Sunshine Blogger

First I have to say thank you to Deb of Stylin' Librarian for the nomination. What fun! During a bout with the highest cedar count known to man it was such a nice little ... burst of sunshine. :)

First of all you probably already know about Deb's blog. But if you don't, go there. Always shares great reviews of the books and some fun little insights into living abroad! I enjoy it immensely.

Now. 11 facts you may not know about me. Or maybe you do:

1) I might have mentioned this, I can't remember. I speak Spanish! Not perfectly like I'd ever be mistaken for native but I get along. Comes from HS, college, and 18 months doing service work for my church with mainly Hispanic people in CA. I speak it fairly often living in South Texas. ;)

2) If I still practiced I'd be like Sherlock. I play the violin. Went to music camp and played in orchestras for a long time. Miss playing with a big group!

3) I'm an aunt of 10 ... 6 nieces and 4 nephews. Sister of 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Daughter of Mom and Dad. Only parents live close. At least them but :( on everyone else being far away.

4) I love 80s music. a-ha is my favorite! They had several other awesome songs after Take on Me. That was NOT the only one!

5) I love to collect recipes and crafty ideas. I don't love to cook or make most of them. Perfectionist.

6) I've been to British Columbia, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, England, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, and one day in Morocco. I need another trip! Even though beforehand I stress out like no other. "Did I pack enough? Did I pack too much? Did I remember this? Or that?"

7) And related to number 6 ... oh my word do I get lost easily. NO sense of direction. At all. Like it's ridiculous and makes me late for things or miss things entirely or not even try to go cause I'm nervous about getting lost. 

8) All of my family summer vacations were spent in the small town in Idaho where Napoleon Dynamite was filmed. That's where my parents grew up and my grandparents lived.

9) Goodness ... we're starting to stretch things here. Umm ... I spent a week sailing the San Juan Islands on a Boy Scout Explorer sailboat.

10) First concert I ever went to was Extreme. Remember them? So weird ... stuck out like a sore thumb. Next one was George Strait.

11) Drat. Can't think of anything remotely interesting. I hate bananas and raisins with a fiery passion.

11 answers to Deb's questions:

1) If I could travel anywhere, I would go ... back to Scotland! Or Ireland! So green and pretty with history in the architecture. And to give it one more chance to have tall, dark, and handsome walk around the corner. 

2) Recent procrastination I need to deal with ... some things that are falling behind at work. Collaboration. You have to actively work for it and with feeling yucky some of that has been pushed to the back burner. Survive instead of thrive mode, you know? 

3) Last time I laughed out loud was the other day. Kid quote: "Miss, why does your hair look so crazy?" and the same day "Why is your nose so red?" Before that it was my nieces and nephews over Christmas. Too adorable.

4) Movie that has stuck with me ... harder. Movies are a favorite. I tend to go more for action and fantasy than drama. I guess ... the LOTR trilogy. Samwise Gamgee's speech about the great stories and there being some good in the world. For a movie (to be fair book, but anyway) TWO to manage that kind of power ... that's something.

5) I need to read more non-fic. I'm getting better but more would teach me things! And more early chapter books. Picture books, middle grade, YA? Got those fairly decently covered. But early chapter? Not my fave so I don't always.

6) What makes a book 5 of 5 stars? If love it and I feel like the book's targeted audience will also love it (those two don't always go together). When the writing and turns of phrase just amaze me and make me wish I could write my own stories.

7) I wish I could be braver about people. I get nervous and then can't think of anything to say. I have a couple of blog friends for which I am so thankful! Open to more ... just nervous about making first contacts. TCEA is coming up. I would love to make more personal connections. Not just go, stay in my own bubble, then come home.

8) EEK! Personal style? What would someone call it? I'm not sure. My style was much better when my body was more in shape. Clinton and Stacy were my gurus. But hey. Allergy shots so I can breathe and I'll exercise more and I'll get back into those cute clothes. We'll say Converse Chucks and you can probably guess the rest of my current style. :P

9) My favorite recreational activity besides reading is making cookies running sleeping.

10) How do I give back to my community? You know ... that's something I could do more of. I don't regularly volunteer at any soup kitchens or shelter. Don't do anything at the public library in the summer. I know one doesn't have to do any of that. But I think it would be nice. Sometimes it feels like I'm so wrapped up in school that IS my community service. But it's not.

11) If I had only one book I could share with a group of students it would be ... right now it would be The One and Only Ivan. I have such a personal connection to it. No picture proof ... but memories of visits to his sad mall domicile.

Here's the hardest part. I'm not sure who to tag. WHAT IF THEY SAID NO? OR just didn't ever do it? Then I'd feel silly. And I know ... THAT is silly.

My 11 questions:

1) favorite candy

2) favorite Star Wars or Harry Potter or LOTR or Pride and Prejudice or Anne of Green Gables  character (hopefully at least one of them you like! if not feel free to add a character from somewhere else) and why

3) least favorite thing to do

4) scariest book you ever read (even if it wasn't very scary!)

5) time you'd like to visit

6) first animal you visit at the zoo

7) first website you open on a "regular" day

8) most tolerable form of exercise

9) Sherlock or Watson?

10) Hard copy print, e-reading, or audiobooks?

11) fave tech tool