THE LIEBSTER AWARDS 2013 AND THE VERY INSPIRATIONAL BLOGGER AWARD

WARNING: THIS IS ONE LONG-ASS POST!

Before I go into the rules and so forth regarding these awards, I have to say this; writers, authors, bloggers and journalists have got to be some of the most generous people it has ever been my pleasure to know. I have won another Liebster Award, my 2^nd this year and an accompanying award the “Very Inspirational Blogger Award.” This was bestowed upon me by Sunni, who enjoys my wit and also, I have a cat. I can think of no better reason to bestow awards. Her blog is awesome and a tribute to her kitties, the ones she has now, and also to the ones who have passed on. She is also a huge fan of Kristen Dyrr, who runs the KristenHead blog. Kristen has rescued several dogs and cats and looms large in my heart for that very reason, as do so many of you.

So, on with the rules, for either/or Liebster and Very Inspiring Blogger Award. They are both bestowed upon all of you upon my list. Use them as you see fit!

1. List 11 things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions given to you.
3. Ask 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.
4. Choose up to 11 up-and-coming bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to nominate. I tend to be a little lax on this one.
5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award.
6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

1. Display award logo(s) on blog
2. Link back to the person who gave you the award
3. State 7 things about yourself
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link back to them.

LIEBSTER QUESTIONS: 11 FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF

1. My primary caregiver was my father. He was in college when I was born and he brought me home from the hospital. I went to school with him. This was in 1955. I thought this was normal up until last year, when I started running into Mr. Mom blogs, like @dadblunders, who has chosen to stay home with his son.
   
   
2. I love, love, love me some boxing! I watched it with my dad; we listened to it on the radio. His mother loved boxing as well. From the days of Howard Cosell and Muhammad Ali sparring in suits to the fights between Foreman and Ali, we watched them all. I've been to several matches in Tampa and ran into one of the conductors of an orchestra I was playing in at the time. After we both picked our jaws up off the floor, we both agreed that boxing was the last thing we would thought we'd have in common.
   
   
3. I have a cat that adopted us. I've always had a cat find his or her way into my life. This time, she looked and watched and waited and decided JC was just the ticket. She lost her only kitten and it was hard on everyone, but she has a forever home here with us.
   
   
4. I have a viola that was built 10 years after the death of Ludwig Beethoven. The viola is a Guidantus Florenus, made in Bologna, Italy in 1837. That school of fiddle-making is different than the Cremonese school of Amati and Stradivari, but they are fine instruments. My bow is a heavy German viola bow; as heavy as they come at 72 grams. It was made back in the 1950s or 60s. I currently own no violins, as they have a tendency to multiply like rabbits when you get one or two of them in the house. Zero is a good number of violins for me.
   
   
5. Along with violins, I share an equal antipathy for Mozart. You have to pay me huge dollars for Mozart. I'd rather poke my ear drums out then listen to his precocious preciousness. Ick. The only thing of his that's worth a damn is his Mass. I play Beethoven for free. Mebbe because we share the same birthday, according to some historians.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

   Time for a break from my blather, and not altogether a happy one. The big cat is Mama, the little one, her remaining child, who we were in the process of getting to know. She was so very feral, I'm surprised Baby let us get this close. About a week after this was taken, Baby was hit and killed. Mama looked forlorn and was lost for weeks. Just as soon as we were able, JC and I had her spayed and she's content with us. I still have trouble looking at these pictures. Funny kitten, when she was eating, you could pick her up and move her and she wouldn't stop chewing for a minute.

   
   
6. I am visually impaired and legally blind (or bland, if you prefer. A friend of mine says his mother used to say, “The bland leading the bland.”) I rather like that. I carry a cane and tell people that it's for “beating the shit out of people who run into me.” It generally keeps them away. As I'm also mentally ill, I throw in a little crazy if they persist.
   
   
7. In case you can't tell I am a nerd. I am the nerd trifecta. Music, computers and math.
   
   
8. I went back to school and majored in computer science when my 2^nd husband, a viola player I met on a playing gig, got jealous, because I got to play with the Moody Blues and he didn't. So, when the magic Zither fairy didn't show up and turn me into a zither player, I went back to school and majored in computer science. The marriage crashed and burned. I know, a big shock.
   
   
9. I worked for IBM and Verizon as a computer engineer and continued to free lance. I would take a laptop with me and work from the road. No wonder I'm burned out.
   
   
10. I am an only child and had no children; both my parents are deceased, but the great thing is this: I have people that I consider my family and would do anything for them. They are so very dear to me.
    
    
11. I've been homeless and alone and frightened. That is how “Homeless Chronicles in Tampa” came to be. I'm no longer homeless, but I still live near the shelter I stayed in and see the people I lived with. There's a part of me and part of JC that belongs here.

Mebbe that's not my knee, it's my keyboard stand...

Mama is looking for the thingy on the milk carton she batted over here. That's definitely my knee.

Here are my latest cat photos. I truly suck at this, but Mama is willing. See the smile on her face in the 3rd picture? My right knee is in the 1st and 2nd photos; she buzzes around my computer most of the time. What is it with cats and computers?

