Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Blog Awards and Fireworks

Fireworks - July 7, 2013 Donaldson Park, Highland Park, New Jersey
Fireworks on July 7, 2013 in Donaldson Park, Highland Park, New Jersey

Blog Awards Received

I want to acknowledge two blog awards received from two excellent bloggers. First, I was pleased to receive the Liebster Blog Award from the talented writer Jeri Walker-Bickett:
liebster-blog-award

Jeri is the author of a collection of realistic fiction short stories called Such is Life. She also recently wrote a guest post for Websites for Small Biz on author blogs.

A week later I was pleased to receive The Very Inspiring Blogger Award from Diana Marinova:
ver inspiring blogger award

I am going to cheat a little and pass on the rules as they are posted on the Liebster Award (instead of doing both) to a few favorite bloggers.

About the Liebster Blog Award

Blogging can be a very solitary life, and sometimes encouragement is needed. The Liebster Blog Award is just that, a token of encouragement from a fellow blogger. A world without rules can lead to chaos, and the blogging world is no exception. In accepting this award, a blogger will follow the following rules. It is a way to “Pay It Forward” to other bloggers.

Answers to Jeri’s questions:

  1. Who is your favorite author? My favorite author choice varies, but I will go with Aharon Appelfeld.
  2. What is the strangest book you’ve ever read and liked? Maus by Art Spiegelman
  3. Favorite social media site? You can circle me (Leora Wenger) on Google+.
  4. Topic of your most popular blog post ever? How to Pay a Shiva Call – A Guide for Non-Jews
  5. Which blog do you read most often? I am afraid to answer this question for fear of offending anyone, but the three blogs that show up in my Frequent folder are: RamblingWoods, Jewaicious and Hannah’s Nook.
  6. What would your last meal be? A depressing question: the last meal I was able to serve my father was chicken soup. So I’ll ask for chicken soup.
  7. What is your biggest pet peeve? vague questions like this one
  8. Where did your best vacation you ever take place? In 2008 we (my husband, my three children and I) visited Kfar Blum in northern Israel.
  9. Who do you consider the greatest TV character? Archie Bunker
  10. What makes you unique? My varied interests: art, piyutim, building WordPress sites and Jewish ways of dealing with death, to name a few.
  11. What one thing would you most like to change about yourself? self-doubt

If you have been nominated below for The Liebster Award and you choose to accept it, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link on your blog.
  2. Display the award on your blog by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a widget.
  3. Answer the 11 questions about yourself, provided to you by the person who nominated you.
  4. Give 11 random facts about yourself. (Note: I skipped this; long enough already!)
  5. Nominate 5 to 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award; who have less than 1000 followers.
  6. Create a new list of questions for the nominated bloggers to answer.
  7. List these rules in your post. (You can copy and paste them from here.)
  8. Once you have written your post and published it, you then have to inform the bloggers whom you’ve nominated for the Liebster award. Remember to give a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

Reciprocation by the nominees is entirely optional.

11 questions for those who accept Liebster Blog Award from me

  1. Who is your favorite author?
  2. What is your favorite blog topic?
  3. Favorite social media site?
  4. Topic of your most popular blog post ever?
  5. Where did your best vacation take place?
  6. What is your strongest childhood memory?
  7. What is your favorite online recipe?
  8. Which topics do you talk about in person but avoid discussing online?
  9. What is your favorite film/movie?
  10. What is your favorite fairy tale?
  11. Name a historical leader that influenced you.

And here are my nominations for the Liebster Blog Award:

(Some of those listed below have commented on my blog for years – a huge thank you for that).

  1. Hannah’s Nook
  2. Mrs. S.
  3. Pragmatic Attic
  4. Me-ander
  5. Jewaicious
  6. Carver
  7. Rambling Woods
  8. Stuck Under a Baby
  9. Struggling with God
  10. Take Charge Now
  11. Diana Marinova
Lorri M. says

I like your answers to the questions asked of you. I agree, on Maus. I am an Aharon Appelfeld fan, also.

Thank you for the nomination!

Shavua tov!

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leoraw says

And you have just demonstrated, Lorri, why I go to your blog when I need a new book to read ...

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Lorri M. says

I have been reading the responses re Archie Bunker! Such a character!

Thanks, again. I am not sure how quick I will get to it, maybe next week.

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leoraw says

Take your time. The last thing I want is anyone feeling pressure to respond. It should be more like if it fits in with your blog schedule ...

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Hannah says

Thank you Leora for nominating my blog and for having been such a faithful reader for years!

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leoraw says

It is easy to continue to read your interesting, varied and friendly blog!

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Hannah says

Thank you!
I had no idea who Archie Bunker was!

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leoraw says

That's funny (and you are the same age as me, you just didn't have the 1970's American TV childhood experience, not that you were missing much).

Wonder if you are going to start watching those old episodes now. I remember one about Manichoowitz wine.

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Batya says

Thank you Leora, I can't post about this now, but bli neder tomorrow or later in the week.

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leoraw says

Just having you leave a comment makes me smile, Batya. Take your time.

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Jeri says

It's always fun to see who chooses to pass on blogging awards, and also to get to learn a bit more about fellow bloggers. Archie Bunker is also one of my favorite TV characters as well.

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leoraw says

He was the first character that came to mind, and what a character! Wonder if the younger people will ask, who's he? Lucky for us, we can send them to YouTube.

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Carver says

Thank you Leora. I appreciate your thinking of me. I always enjoy your posts.

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leoraw says

I enjoy your birds in their bath! And the lake you photograph near your home.

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Laura says

Interesting answers . . . particularly intrigued by your choice of Archie Bunker as greatest TV character. I just asked my husband who he would pick (without telling him your choice) and he also picked Archie Bunker.

Thank you for the nomination. Shavua Tov!

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leoraw says

Regarding Archie Bunker - it was the term "character." He seemed like a character! I also thought the show dealt with a great deal of topics in a humorous manner.

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RamblingWoods says

Oh thank you Leora..I don't know how long, but we have been blog friends for a number of years. I will do this next week. Your answers are interesting and they are pretty good questions too.

My daughter said that you have been in contact and I am glad that she is in your good hands. She thinks she has found an office for this fall. Yet another scary thing I can't protect her from. Private practice. See, it never ends. It just evolves into different kinds of concerns.. Michelle

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leoraw says

You started Nature Notes about a year after I started blogging - 2009? Or thereabouts. I've been following you ever since.

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Please leave a comment! I love to hear from you.

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