An Award!!!

Thank you to the lovely pfstare at andnowforthesecondhalf.wordpress.com for nominating me for a Liebster Award.  As a fairly new blogger, I had to Google the award and discovered:

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers, who have less than 200 followers (phew, that was lucky.  Another 198 followers and I wouldn’t have been able to accept…), to both inspire and introduce them to a wider audience.  Liebster is German and means sweetest, favourite, valued and dearest.  All good stuff.  There are, however, rules for receiving the award:

1. Post 11 things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions your nominator has set for you.

3. Nominate 11 blogs and link them in your post.

4. Create 11 questions for the people you’ve nominated to answer.

5. Post your nominations on the relevant blogs.

6. Proudly display the Liebster Award on your blog.

So actually, quite a lot of work!  But, as awards are not being thrown my way on a daily basis, it seemed rude to turn it down.  So, here goes.

11 things about me:

1. My name isn’t barbedwords.
2. I’m not very tidy.
3. I love to watch comedy TV and films.
4. My starsign is Aries.
5. I know Kindles are amazing but I don’t want one.  I just adore books.
6. My favourite breakfast is cold pizza with a cup of tea.
7. My children are fabulous: beautiful, funny, smart and kind.
8. Although I do have other shoes, since I bought a pair of Fit Flops the others have not seen the light of day.
9. I’m writing a novel but finding it very difficult to get motivated.
10. I hate to get out of bed for less than £10,000.
11. It’s really hard to think of 11 facts about myself.

Questions from pfstare:

1.  If you had to choose a final meal, what would it be and why?  It would probably be something simple like tea (Typhoo/redbush mix with milk) and toast (butter, jam and Marmite.  Yes, together).
2. Are you currently doing what you thought you would be doing in life and if not why not?
  Absolutely not.  Never thought I’d be living in Rome.
3. Has anything ever been a huge surprise to you and if so, what was it?  Living in Rome!
4. 
Where would you most like to travel to and why?  I have a romantic hankering to spend my retirement travelling the coastline of Britain in a vintage VW campervan.  Preferably decorated in Cath Kidston with floral bunting and crocheted blankets.  I will be dressed head to toe in Boden with perfect Kate Middleton hair.  We will pull up at beautiful, secluded beaches where we will have Waitrose Magazine type picnics with Sorrel Salad, Courgette and Broad Bean Tortilla, Pancetta, Olive and Taleggio Picnic Rolls followed by Almond and Raisin Magdalenas.   (Honestly.  Genuine Waitrose picnic suggestions.  WTF is wrong with a ham sandwich, a couple of scotch eggs and a bag of cheese ‘n’ onion crisps??)  I have never actually been in a campervan so probably need to rent one for a weekend to check out the reality of this dream.
5. Which is your favourite film and why?  ‘Those Glory Glory Days’.  It’s a fantastic film about a group of teenage girls growing up in London in 1961 who become obsessed with Spurs Football team as they become the first team to win both the League and the FA Cup.  It was one of the first films we ever had on video and my sister and I watched it almost every day during the summer holiday of 1984.   I’m not into football at all but that doesn’t matter.  ‘Those Glory Glory Days’ is a funny, sweet film about the great friendships you have at that age and the frustrations of growing up.
6. What irritates you most?
 People eating apples.
7. What is your guilty pleasure?  Can’t reveal that for fear of arrest.
8. What song or piece of music never fails to cheer you up?
  ‘Teenage Kicks’ by The Undertones.
9. What do you like most about where you live?  Great coffee.
10. Who makes you laugh and why?  My husband (HWW) as he can always see the funny side of any situation.  My children also have a great sense of humour and are particularly talented at sarcasm.
11. Is there any one thing you’re determined to do one day that you haven’t done yet?  Celebrate my 100^th Birthday.

My Leibster nominations:

It was quite hard to find blogs to nominate as many of the ones I follow have way over 200 followers or already have the award, so I’m afraid I’ve only come up with five.  I’ve gone for blogs I enjoy reading; hopefully they will appreciate the award (and not find all the tasks too onerous).

scruffybadgertime.co.uk

lifeisswedeblog.com

helpilivewithmyitalianmotherinlaw.com

i used to be indecisive…

livinginthelanghe.wordpress.com

My questions for my nominated blogs:

1. What is your favourite book and why?
2. Happiest childhood memory?
3. Tea or coffee?
4. Which ‘Friends’ character would you be and why?
5. Favourite biscuit?
6. If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?
7. One luxury item you would take if stranded on a desert island?
8. Summer or winter?
9. Favourite item of clothing?
10. Do you collect anything?
11. What are you most grateful for in your life?

Thank you again to pfstare for the award.   Normal service will be resumed soon!