There’s Sunshine on My Blog Today!

I was wowed last week by author and blogger extraordinaire Suzanne Stengl when she passed the Sunshine Award on to me.  Well, to ten of us, but who’s counting?

So yes, in the midst of Midwest clouds and thunderstorms, the sun also shining!

The rules of the Sunshine Award are:
•    Include the award’s logo in a post on your blog.
•    Link to the person who nominated you.
•    Answer the 10 questions below.
•    Pass the award on to ten (or however many you want) “Sunshine inspiring” bloggers. Ooh – does that mean I inspire sunshine? Cool!

Here are the questions, along with as many answers as I’m able to come up with:

Favorite Color:  I used to say “blue” automatically, but it seems to have morphed to purple.  Or red.  I’m wearing a lot of those these days (although I’ve got a few years to go before Red Hat Society membership), and I do a lot of red accent colors in the house.  And some purple/lilac in our room.  So red and purple it is!

Moonspinner & Me

Favorite Animal:  Hmm.  Does that mean type of animal? Which would be a horse, of course.  My mother had me up in front of her before I could walk, and they’ve been part of my life ever since.  Second place goes to a red & white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  If I get a dog, that’s what I want!  But if “favorite” means a particular animal, I’d have a hard time choosing.  Moonspinnner, my Anglo-Arab mare that I had for 17 years; Heidi, my affectionate kitty until I had babies who kept pulling her long Persian hair; or Maggie, my mother’s delightful black Lab.  How to pick just one?

Favorite Number:  Three.  If I have to pick a number between one and ten to choose something, I always pick three.  Wish I could say there’s a reason, but there’s not.

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink:  Strawberry lemonade in the summer, hot chocolate in the winter.  Just wish the strawberry lemonade didn’t have so many calories.  Sigh.

Favorite Alcoholic Drink:  Since I don’t drink alcohol, can I go with a non-alcoholic alcoholic drink?  A virgin strawberry daiquiri, introduced to me decades ago by a friend at her wedding rehearsal dinner.  Yum!  (and thanks, Cecilia!)

Little KC at 8 1/2 months.

Facebook or Twitter:  Both, I guess.  I like to Tweet writing things and connect with my WANA blogging buddies, but I forget to check my other account for family.  Bad Jennifer!  *slaps hand* Facebook has all that too, plus staying connected with friends and distant family.  And I can get sucked into FB’s laugh-out-loud pictures way too easily – don’t know if that’s a plus or minus.

Passions:  Family near and far, especially a certain super-cute grandbaby.  Writing, of course, and reading.  Music, gardening, genealogy.  Ireland.  Hmm . . . where do I stop?

Prefer Getting or Giving Gifts?  Ooh, tough one.  I have to admit I like getting gifts – they make me feel appreciated (I guess I’ve got some insecurities deep down).  But I have such fun seeing something and realizing that so-and-so would like it, and getting it for them.  I love seeing the smile on their face, realizing that someone was thinking of them too.

Favorite City:  That’s another tough one.  I’m a country girl living just outside Indianapolis, and most of the cities I’ve visited have been for a particular event.  I loved Cork City while we were in Ireland, and wanted more than my tiny taste of Paris and Barcelona.  On my Stateside wish list: exploring San Francisco and getting back to San Diego someday – with some money to spend this time!

Favorite TV Show:  Downton Abbey, of course.  NCIS, Elementary & Masterchef are up there, but it’s Downton Abbey that has me waiting eagerly for the next season.

This was fun.  So a thank you and shout out to Suzanne Stengl at Tuesday Cafe for passing it to me.  Seriously, she’s got some great stuff on her blog – go check it out!

Here are the sunshine-y bloggers I’m nominating.  Go check them out, too!

• Myndi Shafer always makes me laugh.  I wish I had her energy!
• Ditto for Jenny Hansen, over at More Cowbell.  The things I learn . . . like “Cooking with Poo.”
• Melinda VanLone shares some writerly thoughts, fun experiences, and an awesome “Bend Your Eye” series.
• Lisa Hall-Wilson always gives me something to think about at Blogging with Fire.
• Kait Nolan not only created ROW80, but she also did Goddess-in-Training badges.  How can you resist?
• Kassandra Lamb blogs over at Writers in the Storm, where you can find writerly stuff with attitude.
• Diana Beebe, mermaid expert extraordinaire, writes about all kinds of things, including . . . Darth Vader? Definitely adds sunshine to my days.
• Susie Landau’s Wild Ride makes me laugh and cry, all in the same post – and with loads of pictures!
• Coleen Patrick gives me lots to smile about, also with pictures.
• And last, but definitely not least, Lynn Kelley has a knack for hilarious stories, spotlighting the innate humor that shows up in her children’s books.