The Kreativ Blogger Award

I've been awarded twice for the Kreativ Blogger Award...thank you ladies!

Chris at Kelworth Files who hosted the A to Z "Script Frenzy", and  KS Collier, author of "The Veil" (see her marvelous book trailers) passed it on to me...what a surprise!  Check out their blog links above, and read their answers to the Kreativ questions!


What is involved in receiving the honor?  Here is a rundown:

KREATIV RULES:

1. Thank and link back to the awarding blog.
2. Answer the seven questions
3. Provide ten random factoids about yourself.
4. Last but not at all least, hand this on to seven deserving others.

So, here are my questions (a melding of the two sets given to my predecessors) and Random thoughts:

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What’s your favorite song?

I am drawn to meaningful old hymns: "It is Well with My Soul", "Take My Life and Let It Be", and, "Be Still, My Soul". Here is an excerpt:

"Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain."

2. What’s your favorite dessert?

I have always loved ice cream, so, you can see how disappointed I was to discover I am intolerant to dairy!  But, my second choice is baked goods, and I've learned to make some delicious gluten-free versions. My current favorite is a lemon cake made with almond flour...very moist and flavorful.

3. What do you do when you’re upset?

Talk to God, sometimes shed a tear, and often keep it inside so I don't bother anyone.  It depends if it's a "sad" upset or an "angry" upset. I tend to show my feelings more if I am angry.


4. Which is your favorite pet?

We have had so many unusual pets...chameleons, hedgehog, mudskippers to name a few, so it's tough to choose.
Then, there is the dog/cat dilemma.  I've had both, but I must say, that I prefer cats because it's so easy to care for them, and they don't demand anything from you (other than your service to them!). Our two Ragdoll cats, Luciano and Cosette, are opposites, but they each have their virtues.
My childhood pets were two Chihuahuas, Scampy and Geronimo...both whom I loved dearly!

5. Which do you prefer? White or whole wheat?

Ask my children that question, and they will immediately say, "wheat, of course"!  No pasty white "enriched" (with chemicals) Wonder bread that you can roll into a tight spitball-sized orb.  Nope...I want all the natural vitamins that the bran provides (which makes it "whole" wheat), the way God intended it to be eaten.  (I can see my son cringing right about now...enough said!)

6. What is your biggest fear?

Heights, definitely...especially if I am on a mountain, or tall building where there are no protective railings.

7. What is your attitude mostly?

I'm generally even tempered (unless I am sharing a passion or pet peeve of mine, then, look out!), and want to please others.  Hurting other's feelings is a big concern of mine, so sometimes I compromise my standards which I am not proud of!

RANDOM FACTOIDS:

My father was born in The Czech Republic, and my Mother's parents, in Slovakia, so I am truly "Czechoslovakian"!

I took a few months of Japanese lessons when I was in upper elementary school.

I was 17 when I graduated from HS, and only 20 when I received my teaching degree...I went straight through college in three years!

I've travelled to six out of seven continents in my lifetime...some two to three times.

I am a morning person...if I am awakened by an alarm too early, I can't get back to sleep.  Very frustrating for me!

I was a nanny for a Chicago news anchor in the 80's.

My favorite high school subject was etymology...the study of Greek and Latin roots.  I became quite good at it, and was the winner of the "numbskulls" team in our class' "word root" bee!

I refuse to follow the crowd...I like to be unique in every way.  I choose what I like to wear regardless of trends, and don't let the world dictate who I am or what I do.  Only God has that place in my life. It comes, I think, from being an only child.

I am the ultimate in frugality...I refuse to pay full price at resale shops!

In HS, my Driver's Ed teacher called me a "lead foot"...I always engage the cruise control on the tollway, so I don't accidentally exceed the speed limit.

7 AWARDS FOR 7 KREATIV BLOGGERS:

So, I’m passing the Kreativ Blogger award to the following deserving writers:

Pam at 2Encourage
Mandy at Biblical Homemaking
Carrie at "The Slow-DrippedLife"
Brianna at "BibleBloggers"
BJ at "Joy2Journey"
Sue at "Kid Lit Reviews"
Arlee at "A Few Words"

Enjoy, and pass on the torch to others!

Random Acts of Kindness to Writers Award: And the Winner is...

These awards are spurring me on in my attempt to write and design readable posts which inform, instruct and inspire!

This one was begun by the ladies at the Bookshelf Muse, Angela and Becca, who have just released a powerful tool for developing characters in your story.  The best part is....they are giving away a sample PDF file of "The Emotion Thesaurus" for anyone who visits their site! Check it out, here.

