Liebster Award

Thank you Andi, at diaryofagaydad.net for my nomination. If you haven’t visited Andi’s blog yet, I suggest you check it out: it’s full of the fun antics of his five children. Always makes me smile, and helps me feel a bit less stressed when I get overloaded trying to homeschool my two. Andi has also written a book, Eighteen Moons, which tells the story of how his family came to be. It’s at the top of my reading list for this month and available on Amazon.

RULES

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Share 11 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5-11 other bloggers. 
• Ask your nominees 11 questions of your choice. I did not as they already have the same 11 questions as I did.
• Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post.

My Answers for Andi are as follows:

1. Have you or do you ever want to write a book?
   I am in the process of writing one, I’ve posted the First Chapter on this blog, but as it’s still a work in progress it’s subject to alterations or being taken down at short notice! I wrote the first draft very quickly without any planning (I don’t think this is advisable, in writing circles) now I have a first and final paragraph I’m pretty happy with, I’m having to go back and ‘backwards-plan’ the rest of it. I have taken to an Excel spreadsheet in the hope that this will help…watch this space for future posts!
2. How long have you been blogging and what is your favourite subject to write about?
   I started this blog around two years ago but I didn’t really take blogging seriously until the lockdown. I would just post the odd short story every few months. But with the dramatic changes in my lifestyle that Covid-19 has brought, I have discovered ‘the joy of blogging’ much of which stems from engaging with the blogging community and discovering the wonderful blogs made by others. My favourite subject to write about is love – I try not to write about it in a sentimental way but love plays a role everything I write, one way or another.
3. If you could move to a different town, state or country… where would you be?
   I was born and raised in Cumbria, before moving to London and staying there for 7 years, then moving again to Spain and spending 3 years in Barcelona, followed by a year on the Costa del Sol. I’ve fallen in love with each one of these places as I’ve gradually grown into them, so I’ve plenty of experience living in different places, but another country I love is my husband’s native Slovenia. Much of the country is an unspoilt natural paradise. And we may have the chance to move there soon. That is both exciting and sad for me because I love where I’m living now, but I try to welcome new experiences. Sorry, that was a long answer!
4. What is your favourite quality about yourself?
   That I’ve never stopped dreaming, nor given up on my dreams no matter how many barriers to achieving them have stood in my way.
5. Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert or even both?
   Introvert, definitely. I’m not a good talker but I’m a good listener.
6. What is THE JOB of your dreams?
   Writing. Definitely. I’ve spent years in jobs I’ve only done to pay the bills. But writing is my passion and it makes me want to get up in the morning.
7. Other than blogging/writing what is the one favorite thing you LOVE to do?
   I LOVE to…walk in the mountains with my family.
8. Where is one of the first places you plan on going after quarantine is over?
   Sierra Nevada (the Spanish one). Hoping to be able to do this next weekend when lockdown is partially lifted!
9. Speaking of Covid-19, is there anything that you learned about yourself or will be changing about yourself when ‘life moves on?’
   I’ve learned that I need to continue writing even when I get back to ‘the real world’ to keep writing and to practice yoga everyday (to maintain balance and focus).
10. Is there anything as far as food that you will absolutely NOT eat?
    Brains. The whole Mad Cow Disease thing really put me off.
11. Do you own a website for your writing?
    Yes, this very website: https://experimentsinfiction.com

Now for some ‘Facts about Myself:’

1. I speak 4 modern languages and can read two ancient ones.
2. Apart from writing, my other lifetime ambition is to decipher Minoan Linear A. Might have to wait until I retire.
3. I studied English Literature at Manchester University then took an MA in Classics at Newcastle. I like ancient languages and literature – the older the better!
4. I’ve walked in the craters of two different volcanoes.
5. I hate flying, but I love boats.
6. I tweeted Bob Dylan yesterday. He hasn’t replied 🙁
7. I play guitar and piano, neither very well, but I love music in the same way I love poetry. I’m just better at poetry.
8. My paternal grandparents were Latvian.
9. I once drove across a ‘former’ minefield to visit the ancestral home of my husband’s family, in the Bosnian Serb part Bosnia-Hercegovina (which formed part of the front line during the Bosnian War of 1992-95).
10. I’ve only visited two of Earth’s continents, but I’d like to set foot on each one before I die.
11. As a child, I once made my family stop the car so I could step outside and ‘put my foot on Blackpool.’ Who wouldn’t understand the urgency of this desire?

I propose posing the above questions to my nominees. Just delete my answers and replace with your own!

My nominees are:

• Marushka
• Ella Craig
• Edward J. Black
• John G. Evans
• Apocalypse Daddy
• Brian Hardin

Thank you all for your wonderful blogs. I won’t be offended if you don’t want to take part, or if you’ve already taken part, but you definitely deserve the nominations…if you haven’t been nominated, please don’t be offended either, I’ve tried to choose nominees who are just starting out on their blogging journey, like me 🙂