QUESTIONS FOR NOMINEES:

The Most Inspiring Blogger Award doesn't have questions, but you are welcome to answer the first seven questions (or more) instead of listing seven random facts about yourself if you wish.

Here are Kristen's and Sunni's questions (The last time I made up questions, they sucked; these are much better) :

1. Q: What is your favorite video game (if any?) This can include mobile games and Facebook games. A: Runescape, an MMORPG. I've played since 2007 and am a ranked player. My name? SpZViolaFury, for my Clan and my onscreen name. I know, hokey. I also play “Bejeweled Blitz” when I'm zoning.
   
   
2. Q: Do you like to sleep on a very soft surface, or a harder surface? A: Soft; sometimes, I feel like I'm sleeping on cement.
   
   
3. Q: What is the most unusual food you have tried? A: Raw eel in Japan.
   
   
4. Q: What is your favorite odd food or meal (if you have one?) A: I, like Sunni, am a grazer. So, it's graham crackers and peanut butter. Or burritos and cheese, lots of cheese, sour cream and salsa.
   
   
5. Q: What is the first sense you turn to when describing something in your writing (taste, smell, touch, sight, etc?) A: First, what a great question. Actually, none of those. I turn mostly to state of mind, when I write. I am not sure why this is, but I think it has more to do with how I perceive the world. If I don't have a handle on what's going on in my head, then I will mess up the descriptive part of writing every time.
   
   
6. Q: What is one of the cutest things you have ever seen in your life? A: Baby anythings, and I want them all, NOW!
   
   
7. Q: What is the ugliest thing you have ever seen or experienced (this can have to do with feelings, or inner ugliness, etc.?) A: My own abandonment of principles to gain something that wasn't worth it; I paid dearly for it and I'll regret it for the rest of my life; it will never happen again.
   
   
8. Q: Do you prefer typing or writing with a pen or pencil and paper? A: I prefer neither. Since I have either Essential Tremor or Parkinson's Disease, writing anything is hell. Just addressing an envelope is hard work,takes forever and is illegible. Typing works.
   
   
9. Q: What is your favorite thing to drink? A: Zephyrhills Water and some of those flavored Ice waters with extra potassium, Pomegranate and Strawberry Kiwi to change it up. Nothing alcoholic. I am on psychotropic medicines and life's weird enough without alcohol.
   
   
10. Q: Do you prefer road trips, airline travel, train travel, or other (when going long distances?) A: For years, I flew when required as a violist or when I was required to do so for Verizon, although I hate to fly. Strange, because both of my parents were pilots. My father flew B-29 Super fortresses in the Korean War and my mother had her private pilot's license. I decided that was enough pilots in the Wallace family. I've ridden the train many times across the United States and it is a wonderful way to see the country. My preferred method of travel is by car. Back when I could see, I loved driving road trips. The whole family did. I miss those days. Sometimes, I think we may have been Cossacks who ended up in Scotland, as I loved traveling the roads of America late at night, on my way to my next playing gig. I miss that freedom.
    
    
11. Q: What is your favorite way to watch TV, movies and videos? For example, do you watch everything on your computer or sling it to a big TV? Do you use a Tivo, a DVR, or Netflix? What is your setup? A: I stream from Hulu+ and Amazon Prime on my monitor. I loathe commercials. They all make us sound like idiots.

Some love to my fellow nominees here, before I name mine and why Sunni picked these particular nominees. I have to say, that blogging and the blogging community as a whole has been wonderful to me. Without all of you, I would be sad indeed. Forced to “retire” early at the age of 54, I have picked up a new “career.” Although I have yet to earn a farthing, I've had tremendous fun with various challenges and learned lots. You are all my mainstays and partly the reason I get up at the crack of noon every day:

This is a much better picture of Mama. I didn't take it. All of my pictures have cooties. The damn cat gets up and has had 5 naps before I get up.

http://summersvoice.blogspot.com/ - My Inner Fairy
Because I love fairies and collect them

http://pullupatoadstool.blogspot.com/ - Tracy Moore
Because I’m interested in tarot

http://jcckeith.blogspot.com/ - J. Keith – Inspiring blogger for you because you have more than 200 followers
For some entertaining posts

http://brandysbustlings.blogspot.com/ - Brandy
For Photography

http://homelesschroniclesintampa.blogspot.com/
Funny posts and he has a cat

http://designsbyrow.blogspot.com/ - Rowena
Songs

Vashti Q-Vega - Google+ - Vashti Quiroz- Vega
Good story and interesting guests

http://justgoodstories.weebly.com – Shirlene Corcoran
Good stories

http://lorrainemariereguly.wordpress.com – Lorraine Reguly
Book Reviews

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com – Lee Bird
For his encouraging words to others and controversial subjects

http://linnannpike.blogspot.com – LinnAnn Pike
For the funny posts about your life and for the tenacity you must have to keep going

http://jamesosbornenovels.com/ - James Osborne
Homey stories

Prescription For Murder 
MURDER…MAYHEM…MEDICINE - James Murray
Interesting facts about many things

http://nouveauscarecrow.wordpress.com/ - Michael Cahill
Beautiful poetic writing

You may give the 11 random facts about yourself, or answer the questions I answered. You pick.

