Yay Images
Feel those rays? There’s been a lot of sunshine in the blogosphere in past weeks. Folks have been bestowing “The Sunshine Award” on fellow bloggers whose posts brighten their days.
The Rules go something like this:
Acknowledge the nominating blogger. Share 11 random facts about yourself. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you. List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)
As usual, I’m late to the party, but thankful to these three folks who nominated me (with links to their Sunshine Award posts) – Betsy at Teaching Young Writers , Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty, and Keri at Keri Recommends .
And, as usual, I’m not playing by the rules. So many wonderful Poetry Friday bloggers (and others) have been nominated, I’m already behind on visiting those posts! Also, I’m in the midst of this big move and pretty stretched these few weeks. So I will end this post with my 11 random facts and answer some of the questions from each of the three posts above. Then I’d like YOU to either share a random personal fact in the comments, or answer one of the questions yourself. :0) (I stole this idea from Jama’s comments on other Sunshine posts…!)
But first, let’s enjoy some sunshine with Emily D, shall we?
The daisy follows soft the sun
by Emily Dickinson
The daisy follows soft the sun,
And when his golden walk is done,
Sits shyly at his feet.
He, waking, finds the flower near.
"Wherefore, marauder, art thou here?"
"Because, sir, love is sweet!"
We are the flower, Thou the sun!
Forgive us, if as days decline,
We nearer steal to Thee, —
Enamoured of the parting west,
The peace, the flight, the amethyst,
Night's possibility!
You can hear Garrison Keillor read the poem here.
I learned a thing or two about Emily from the Academy of American Poets site while exploring this poem. For one, “one-third of her brilliantly idiosyncratic poems have wildflowers or other flowers as their subject.” And, at 14, our Emily created “a herbarium, a popular pastime for girls in the mid-1800s.” Click here for more. Also, this daisy poem is most likely romantic – though I think I had that figured out on my own.
Now, turning the daylight on my random facts:
1. In elementary school, I was a background person in an Eastern Airlines commercial at Walt Disney World.
2. I once made up a song about my pet lizard (a green anole, really) with the oh-so-creative-title, “Little Bobby Lizard.” I’ll sing it for you if you like…
3. Like Michelle, I’m an INFJ. And an Aquarius. (Guess that was two facts, so we’ll skip to #5.)
5. I’m not great at math.
6. Willie Nelson once jammed in my living room when I was little. (My dad managed a country radio station way back when.)
7. I learned to take care of and haul horses in my 30s. (We moved back toward town from our farm, though, several years ago.)
8. I hung out with captive wolves in my 40s.
9. Just over a year ago, I rescued a tiny Chihuahua from the middle of what’s technically a highway through town. (I have since learned it’s not terribly smart or legal to stop your car in the middle of a highway. We both must have nine lives. I mean, eight….)
10. I could pretty much live on granola and Greek yogurt.
11. Daisies were the flowers at my wedding, 30 years ago this coming June!
Here are the questions, hand-picked because I’m making up my own rules. (Hey - Mary Lee did it!)
--from Betsy:
Who was the most influential teacher in your life?
Doris Jarvis. Sixth grade and also Junior High English. She believed I could write, so I did, too.
What is the best thing you've ever written? What was it about?
Probably a very short haiku! And probably about my late father.
Where would you love to vacation?
Italy. ( Renée, are you listening? One of these days, I’m showing up at your doorstep!)
Do you collect anything? What?
Well, with my artsyletters adventure, I collect old typewriter keys, teetering stacks of vintage books, little rusty pieces of twisted metal I find on the side of the road….
--from Michelle:
What is your secret snack or guilty pleasure?
Dark chocolate in the door of the fridge. I break off pieces as needed.
Favorite music?
'70s rock. The soundtrack to my mid-teenage years that’s now considered “classic” (as in “old”!).
What are you reading now?
David G. Lanoue’s Haiku Guy series. Except, where did I put the one I was just reading? Have you seen it? It’s here somewhere….
What was the best advice ever given to you?
It will look different in the morning.
--from Keri:
A book you wish you had written?
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate diCamillo.
Unusual skill you possess?
I can wiggle my eyes.
Early bird or night owl?
Hooooot! hooot!
Something you loathe?
Brussels sprouts.
Something you love?
Reading with dogs (or cats) on the couch in front of a fire. The call of a red-shouldered hawk. Poetry Friday. Vulture silhouettes. The smell of ink. (Okay, okay - I’ll stop, but I love a lot of stuff…!) Puppy breath….
Now, speaking of Keri, go see what all she’s rounded up for Poetry Friday at Keri Recommends!
And leave some random fact or delicious tidbit about yourself below…. :0)