“And the Liebster Blog Award Goes To . . .”

Blog awards come in all shapes and sizes — but few can bring a smile to my face like the Liebster Award.  It’s a funny — and a fun — word to say.  Go ahead, give it a try.  “Ah, my little Liebster, how are you today?”

See what I mean?  You have to smile when you say it.

The other part about this award that makes me smile is the rules.  While most of the rules are pretty much routine:

• Thank and link the nominator.
• Eleven random facts about yourself.
• Nominate and notify other bloggers.

But it’s this one rule that makes the award especially unique:

• The nominator creates 11 questions for the nominees.  That means each time nominations are made, the questions will always be different — thereby keeping the award fresh.  And that is wunderbar!

The Nominator

In the words of Wayne Newton, a great big danke schoen to GiRRL_Earth, a Liebster in her own right.  If you are not familiar with her amazing blog, please pop over and visit.  Her posts are always insightful, political, educational, and sensitive.

Eleven Facts

1. In high school, there was never an inkling about taking a romance language.  For me, three years of German was all the romance I needed.

2. To keep the German theme going: I had hopes of working in the United Nations or Lufthansa as a translator.

3. One of the best meals I ever had was in Berlin.  Joe and I spent a few weeks driving across a buh-zillion European countries and arrived in Berlin late at night, stomachs growling.  While walking down Kurfurstendamm, we smelled the most amazing aroma and followed it into a basement restaurant, overflowing with local Germans.  There, we feasted on Schweinshaxen mit Bretzel und Bier.

4. Although I am not a fan of scary and bloody and violent movies, I will make an exception for two: Psycho and Rosemary’s Baby.

5. I look forward to three-day holiday weekends, when some cable channels run a marathon of the original “Star Trek” and . . .

6. “The Twilight Zone.”  My favorite episode stars Burgess Meredith as a spectacled banker who survives a nuclear war, which allows him all the time in the world to read — until his glasses break.

7. I was devastated by the shut down of Hostess because it also meant the loss of Drakes, and that meant no more Yankee Doodles, Ring Dings, and Yodels.

8. I love cereal.  My day just isn’t complete until I have a bowl.

9. My favorite childhood toys when I was kid were GI Joe (with the life-like hair) and Big Jim (with a really cool camper).

10. Our local newspaper has a separate kid section.  When I was younger, I was a Kidsday reporter and had the chance to interview Dick Clark.

11. I keep watching “Madison Time” on YouTube to learn the line dance that was featured in the better of the two Hairspray films — the one with Ricki Lake and Divine.

Eleven Questions, courtesy of GiRRL_Earth

1. At what point in your life did you realize that you had a talent for gardening?

My earliest gardening memory has me sitting on a kid-sized lawn chair in the garage of my childhood home.  I had created a potting bench of sorts on top of a small aluminum garbage can that held the dog’s food.  There, I planted freshly pulled weeds into the beds of my toy pick-up trucks.  (I’m not sure if this is my earliest gardening moment or my earliest gay moment.)

2. What is the hardest plant you have ever grown and did it live or die under your care?

I haven’t had much luck with cacti.  I think it’s because I assume they never, ever need water.

3. What were your feelings when a newly remodeled, reshaped, totally buff blonde Madonna hit the scene with her new album, True Blue? 

What I always admired about Madonna was — and is — her ability to morph into something else.  That being said, True Blue is not one of my favorite Madonna albums.  I much prefer Ray of Light and Music.

4. While attending a party with friends and acquaintances, you happen to overhear someone make a derogatory remark about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender).  How would you handle the situation?  Would you let it slide or would you call that person on the carpet?

I would probably not want to upset the party with a big scene.  Instead, I would keep low and find my opening to get my point across.  In all honesty, though, I have found that it doesn’t take much for a prejudiced blowhard to crash and burn without my help.

