I’m very excited that MowryJournal has been nominated for the Liebster Award! Ainsley of ManyMuddyFootprints found MJ, and I thank her for this award! Check out her blog as she explores her local woods … and she has a tortoise named Henry. We need to see a picture!

- Each person must post 11 things about themselves
- Answer the questions the nominator made for you and also create 11 more questions for the blogs you nominate
- Choose 11 people and link them to your post
- Go to their page and tell them.
- I didn’t go to kindergarten. That’s probably a sign of a generational shift. And a sign that I’m old.
- In 4th grade, Mrs. Burns gave me a B- on my Missouri book because I didn’t color the mimeo pictures of Missouri birds that she gave us to put in the book. I was very upset. Coloring = not my thing.
- I earned the Gold Quill Award in Boy Scouts, which was recognition of my skill and knowledge of journalism. It just took a while for that to fully develop, apparently.
- # in my high school graduating class: 36.
- My dream was to go away to college, and when I won a scholarship to pay for tuition, I knew I could make it work. I will always be grateful to the Skelly Oil Company, my Dad’s employer, for helping me get to Mizzou.
- First date with Velda: we went to go see “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” Horrible choice for a first date, but it does seem that it all worked out for the best.
- Worst place I ever lived: basement apartment on Rosemary Avenue, my junior year at Mizzou. When it rained, the basement walls leaked and my bed got wet. But it was cheap!
- I dropped out of my MBA program because my marketing professor wanted his class to cut articles out of the WSJ, paste them in a journal, and then write about the articles. I was done: cut & paste = not my thing.
- My longest running argument with Velda is about the color of our second car. It was a used ’80 Honda Civic; the color was metallic plum (with a tiny gold pinstripe). But Velda’s convinced the color of the car was gold. The fact that Honda didn’t make this car in gold is non-persuasive. Unfortunately, we don’t have a picture to decide the argument so it will never be resolved. Ever.
- We’ve lived in just 3 homes in 34 years in California. Mobile, we’re not.
- I work from my home office now; I’m in year 4. Can’t imagine working full time in a traditional workplace again. But I do miss not having a water cooler.
Answer eleven questions from Ainsley:

Here’s my dad in his Skelly uniform. His main job was delivering bottled gas to farmers. Skelly was later purchased by Getty, and then by Texaco.
1. How many pets do you have? Three cats: Alfie, Ninja, and Sully (actually Lauren’s, but when she came home from college, Sully came with her).
2. Least favorite food? This is a tough one, as Velda has broadened my palate. But I’ll go with green peppers.
3. Weirdest thing you’ve ever done? I sold accordion lessons door-to-door. Yup, accordion lessons.
4. What was your inspiration for your blog? Several things, really, but the catalyst was definitely our search for the Perfect Margarita. As the process began, many people told me that I needed to share the results. A blog was the obvious way to do that. Since I had been thinking about writing for some time … a blog was born.
5. Is this your first award? Yup.
6. What’s your most embarrassing memory? Thanks for this. I really don’t know how to answer, but I’ll go with this horrible memory: I was singing “O Holy Night” as a featured soloist in the Graham Methodist Church. It’s a very challenging song, and I was probably in high school. And I failed. I simply didn’t have the range that morning … I had sung the song much better. But that morning, not so much.
7. Place you most love? Kauai has become our favorite getaway, without question.
8. Favorite sport? Baseball. Love to watch Dodger baseball.
9. How do you feel about hiking? Love it! Backpacking at Philmont was one of my great accomplishments: read about it in Get Big Ones.
1o. Where and what would you be doing if I find you on a Saturday afternoon? Lately, I’ve been watching football and working on the Hepler family photo scrapbook. Soon, I’ll be back in the garage doing woodworking, and I look forward to that transition!
11. How truthful were you on these questions? A Scout is Trustworthy. That’s never a question with me.
Here are eleven young & beautiful bloggers that I enjoy reading. Check them out; perhaps you will as well.
Andshelaughs: the title says it!
Corinth Rose: Photography and philosophy
Digital Distraction: Photography and thoughtful commentary, every day
Hiking to Healthy: Kathy’s hiking through Colorado and getting in shape.
I Am Aloha: Philosophy and photography from Hawaii
Jacob Marchio: Astronomy and photography
Maybe someone should write that down…: Genealogy, pictures, and their stories
Much more Muchier: Erica’s photography and thoughts on running and living in Italy
Saltypalette: Photography from Florida
Teiger Family History: Genealogy and family photography
The Days of Mine: Diana’s photography and family in Virgina
Eleven questions for these bloggers to answer:
1. How did you name your blog?
2. Link to your favorite post on your blog. Why this one?
3. When do you most like to write?
4. What do you do for fun, other than blogging?
5. Who would you like to interview?
6. Why did you start writing your blog?
7. Favorite food?
8. Favorite drink?
9. What are you reading now?
10. Favorite vacation spot?
11. Favorite Musician/Band?
More:
And the Honda was amber…not gold and certainly not plum
Thank you for your unending love and support over the last 34 years. And for being predictable.
Nice going – and yep, you chose well – even if your color awarenesses are at odds!! grins g
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Thank you so much for nominating my blog! It is truly an honor!!!