In the last week I have been honoured and excited to be nominated twice for the Liebster Award for new bloggers.

Thank you http://notestiedonthesagebrush.wordpress.com/ and http://betzceerambles.com/ for your recognition and encouragement. It is rewarding to know that other bloggers are enjoying what I write on my blog.

The Liebster Award has German origins. The word “liebster” has several definitions: dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, sweetheart and boyfriend.

It aims to discover new bloggers and welcome them to the blogosphere. Bloggers award other bloggers. Here are the rules for accepting the Liebster award:

• Post the award on your blog.
• Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog.
• Write 11 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 11 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 200 followers.
• Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter and ask your nominees 11 questions.

Here are my 11 random facts:

1. I am a Leo.

2. I once ate cucumber sandwiches at Government House.

3. I write on coloured note pads—I don’t like white.

4. I have a new toy—a reflex punching ball.

5. I can’t sing but love karaoke.

6. Last year, I saw The Seekers in concert.

7. I love attending writers courses.

8. My favourite pet is a bunny rabbit.

9. In China, I like to drink Peach Tea.

10. My first house was in a coal mine.

11. I wish I could memorise my speeches

My 11 questions for you:

1. If you wrote a book what genre would it be?
2. Is WordPress you whole life right now?
3. What current issue in the news are you passionate about?
4. Do you like to get together with a small group of friends or do you like big parties?
5. Do you prefer cities, small towns or being in a more remote area?
6. When you travel do you like to rough it or do you prefer a hotel with all the amenities?
7. Do you feel you really need to be in constant communication with friends on Facebook, text, twitter or other social media?
8. Do you enjoy time to yourself, solitude?
9. Do you need to have a special place in your home or elsewhere where it is quiet to write?
10. Are you a romantic?
11. What type of music do you enjoy?

My 11 Answers:

1. I have written a non-fiction book on how eating disorder recovery is possible—knowledge from a professional.

2. Not quite. I am also attempting to finish editing my book so I can publish it next year.

3. Mental health week last week otherwise, I don’t watch the news.

4. Small groups these days.

5. I would love to live in the country again but close enough to have the city services and not when I am still working.

6. Depends where I am travelling. Overseas definitely in a recognised safe hotel. I am also partial to a weekend camping away in the bush—complete with a dig your own toilet.

7. No. Most of the time I live in my own little world finding out what i need to at some stage.

8.  Yes. That is why I love writing. I speak to people all day every day at work. Home is me time.

9. I have taken over the back room but I also write a lot on the train.

10. Yes.

11. Songs with meaning to their words.

Second set of questions:

1. Which do you find more tiresome – shoveling snow or dealing with mosquitoes and other warm weather pests?
2. Bottled water or tap water, and why?
3. Assuming you are omnivorous, could you live a year as a vegan?
4. What is your favourite vegetarian meal?
5. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey or Dancing with the Stars?
6. Do you have a hobby or pastime (besides blogging)? What is it?
7. If you could make a living blogging, would you leave your current employment?
8. If you could afford any lifestyle you choose, what would it be?
9. Television: which do you prefer – sitcoms or crime dramas? Other?
10. What is one healthy habit you wish you could develop?
11. Children? Or pets?

My 11 Answers:

1. I have never shoveled snow. Maybe this year on our trip to Canada I may get the experience. Mossies and flies can be very annoying however.

2. Tap water. We add flouride to it and it tastes good. Why pay for something I don’t need to.

3. No, I could never be vegan as I would struggle to get all of my nutrition being allergic to peanuts and unable to eat nut meat. There are also too many restriction on other things in a vegans life.

4. Chiili beans.

5. Dancing with the stars unless it is a major football game—rugby league, rugby union or aussie rules, not soccer.

6. Knitting although I don’t do it much anymore these days.

7. In a couple of years. I am getting to old for the commute.

8. Living in the country on the beach being a full-time writer and travelling overseas regularly.

9. Depends on the show—mostly I think sitcoms.

10. Exercising more regularly

11. Children. My two are adults now and would like a pet but if they get one it will be their responsibility not mine.

.And here are my 15 Blogger nominations—can’t count—no actually with two awards and more new bloggers to recognise I thought I would pay it forward to more. I didn’t quite have enough for 11 each. Some of my friends I have been following for some time, and some I have recently discovered. If you get the chance stop by I know they would love a visit.

http://shibumathewn15.wordpress.com/

http://toweararainbow.wordpress.com/

http://medicinalmeadows.com/

http://gillswriting.wordpress.com/

http://mybookself.org/

http://gypsysjourneys.com/

http://otterlover58.wordpress.com/

http://justplainolvic.wordpress.com/

http://tinadunksperceptions.com/

http://juliehhicks.wordpress.com/

http://crystaltrulove.wordpress.com/

http://wrinspirations.wordpress.com/

http://quinoaandcookies.wordpress.com/

http://kassafrass.com/

http://glannst.wordpress.com/

My 11 questions for you are:

1. Which brand and flavour potato chips do you prefer?

2. What is the strangest thing you have ever done?

3. What is your favourite flower?

4. What part of Australia would you like to visit?

5. What is your preferred way to spend the afternoon—blogging excluded.

6. What is the weirdest fact you know?

7. If you could have any job in the world for a week, what would you choose?

8. What is the best advice your mother ever told you?

9. What wish would you ask a gene for?

10. What two words best describe you?

11. What animal scares you the most?