Awards, Questions, and ME!! (yeah, it's kinda lengthy)

So this week I got awarded the Liebster Award by three bloggy friends! Yes three. Xenia from Collar City Brownstone, Hamlette from Hamlette's Soliloquy, and Kellie from Nothing Less Than Bread. Thank you ladies! Very sweet of all of you. I feel quite honored.

(I must admit that it still surprises me when I get comments and realize that people are actually reading and caring about what I have to say. *blushes* I'm quite verbose, so anyone with the patience to make it through a post of mine is something special indeed!)

These lovely ladies have wonderful blogs of their own and I love to peruse their posts each day. Click over and check them out! :)

Anyway, they all left me 11 questions each and that makes 33 questions in all and I know that you don't have the patience to read all those answers. So I'm going to cheat a little bit and pick and choose my favorite questions from each lady.

Oh! But first I'm going to list 11 random facts about myself like Kellie did.

1. I grew up in the south, which means I still have a little bit of a southern twang. Even after 10 years! I don't hear it myself, but strangers ask me all the time where I'm from. So I take that to mean it hasn't gone away yet.
2. I miss the friendliness of the south. There, you smile and wave at everyone you meet and it's great! Here, people look at me strange when I smile at them and doubly so if I wave at them.
3. There's a bookstore I go to often enough that they all know me by name. I even get hugs from one of the ladies every time I visit. :D
4. Lindor truffles are my favorite chocolates ever.
5. I love Ansel Adams pictures.
6. When I'm visiting my family, I have a tradition. Every single person gets a hug from me when I arrive, and a hug when I leave again. I refuse to leave without them. :)
7. I know how to drive a stick shift. AND I learned how in VA, which means I learned on lots of steep hills. And let me just say that stopping and starting a stick shift on a hill is an acquired skill. It takes LOTS of practice to ever feel comfortable with it!
8. I write poetry occasionally. I've started a tradition where I write one to send in lieu of a Christmas card or letter.
9. Speaking of mail.....real  mail is so fun to receive! I'm part of a round robin with several friends out of state and it's a blast to get a whole stack of letters at once. :)
10.  I think I have the best nieces and nephews ever. I love being an aunt!
11.  I love them all dearly. But I have a special place in my heart for Jack since he's a reader too. My favorite conversations with him have been about what books he's reading and what he really thinks I need to read next

Now, on to the questions! (It's supposed to be 11 but I'm doing 12 so that I can be fair and pick 4 from each list.)

From Xenia:

1. What book do you treasure most and would never loan out to anyone? Why?

I'm not sure I'd say this is one I treasure most, but I do treasure it an awful lot.

  Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster.

Because it's not in print anymore, so finding a copy isn't very easy. It was given to me by my sister-in-law for my birthday one year.

2. When you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher!

3. What is your all time favorite movie?

North and South with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe

4. Do you prefer Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy?

I refuse to pick one or the other. Sorry. I like them both!

From Hamlette:

5. What was your favorite book as a child?

Uncle Remus Stories

6. What is your favorite book now?

I can't narrow it down to just one! There's far too many to pick just one out of the lot. Pretty much every time I read a new book and love it, it's my favorite until I read another one that I love.

7. Do you prefer The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?  Or both?  Or neither?

The Lord of the Rings

8. What song is running through your head today?

All My Tears (Be Washed Away) by Selah and Kim Hill

From Kellie:

9. Can you do a cartwheel?

Only in my dreams. :(

10. What was the FIRST and the last movie you've seen in theaters? What do you plan on seeing next?

The first one was Aladdin. Mom would go in fabric stores and be there for hours while my brother and I got so bored. One day she agreed to let us watch a movie while she shopped (my brother was old enough to be responsible for me).  It was only $1 for the tickets and we had a great time! :)

The last one was Titanic. Yeah, it's been a while. I don't go to theaters anymore. I do my movie watching at home. More comfy that way and snacks are cheaper!

11. Do you wear sunglasses? If so, how many pairs do you own?

Yes and I only have one pair. I wear regular glasses all the time and they have magnetic sunglasses I can attach. I really like them when I'm driving. That's probably when I wear them the most.

12. Would you rather run one mile or walk three?

Walk three. I am NOT a runner! Oh, it'd be nice to be one I'm sure. But I don't think I'll ever come to the point where I'd gladly run for pleasure. It's not pleasure, it's torture! Ugh. ;P

And now! The five blogs I award this to are as follows:

Wayfaring Girl On A Mission

Chumani Photography

Charlie and Me

The Blue Birdhouse

Booktalk & More

Here are your questions: (If you want to participate. :)

1. What was your favorite book as a child?
2. What's your favorite film (that was originally a book)?
3. Do you eat breakfast every morning and what's your favorite breakfast food?
4. What's the longest book you've ever read?
5. What's your favorite flower?
6. Who's your favorite character (book or movie)?
7. Have you ever broken a bone?
8. If you were writing a novel, what would you name the main character?
9. Do you enjoy playing games? If so, what's your favorite?
10. Do you enjoy traveling? If so, where's your favorite place you've been?
11. When you're writing, do you use pen and paper or a computer?

Simply answer the questions and link back to me. Then choose five other blogs (with 200 or fewer followers) to award and ask 11 questions of your own. But only if you really want to. If not, then just enjoy your award! :D

Toodle-loo kangaroos!