Liebster Award 2014
Posted on May 4, 2014
After finishing an impressive A-Z challenge, in a fairy tale theme, the wonderful and talented Michelle Stanley has nominated me for a Liebster Award. YAY! The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by other bloggers. Below are some guidelines.

1.   Link back and thank the blogger who nominated you in your post.
2.   List 11 facts about yourself.
3.   Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
4.   Pick 5 - 10 new bloggers (must have less than 300 followers) to nominate.
5.   Ask them 11 new questions. Do not re-nominate the blogger who nominated you.      
6.   Go to each blogger's site and inform them of their nomination.



I will not let you down Michelle! Here goes....


11 Facts About Myself:


1.   I LOVE CHOCOLATE. We have a special relationship - don't tell my husband. Right now, Guylian truffles are my new favorite. I dare you to try it out and tell me you're not obsessed!

2.   I love salsa dancing. Every few months my girlfriends and I get all dolled up and go salsa dancing in NYC.

3.   I grew up in Queens playing handball every single day before and after school. I played 2 years ago in NJ and beat the locals in the park. My hand was swollen for 2 weeks! I don't think I'll ever play again.

4.   I have a weakness for cheese. Any cheese. With crackers. With chocolate. With berries. Please, don't test me.

5.   I used to break dance when I was younger, with my brother and his friends. I did the head spin, spider walk, windmill, and some other cool moves. We called ourselves the Knight Hawks!

6.   The Princess Bride is my favorite movie of all time. ALL. TIME. You disagree?!?! That's inconceivable!

7.   Everyone tells me I'm a happy drunk. :-D

8.   I had two knee surgeries from running. It wasn't until two years after the 2nd that I finally learned how to run properly. Yes, there's a right way and a wrong way to run. I learned that the hard way. Now I run 10k-15k per a week with no issues.

9.   I watch movies. No television. No sitcoms. No reality TV. Too many commercials. Just movies. And when I find one I like, I watch it a million times until I know the lines.

10.  I used to be a programmer (java, c++, websites, etc.) and lead a team of programmers in an high volume e-commerce department. I quit to raise my kids. I still do some front-end work on the side. Something looks odd on your website? I can fix it!

11.  I'm a meat-lover. Give me sirloin strips, t-bone, short ribs, skirt steaks, anything grilled with a vinaigrette tomato salad on the side. It's the Argentinean in me.


11 Questions Asked of Me:

1.   Name three secrets you never told anyone.

I'm pretty much an open book. Secrets take too much effort to keep.

2.   If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do?

Pay off all our debt and my parent's debt. Living debt free is the new American dream.

3.   Looking over the last ten years, what is one goal you have achieved, and goal you have not achieved?    
   
Writing novels was a goal I achieve in recent years, and having a steady writing work ethic. I failed at maintaining a work/family balance successfully with  my two young children. I was successful at work, but my family life suffered. So I quit. My kids' childhood is fleeting; I want to witness it before it's too late. I can always work later. Best failure I ever had!
   
4.   What are your plans for retirement? And will you travel? If so, where and why.

I plan on living in NJ/NY area, but travel a lot to Valencia, Spain. That's my second home.
   
5.   Favorite drink on a Friday night.

Margarita on the rocks with salt.

6.   What do you think the secret is to a good marriage or relationship with a significant other is?

Communication. There should be no hidden agendas, no resentment, untold feelings, etc. Put all your cards out there for both of you to know, and NEVER assume the other person should automatically know what you feel. No one can read minds. If anything is unclear, just ask. And remember, LISTENING is an important part of communication.
   
7.   Name three words that describe your personality.

Love, forgive, and laugh.

8.    Home cooked meal or take-out?

Both. Depends on the mood. Maybe dine-out.
   
9.    When was the last time you blogged and what was it about?

I just created a short story titled Back In Time. Jack travels back in time to his three-year-old self. See what happens.
   
10.   What do you think is the key to happiness?

The Golden Rule. Treat people the way you would have wanted yourself to be treated. That, and eliminating the desire to get bigger and better things. "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got" - Cheryl Crow in Soak Up The Sun. Priceless.

11.   Who is your favorite poet and why?

I don't have a favorite poet, but I do have a favorite poem. I found it in fourth grade in a poetry book I borrowed from the school library.  I still have that book today.
   
      The night has a thousand eyes,
      And the day but one;
      Yet the light of the bright world dies
      With the dying sun.

      The mind has a thousand eyes,
      And the heart but one:
      Yet the light of a whole life dies
      When love is done.

      -- Francis William Bourdillon


My Liebster Nominations:


Here are a few fellow writers and poets I'd like to nominate:


My 11 Questions to My Nominees: 
(cue evil laughter)


1.   Why kind of shoes do you prefer to wear? (You can tell a lot from a person's shoes.)

2.   What was the saddest moment of your life? If it's too sad to talk about, then what was the happiest moment of your life?

3.   What kind of pet do you have or would like to have? If you don't have it, why?

4.   What is your favorite flower/plant/tree? Do you have them in your home?

5.   What would you say is the happiest sound in the world?

6.   Everyone has a vice. What's yours?

7.   Who is your favorite character in a novel?

8.   What was the last movie you watched that you absolutely loved?

9.   If you could go back in time to any era, what era would that be?

10.   How would you sum up your life, so far, in twenty words or less?

11.   What is your advice to living a happy life?




8 comments:

  1. Tanya, it was great to find out more about you. I'm a chocolate lover too...and cheese...mmmm...yummy!
    Thank you for nominating me but I'm afraid I can't accept the award because I don't qualify. My blog has more than the specified 300 followers. Sorry, but thank you anyway. I was chuffed to be nominated.

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    Replies
    1. I forgot to check for that Christine. I just listed a few writers and poets whose work I enjoy. :-D

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  2. I'm a chocolate and meat lover too, and enjoy salsa dancing, although there's nowhere to do it in the area.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Misha, if you're ever in the NJ/NY area, let me know and I'll direct you to a few restaurants/bars/clubs that have salsa dancing, some with live salsa bands. The music is so rich when heard live.

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  3. You've never disappointed me Tanya, and your post is wonderful. It reflects your sense of humour too. I also love cheese and chocolate and meat ( especially pork.) Salsa is hot, and I like that as it's similar to soca and calypso which I dance a lot to.

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    Replies
    1. Calypso is also fun. I love Caribbean sounds, they really melt the stress away.

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  4. Tanya Miranda I am so flattered, but am out of my depth on how to cut/paste/forward/create any of the questions and answers or nominate and notify. I am a complete fool when it comes to this technology. ;(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries Jean. You're still on my list of Poetry Rock Stars!

      Delete


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