Dianna, of Sunsets and Sundaes, presented my blog with two – count ’em – two awards a few weeks ago. I’m a little behind in accepting, so today I am feeling the love and saying “thank you, thank you very much.”

Elvis has nothing to do with this post and that’s all right Mama ..
The first award is called “Best Moment” award (moment in time) and accepting this one requires me to answer a few questions:

Who inspires you? I am inspired by people who are passionate – about their families, their relationships, their golf game, whatever. Passion. Passion inspires me.

What is the hardest part about blogging, if any? I wish the “Publish” button was just a little farther away from the “Preview” button. There have been a few not-ready-for-prime-time posts published before – oops!

What is your favorite quote? “To Thine Own Self Be True.” Know who you are and own it. Don’t know? Find out. That’s where adventure lives :).

..:: read it … learn it … live it ::..
What is your favorite dessert? I’m not a regular dessert eater but I have never turned down pie. Ever.

one end of the pie table at the hometown fall supper.
What skill do you wish you had taken the time to learn when you were growing up? I wish I’d learned to love gardening like my sisters do but years of weeding cured me of that.

:: image from Pinterest ::
What is the one activity you wish you had the time to pursue? I’d enjoy traveling more … for fun, not just for business.

If money was no issue, where would you like to travel? I’d be very happy to drive all over the U.S. States and Canada, England, Ireland and Scotland, stopping along the way to sing some songs, drink a few beers and eat pie :).

The other end of the pie table … What to choose?
What is your favorite holiday? July 4th for purely selfish reasons.

image from photos.igougo.com
What is your favorite pastime? Spending time at home: listening to music, cooking, reading and hosting special gatherings with friends & family.

I love it when the patio is filled … L-R Uncle Terry – Hubbs – and my FIL John. In the background, son #1, Auntie Karen with baby MJ on her knee. 🙂
What book are you currently reading? I just finished reading “Waking up in Heaven” by Christal McVea. It’s chock full of hope and redemption and it made me cry more than once. Good books do that to me.
An excerpt:
There is so much I want to share with them, so much I want them to know. You see, my story is one of hope and forgiveness and salvation, and of the glorious healing power of God’s presence. It’s the story of what I saw and what I learned when, during a hospital stay, I left my body for nine minutes and went to heaven and stood before God. And it’s the story of how, when I came back to Earth, my life was profoundly and permanently changed— changed down to the very core of my being.
Do you play a musical instrument? Yes, I plink away at the piano and still play guitar. A graduation gift, my guitar still has the price tag on it, and youngest boy plays it now. Hearing him play my guitar makes me grin.
Dianna also nominated me for the WordPress Family Award. (She’s generous like that).

From what I understand, this award is “… is for everyone who is part of the “Word Press Family.” The award was started on the basis that the WordPress family has taken us in and shown us love and caring as only WP folks can. You know what I mean — the way people take time to be nice, to answer a question and not make things a competition. Source — Shaun at Praying for One Day.
This award has no questions to answer but it does ask me to nominate at least 10 others in my blogging “family” — I’m asking you to visit those folks whose faces and blog symbols appear along the upper left of my blog — after nearly 3 years of writing, they always make me feel included and appreciated as a family should. These are the folks whose thoughts I enjoy reading and the ones I’d love to sit down and sip coffee with … over a piece of pie, of course!
And since Dianna is a a “Barn Charm” gal, here’s one for just for her collection — my Grandpa’s barn. Home to Belgians and Herefords, alley cats, bats and puppy dogs; home to the lazy days that housed this prairie girl’s childhood. Thank you again sweet friend!

… Grampa’s barn …