5. If you were granted a super power, which power would you choose and why?  What would you do with this power? 

I have to choose just one?  I don’t know if this qualifies as a super power, but I would choose to be Samantha Stevens on “Bewitched.”  She could do anything with a twitch of her nose — and Joe is no Darren.  He would be totally fine with me using my powers.

6. Do you follow “Downtown Abbey?”  If so, who is your favorite character?

I do follow “Downton” and my first response would be Violet Crowley , since I relish each word that Maggie Smith delivers.  But I’m also quite fond of Daisy.

7. What always makes you laugh?

Any scene with Madeline Kahn in two of my favorite films: What’s Up, Doc? and Young Frankenstein. (“Oh, sweet mystery of youth . . . “)

8. What always makes you cry?

Many things.  Some commercials.  September 11.  The Color Purple.  No matter when I catch that film, I start crying the ugly cry.

9. What is one thing that you can’t do that you’d love to be able to do?

I’d love to be able to sing — really sing in an Aretha Franklin kind of way.  She just seems to open her mouth and this voice rises up, effortlessly and passionately.  Here is a link to one of her most impressive performances.

10. What is your favorite book?

There are two.  1984, by George Orwell, and Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.

11. If you were given the opportunity to spend one more day with a friend or family member who has passed away, what would you do?

I would like to spend the last day I had with my grandmother exactly as we spent it.  Joe and I had gone to dinner with her, and then I brought her food shopping.  We stood at the deli counter in the supermarket, waiting for close-to-forever to place her order.  Finally, the wait became too long and Grandma remarked about the deli guy in a voice both quiet and loud, “Jesus Christ, he’s as slow as molasses going uphill in winter.”  The waiting line burst out laughing.  Afterwards, when I brought her home, she hugged me and said, “Kevin, you’re a gift from God.”  That’s the last thing she said to me — and I cherish that moment.  (You may want to add this to what always makes me cry.)

My Nominations

This is the controversial part.  I’ve read different versions of rules for the Liebster Award — some say only blogs with less than 200 readers can be nominated; others say 3,000 readers.  That’s a pretty wide range, so I’m just going to jump right in — and that is the other problem.  I’m limited to 11 blogs — and I love so many more than 11.  Nevertheless, here it goes:

1. Gwennies Garden: A Belgian blog with an emphasis on cacti and succulents.

2. Alesiablogs: The name of the blog says it all — except that this is a remarkable personal writing journey.

3. Gardenhood: Cheryl’s writing is incredibly poetic and soothing.  It’s a written massage.

4. A 3 Acre Farm: A blog of photos and words by a master gardener in Maine.

5. The Outlaw Gardener: A blog from someone who likes to break the rules and fight for his right to garden.

6. Where2Look4Ancestors: One woman’s fascinating effort to discover her family tree.

7. Crab and Fish: When it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, it’s always nice to visit a blog from Australia.

8. Breathe Lighter: Join Debra as she shares her life and her garden — and instructs readers to breathe.

9. Casa Mariposa: I’m drawn to this blog for its creativity and energy.

10. AltroVerde: When I need an instant vacation, I visit Alberto’s place in Italy.

11. Peggy Isaacs: Join Peggy on her journey of self-discovery.  It’s like watching a flower bloom.

My Questions

1. What is your favorite time of day and why?

2. How and when did you first discover your passion, whatever that passion is?

3. Hopefully, you’re familiar with The Breakfast Club for this question.  When you were in high school, in which social group did you best fit?

4. Where do you write your posts and why did you choose that place?

5. What always makes you laugh and why?

6. If you could appear on a televised talent show, what would your talent be?

7. Which flower reminds you of happiness?

8. What is your favorite book and why?

9. It’s important to eat your vegetables, but which vegetable do you always resist/avoid eating?

10. What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

11. Who is the one celebrity, past or present, you would like to meet — and what would you ask that person?

Now, I’m off to inform my nominees.  Have fun clicking and exploring!