The VersaLiebLy Awards

I am such a heel. Over the past couple of months a few supportive and generous bloggers have given me awards and I have thanked them and then done nothing about it. Sure, I’m really busy playing golf and Friends with Words, but it would behoove me to pay a little forward.

I have received the Versatile Blogger Award from Tallulah. LuLu is darling and has a new blog “Sunny with a Chance of Armageddon“. Her posts are informative, funny, touching, and always, always real. Tallulah pulls no punches and that is why I read her everyday or every day that she posts, you know what I mean. Thanks LuLu!!

The Liebster Blogger Award from LazyLauraMaisey. LLM is charming, she tells funny stories but I think the most important gift you can give yourself is to go to her blog and search the word “truffle” and then read what this woman cooks. I read the Italian feast post and started gnawing on my computer screen. Thanks Lazy Laura Maisey, now get back to picking up the sticks in my yard!

Liebster means “favorite” in German. So this is also a very continental award.

The Lovely Blog Award from Always Allegoric. I really enjoy Always Allegoric. This girl is tough and her blog posts profound. She has had some rough times but she is funny and so smart. She’s German and writes her blog in English and takes Swedish! I didn’t even know Swedish classes were offered outside of Sweden. Danke J!

Awards require the thanking of the giver. Which I have done. Many awards come with a list of questions for the winner to answer, awards double as sort of get-to-know you game. Here are the questions I got from one of the awards.

1. You go to the fridge and all you find are some garlic bulbs, celery sticks, marmalade, an aubergine, double cream and chilli chocolate. What do you make?

I think it is best to jump on a Triple Word Score even if you don’t think it is a very good word. Play defensively and don’t leave the high point spots open for your opponent.

2. What is your favourite part of the day?

Depending on how many players are playing, it can take four hours or more. This past weekend, I played golf into the dark on both Saturday and Sunday.

3. You can only listen to one song for the rest of your life. Which one is it?

I did finally beat Adam just a couple of days ago. He was destroying me game after game. I even accused him of cheating which he laughed off because he has known me for a long time and doesn’t take my pettiness seriously.

4. How do you feel about Paulo Coelho?

I bought a set of Top Flite clubs last week. It’s just a starter set so I can get used to clubs and see which ones I like, don’t like, what my strong shots are….that sort of thing. I definitely don’t like the iron/wood hybrids to play in the fairways. I’m a much stronger iron hitter, so next I will be looking at buying a set of irons.

pay no attention to my crappy garage. I don’t know why it’s sideways, tilt your screen.

5. How many of the wonders of the world have you seen?

No, I don’t care for the driver either. The head of the club is the size of a small melon. It looks ridiculous. Derwood hit mine on Sunday and he wound up in the next county.  I topped it and wound up almost to the fairway.

6. What is your favourite place in the world?

I hadn’t played since probably 1995 and then played this summer in Gearhart with Lisa and once with Derwood and I was shocked to find how much I enjoyed it! Clearly I am getting old because I have taken up walking and golf, which is really just walking, pausing and swinging a stick and walking again.

7. How long do you stick with a book you’re not enjoying before you give up? Do you give up?

I wind up feeling offended a touch when people resign their games with me. I love Friends with Words so much, I never quit even when I’m losing badly, not that that happens often..heh heh. I have stopped always hitting rematch because I had too many games going. Friends with Words won’t let me start any new games right now because you can only have 20 going at a time.

8. Do you think Kylie Minogue should make a comeback?

It is different than Scrabble in scoring and it also helps that the computer rejects what it thinks are not words but somehow “FUB” is a word?

9. I’d like some good life advice. Do you have any?

Don’t swing too hard.

10. I’m thinking of taking a minibreak for my next birthday. Any ideas?

The exciting thing about golf is it opens up whole new worlds of shopping and travel for me. And by travel, I mean even just right here in the Portland metro area. Portland has the most golf courses per capita of any city in the U.S. That’s probably not true at all but there are a lot.

11. Zombie films… Love or hate?

I think my worst letters to get stuck with are Z, K, and Q.

The Award Winners

And now to pay the love forward. Here are some cool blogs to read and follow and I award them all VersaLiebLy Award for spectacularly good blogging.

Key Changes – Self-deprecating doesn’t begin to cover it. Nic is so funny and who doesn’t love a gay, Mad Men Fantasy Football enthusiast?

Le Clown – I realize that the entire planet reads Le Clown (English translation: The Clown) but for those who may have been living under a typewriter for the past year, go check him out. He was recently Freshly Pressed which leaves me to carry the never been FPd banner for him. And he’s a personal phone friend of mine.

I got this from Le Clown and I’m keeping it.

Penseés sans Frontières – I think this is the most powerful blog I read. Her story is tragic, her healing journey is grinding, the images on this blog are simultaneously beautiful, gorgeous and haunting. Elyn is gifted and I hope will someday write a memoir. If for any reason you are prone to triggering because of past or present trauma, please take care before you read this and perhaps contact Elyn to see if it is the right place for you.

Idiot Prufs – Just read one and try to stop. Dare you.

Valerie Davies – I read many blogs, if not daily, I catch up every few days. Once in awhile I happen upon a truly unique voice and Valerie is it. She is a more seasoned blogger. Valerie lived through the Blitz in London! She is wise and serene and learned. Do yourself a favor, read her words and make her recipes. Reading Valerie’s blog is food for my soul, I hope you will like her, too.

Questions for my award winners.

1. Do you play golf?
2. Do you play Friends with Words on Facebook or Zynga?
3. Do you want to play either of those with me?
4. What’s your favorite book?
5. What is your favorite movie?
6. What is your favorite album?
7. Alternatively, Do you know what a record album is? Have you ever seen one in real life?
8. Don’t you think I rock?