I Got A Liebster (Yes, it's Denglish)

The Liebster award is one of those fantabulous blogger prizes given by bloggers to bloggers. Thank you Chris Kelworth for awarding me with it. Chris is a writer, a fellow Weekend Writing Warrior and a diligent blogger. Wheew, you're quite the busy bee! I think I have to award you with an Emsig; if there only was such a thing. :) I read up on the Liebster; it apparently derives from a German blogger tradition, given to "liebsten blogs" meaning "dearest" or "favorite" blogs. Awww. I'm touched. Thank you Chris. Now, in perfect Liebster tradition, I will answer 11 questions, and share 11 facts about myself.

1. Do you believe in ghosts/aliens/the supernatural? 

No, but I believe in axe murderers, rapists and mean people, hiding in the shadows out there to get me. I think I'd rather believe in aliens or a friendly little ghost...

2. Why do you blog?

I think I have stuff to say, interesting stuff. Yes, I think my brain is spectacular. And that's an understatement. Love youus, Frontal lobe!!

3. What's your favorite book series?

Hands down - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. It's a shame that only The Golden Compass was made into a movie. I think it's one of the best fantasy series ever written.

4. If you could interview one celebrity, who and what would be your million dollar question?

The late Christopher Hitchens (on being brilliant): Is it lonely up there?

5. Pet Peeves? 

OK, I had to look up what that means. There are things I find annoying in other people, but mostly these are all things I am myself guilty of, like eating noisily, driving stupidly, or being a pain.

 6. Favorite Magazine?

The one and only magazine I ever subscribed to from mid to end 80's: Garfield!

7. Will you give me 100 $?

I'm flattered that you'd think me upper class. Stuff I could give you instead: A can of beans, a PEGI folder and/or a sparkling cat sticker.

8. Do you play any instruments?

I wish I did. Gave up playing my Bontempi organ career decades ago. And I didn't have the nerves to fully commit to learning the guitar.

9. What is the worst book you ever read?

Maybe this one.

10. What's with all the cats?! 

My cats are my children. Now leave me alone.

11. How's that 100 $ coming along?

Didn't you like the sparkling cat sticker?

+11 random facts you never wanted to know

➊ I'm a teeth grinder - at night my mouth becomes a grain mill. I wonder what it grinds. Story bits, hopefully.

➋ I once tried saving the world - me and some friends of mine reported a local drug dealer to the police when we were teens.

➌ I'm a movie nut - I like to dissect acting and story. Loudly. That's why I rarely go to cinemas. I'm banned for life.

➍ I'm a spiritual sponge - the bathroom is my place of inspiration.

➎ I'm shy - I don't like to use my phone in public.

➏ I'm a woman - but there was a time when I thought I resembled a dog.

➐ I'm German - born and raised.

➑ I can be a bit of a stalker, I was when I met my husband - Hey, I just met you. And I am crazy. Got your number: will call you daily.

➒ I prefer audiobooks to books, for the simple fact that I like being read to.

➓ I get Tobey Maguire and Elijah Wood confused on a regular basis. I think they share more than a similarity in demeanor, I bet it's the exact same whiny DNA!!

➊➊ I don't have 100 Dollars.


As you may know I do have my very own special tagging tradition for awards. We should all have fun doing these things and be free and willing to participate, not feel forced due to being nominated. If you read this, and you haven't gotten a Liebster award - consider yourself tagged!

Sunshine Blogger Award 2012

Thank you, M.L. Falconer for honoring me with the Sunshine Award.
Ahem, I want to thank everyone who was in this movie with me..oh..wait..wrong ceremony.
I am very glad to have met Mel during the weekly Six Sentence Sunday blog fest. He is a wonderful human being with a myriad of talents and interests, such as being a world-class hiker as well as an audiophile with his own audio book production. Mel is a truly passionate writer who fully commits to his works, which is something I really admire. Aww, I'm happy just to think that I live in times like these. Without the internet, Mel and I would never have met, especially not while hiking. I never hike, much less across the Atlantic!

The Sunshine Blogger Award is a great opportunity to get to know fellow writers and bloggers without actually having to peek through their bedroom windows with a pair of binoculars. So, shoo, people!

 The rules for the award ceremony are fairly simple:

• Thank the person who gave you the award
• Answer 8 questions
• Pass the award on to 8 sunshine-worthy bloggers

I think I'll be going the Lucky Seven route again regarding the tagging. It means that this post serves as an automatic tagging mechanism to anyone who wants to participate. These challenges should be fun and done on a voluntary basis. Peeps, consider yourselves tagged, if you like.

My favorite Christmas/Holiday movie? That's easy, it's Three Wishes For Cinderella! I have watched this fairy-tale once a year at Christmas ever since I was a little girl. I liked it so much that I remember one year, when my dad hogged the TV all day because of Winter Olympics, I ran over to my neighbor, a kindly old lady, who let me watch it in her living room and even made me some hot chocolate. Ahh, the times without VCR and only one TV in every household...
Would I still do the same thing today? Probably!
It's a magical movie, with snowy woods and a Cinderella who doesn't just fall into the prince's arms, but climbs trees, shoots crossbows and has to be chased quite a bit.

My favorite Flower? I really like to look at Calla lilies, I think they are very elegant, almost unreal looking, and I love how the colors of the blossom and the stem blend into one another. I would never go out and buy flowers to put in vase though, and I don't care much for a flowery present either. It's nice to know that right at this moment, somewhere in Africa, the lilies are at full bloom - and bring joy to someone who just passes them by. At least that's what I like to think..

My favorite non-alcoholic beverage? That changes quite a lot. At the moment I like rooibos soft drinks, especially during and after workout sessions. A few months ago, I used to religiously drink apple spritzer. Before that it was coke and fizzy. Juice. And loooong before that...well, mother's milk, what else. ;)

My passion? Apart from all the writerly things that is? Playing video games! I have an Xbox, a PS3, a Wii, and a high-end PC not to miss any good titles coming out for those platforms. I simply love role playing games, and even talking about game mechanics and reviewing games is so much fun. I have been playing RPGs and MMORPGs for over 10 years. I love to stroll through luscious woods, climb up to the top of mountains - and fight and ogre or two on my way down. The ideas I come up with while roaming the Skyrim landscape... it's like being on vacation!

Skyrim nights

Dodo the dog and me, in TERA

My favorite time of year? ..is now, September and October. I love the warm days and cool nights of the Indian Summer. Everything about this time of year is great. I was born in September, so it must be true, tee-hee. But other than that, there are colorful leaves and there is bright wheat, kites flying, gingerbread and hazelnuts. Not to forget about pumpkins and delicious pumpkin soup.

My favorite time of day? Early mornings, the time of day when it's still quiet, but the day's rumblings are about to begin..also for me, it is the most productive time of day.

My favorite physical activity? Yikes! Well, if nothing else I like doing cardio, but only the short cardio workouts. Hubby calls it the hot chick silly dance. Well, what can I say, Turbofire is high intensity interval training, with at least 20 to 30 minutes every day...other than that...yikes!

My favorite vacation? The spontaneous one. Catching a train to god-knows-where. Deciding on the spur of the moment where and in which town to get off. Don't book a room in advance. Don't buy a map. Get your tiny bag with no more than two days worth of clothes, point in a random direction and go, just go.