If any of you have more than 200 followers, you can ignore this, of you want to. It is impossible to tell on some of the blogs. That is why I nominated more than eleven.

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My eleven picks and why: I'm not even looking at the numbers. My eyes are total wonk today and I'm happy to come up with names.

Http://www.bakinginatornado.com/ - Karen, who is one of the nicest, most generous people I've ever met.

Http://www.fadderly.com/ – Jesse or “JMan” who, besides being totally random and hilarious is one of the kindest and most gracious of men.

Http://www.jadekerrion.com/ – Jade Kerrion, who is a well-established author of YA, writes beautiful, intriguing and challenging prose and helped this blogger when she was conducting her blog tour. I was not in the best of shape mentally at the time and she helped me through this challenging period. Without her, I could not have pulled my part of the tour off. While not a stunning success (for her) it wasn't a total flop. She is the best, as a person and writer.

Http://jesswitkins.wordpress.com/ - Jess Witkins' Happiness Project. Jess is a traveler and she blogs from near and far, she interviews authors, runs contests with people in vintage costume; one just never knows. She writes about music and she is always entertaining. One of my dearest bloggers and an excellent person!

Http://amberrisme.com/ - Amberr Meadows – Dear Amberr is the very first blogger I ever met when I first started Homeless Chronicles. Through her I ran into all sorts of people. She has a huge reach, but she writes very honestly and inspirationally about her trials and what she is going through to achieve the life she wants to live and raise her daughter in that life.

Http://rantravewrite.com/ - Lynnette Conroy – An inspiring writer and a damned funny one, too. I bestow upon you the Very Inspirational Blogger Award (now I'm feeling like “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”)

http://mylifein24hours.wordpress.com/ - Keith Michelle is probably one of the rosiest, and most optimistic people I have ever had the pleasure to spend time chatting with. As my own ET (Essential Tremor) or PD (Parkinson's Disease) or whatever the hell this is, has steadily worsened, it is not easy for me to chat. People have to get decoder rings or decipher Fackobok to Facebook and I become downright ununderstandable, like this here sentence. My Michelle, my love, to you goes the Very Inspirational Bloggers Award!

Http://leemcaulay.wordpress.com/ - Lee McCaulay – Awesome writer, takes the tone of a Victorian explorer, using Minutes of Meetings to explore human behaviours and historical facts. Amazing!

Http://www.theworld4realz.com/ - Andi Roo – This is for the Very Inspirational blogger award. I recently nominated her again for the Liebster Award, but she is without doubt, the most inspirational blogger and has had the largest impact on my life in the last year. She is not afraid to stand up and call something “bullshit” when she sees it. A trait we share in common, but one I only recently began to exercise in my personal life after my 3^rd husband damned near came close to getting his heart's desire, in having me die while we were married (long story.)

Http://www.dadblunders.com/ - Aaron Brinker – Also being nominated for the Very Inspirational Blogger Award. He is the primary caregiver of his son, Xander, while his wife works outside the home. His descriptions of their adventures and his stories about how the adventures and daily life turn into life lessons are ever fascinating, not just for the things Xan is learning, but Aaron as well. Through both sets of eyes, we see new facets of what being a parent, as well as a kid are like. Aaron, Melissa and Xan are great. It gives me new hope for the human race.

Http://www.ginavalley.com/ - Gina Valley is a funny, funny lady. She is also a very inspirational one and writes beautiful poetry that will stop you in your tracks and make you think about your place on this earth. I love the fact that she does have so many facets to her. So, Gina, you are awarded the Very Inspirational Blogger award. It's a rare thing indeed when someone can have me giggling over crime-scene kitchens, or hospital wheel-chair jousting, and then describe a sunrise that is perfect. Thank you.

Http://parkinsonshumor.blogspot.com/ Beverly Mittan-Ribaudo, or YumaBev. She has run the blog Parkinson's Humor for years. It's rather like a Parkie-pedia with laughs included. And she is very funny. She has oodles of followers and has recently had DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) to try and mitigate her symptoms. It took her 17 years to get a diagnosis. I'm just at the beginning of this process and I hope it won't take 17 years; maybe it might take 6. It's complicate and hey, this ain't about me, this is about her. She has REALLY been my inspiration. When I am tired, down, depressed, having tremors, drooling, can't talk right, no sense of smell, or falling down, which is most of the time now, and since I can't see well, this is just icing on the cake I go to her. And then she says something like "I don't need no rockin' chair, 'cause I'm a'rockin' on my own." Well, what are you going to do with that? ROFL. So, one very, big HUG and VERY INSPIRATIONAL BLOGGER AWARD TO YUMABEV!

As they used to say in the publishing biz, I like Kristen's questions, so I'm gonna let 'em STET.

My deepest thanks to Sunni for these awards! Please check out her blog over at: http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/

She writes about the flora and fauna in her neck of the woods and her photos are beautiful. She also has many pictures of her cats and memorials to the ones who have passed on; her site is awesome!