This award serves to celebrate those who have supported writers in our craft via critiques, blog posts, reviews,  challenges, or, just as important, words of encouragement.

That brings me to my winner of the RAOK award:  

My good friend, DAISY of "Fresh as a Daisy Soaps"!!!

Although she is not a writer per se, she is gifted with editing skills, which she put to use a few months back on a story of mine.  Her son is a gifted young writer, which is not surprising.  But that is not the main reason for honoring her in this way.

During the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April, Daisy cheered me on with her uplifting comments on each of the 26 posts  (give or take one or two), even though she is a busy homeschool Mom and crafter. What a blessing that was to me, Daisy...I thank the Lord for you!



So, not only can she grab the badge above, and place it on her blog, but, as a thank you, I will be hosting an occasional contest (if you have any ideas, let me know), and will award the winner with their choice of one of Daisy's scrumptiously scented bath products.  She is a master at mixing just the right essence and color to mold many unique  soaps.  See her fragrant offerings here.

Do you know of a person who has helped you along the road to authorship?  Honor them today with the Random Act of Kindness To Writers Award!

The Sunshine Award!!

Well, it was bound to happen...I lost a draft that I spend a couple of precious hours composing!  So, I will need to be brief, since my time is so limited these days!  But, I am honored to receive this award, thanks to Bethany Telles. It is given to those who's blogs inspire positivity and creativity in the blogosphere.  Thanks, Bethany!

 Bethany has good things to say on her blog, Perched in a Tree, sharing her view of the world from a lofty vantage point.  I love the fact that she sees the good in everyone...Bethany calls that a weakness.  I call it a strength! She is blessed to be able to stay at home with her children.

In order to accept the Award, we are to answer the following 10 questions, and then pass on the award to others.  Some say around ten, but, I will need to hone it down to four, but not because the awardees are limited!

Here are my questions:

FAVORITE COLOR:


      I would have to say green.  When I was younger, it was blue, but now I love sage green, seafoam green, honeydew and forest green...all the greens but olive and army.  Green speaks of life, energy and renewal.

FAVORITE ANIMAL:

     I love all animals in God's kingdom, but, right now, it's the hedgehog...my daughter owns an adorable one named Pippin.

FAVORITE NUMBER:

     It's seven...it always has been.  The perfect number according to the Bible.

FAVORITE DRINK:

     Tea!   All kinds, but mostly milk oolong, Japanese Cherry, and specialty drinks such as Thai and Bubble Tea.

FACEBOOK OR TWITTER?

     Even though I use both, it's Facebook that I use the most.  I love to see what my friends are thinking and doing....

MY PASSION:

     In writing, it's to make history and Scripture come alive for my readers, who are mostly women and children.  In my daily life, I love to plan and take my family on "educational field trips" to various parts of the world.  We visit locations we are studying during our homeschool year...it's history we will never forget!  The trip always includes a visit to a missionary family we know in the area.  This blog began as a travel log of our trips...the side bar shows some of the links.

PREFER GIVING OR GETTING PRESENTS?

     I'm embarrassed to admit this...I enjoy getting gifts if it's what I need or want.  So, because of this, I prefer to give to others, and spend some time studying people's preferences before I purchase a gift.  Sometimes, it's something that I already own, that I know another friend or family member would appreciate.

FAVORITE PATTERN:

     That is a tough one for me!  I love pretty patterns of all sorts...especially on vintage clothing or wallpaper.  So, since they are usually floral, I'll say flowers, swirls, or any floral pattern.

FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK:

     It used to be Fridays, the end of the work week.  But now that I am home educating our teens, I would say Sundays.  It's a day of rest.  After church I love to come home and sit down after dinner with an inspirational book.  We do that as a family for at least a hour.  There is little time the rest of the week!

FAVORITE FLOWER:

     What flower don't I love??  Sweet peas and stargazer lilies (in my bridal bouquet) are among my favorites, but I will say my absolute fav is my birthflower: lilies of the valley.


Now its time to PASS ON THE SUNSHINE AWARD:


These are the worthy recipients...amongst many others yet to be chosen:

Laura Miller   for her whimsical drawings

Miranda Paul for her literacy work in Africa

Alison Hertz for her helpful writer's posts

Kirsten Larson for encouraging creativity in kids


Grab the Sunshine Award Button above, ladies, and spread some sunshine to others...congratulations!