lame goals.
4. Favorite season?
   • Fall, or perhaps spring.  I love fall because I love the weather, the crispness of the air, and the clothes.  I love spring because I love the winter ending and the tiny new plants poking up out of the ground.
5. What are your thoughts on social media?
   • I’m addicted to Facebook and knowing how my 30ish friends are doing.  That said, all my Facebook friends are also flesh and blood friends, so it’s like an extra expansion of my friendships.  I don’t really get having 500 friends.  I get having 500 connections on LinkedIn, because careers are made via connections.   I loved Twitter when I had 40 minutes on the bus each day, but now that the bus riding is over I can’t make time for it.  I do like the instant connection to anyone, and how it made Neil Gaiman my BFF.  All this said, I know that I need to start figuring out how to better use social media to promote my work, which makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy.
6. Favorite way to end the day?
   • Sleeping.  I love sleeping.
7. Best trip?
   • I think the trip my husband and I took to Boston and Maine last year.  We had just come over a really rough stretch and we got to spend 8 days just being grown ups together.  Eating, hiking, walking, kayaking, exploring and just having fun.  As much as I can’t live without my daughter, it was amazing to remember why I choose to live my life with this guy who normally I value for his ability to take out the trash and do dishes.
8. Would you eat at a restaurant that was really dirty if the food was amazing?
   • So long as the really dirty didn’t involve cockroaches I could see.
9. How important is it to you to learn something new?
   • Not super important.  I like to learn new things organically.  I would never sit here and think, “Today, I am going to learn French.”  I would learn French if I was going to France, or Montreal.
10. Have you ever flipped a coin to make an important decision?
    • Nope.  I’m a total spreadsheet decision maker.

Also, I went to the grandmother of my nominator Blabberwockying to check her out.  I love her questions, especially this one:

Do you feel you are at peace with yourself?

• Absolutely not.  I have moments where I can glimpse peace with myself and it seems so magical.

Finally I went to the great-grandmother of my nominator, to try to see if I could give this award to just anyone.  (It appears I can.)  Then I used her badge for the award, because I like it.  Thanks to A Dark World Inside.

So my nominees are:

Clare from Around Zuzu’s Barn.  Clare’s stories are pure sunshine to me, and I love hearing about her cats (both real and fictional) and her adventures.

Kathy from K E Garland.  Kathy has a wicked wit and a sharp eye for the injustices and idiosyncrasies of life.

On the Lamb Design who is a knitter and a runner like me, which means I love her stuff.  She also was the first person ever who read a fiction piece I wrote and tie it to one of her real life experiences.  She compared my short story, The Fisherman, to this post of a dinner she had in Copenhagen.  Every time I read that post I get chills: it’s total magic.

Alexand Knits for tickling my eyeballs with beautiful knit items.

Now for my questions, if you all are interested in playing along:

1. Where do you feel at home?
2. When are you most truly yourself?
3. What do you love doing, but don’t have enough time for?
4. What is your biggest time suck?
5. Who makes you a better person?
6. If you had to pick four words for a family crest, what would they be?
7. What do you collect?
8. Name one word you despise and why do you dislike it?

Thanks again to Lula Harp for the nomination!