Thank you to Half-EatenMind for nominating me for this award, which I created to celebrate those who promote peace, light and understanding in the world.  You are yourself very deserving and I loved your description of the award.  Your words touch my heart, and say it better than I did in the first place, so I am reproducing them here:

Barbara created the LITWA to celebrate those wonderful people in our world who spread light, love, hope and peace in the name of humanity. Bloggers receiving this award are encouraged to continue promoting these virtues and work as a force of peace and light in the world, touching their readers’ hearts and making a difference in their lives, no matter how small. The award has as its background a scene of a beach taken at sunset with holidaymakers enjoying themselves. This picture was taken by Barbara herself. Just as the Sun in the picture brings light and sustenance to the Earth and is the reason why any living thing can exist on our planet in the first place, the LITWA is a gift to those bloggers who help shine the light into other people’s worlds, giving them sustenance, hope and happiness through the venerable dialogue of blogging.

My rules for this award were simple:

1.Thank the person who gives you the award

2.Spread this award around to the people who you know who are doing this work, so that the work continues and the light is spread

3.Let your nominees know

4.Never give up on your fellow human beings

My Nominees:

1. A Pondering Mind
2. Ceelee
3. BarbaraFranken
4. KA Brace
5. scottishmomus
6. ashiakira
7. michael hulshof-schmidt
8. infinitezip
9. petchary
10. baldypoems

The kind and lovely Patty at PetiteMagique has nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you, my friend. You are, as always a light in my day!

The Rules:

•You must link back to the person who nominated you.

•Answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.

•Nominate 11 new bloggers and ask them 11 questions.

•You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

•You must let the people you nominate know they have been nominated.

The ten questions:

1. What inspired you or motivated you to begin blogging?

My best friend.

2. Who has been the most influential person in your life?

Gloria Steinem

3. If you were to open up your own restaurant, what kind of cuisine/s would you have and what features would it have i.e. bar, jacuzzi?

5 star gourmet food, with a bar where you can get any kind of drink you want.

4. Where did you last go for holiday (vacation) and what activities did you do over there?

The Bahamas, and I swam with dolphins and played with starfish

5. If you are working, what do you most like and hate about your job? – for those who are unemployed, retired or otherwise not currently in the ‘employment market’, what do you like/hate about not working?

I am retired, and I love having time for my writing and painting, and having more time to spend with my grandchildren.

6. If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be?

Betty Boop (for those of you under 40 — google it)

7. If I was to visit your city/town/village/hamlet, where would you show me as a tourist attraction and why?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Art Museum, Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), our Zoo & Rain Forest, and our Botanical gardens.  All of these are world class and not to be missed.

8. What is your most treasured personal possession?

Pictures of my children and grandchildren

9. Name one really eventful thing that happened in your blogging career?

When the ObamaCrat did a special blog of some of my photographs and art.  That touched me very deeply.  He is a good friend.

10. What is your favourite song of the moment?

Anything as long as it is not country or rap

11. What is your favourite aspect of your nominator’s blog? It can be anything, general or specific, content-wise or design-wise.

I love PetiteMagique’s Design.  I find it to be visually every bit as stimulating as her writing.

My nominees:

1. markbialczak
2. The Chicago Files
3. holisticwayfarer
4. Dr. Rex
5. WaitingforSomeday
6. forgottenmeadows
7. Cassidy Frazee
8. Francine in Retirement
9. iithinks
10. joe bradshaw
11. a pondering mind