6 April 2014

Sipping Tea with Friends While Answering Liebster Questions

This afternoon I’ve been thinking about friendship, and I feel very blessed. Here I am, on
the Internet, surrounded by so many beautiful people. I wish I could say to all my dear friends…
“Would you like to come to afternoon tea?”
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could meet face-to-face and chat and really get to know each other? We
can’t but we can pretend… I can imagine…
We’re sitting around the long pine table in my kitchen.
There’s tea and coffee and scones fresh out of the oven. I am shoulder to shoulder
with all my Internet friends. Everyone is smiling. (btw, you’re all looking very beautiful!) There’s a happy, bubbly atmosphere, an atmosphere of anticipation. All we need is someone to get the conversation flowing. So I say…
“Would you like to
hear the answers to a few questions Ingrid asked me? (Ingrid blogs at Create a Haven.) They are Liebster Award
questions. There’s 11 of them.” You would? Here goes…
1. What is your favorite book on anything related to
homemaking?
Occasionally I borrow homemaking books from the library:
cookbooks or handicraft books or home decorating books. But I usually forget to
read them! I don’t think I have a favourite book. Our home is comfortable but
not a show home. It runs efficiently but not rigidly. (My fridge often needs cleaning out!) I guess we’re happy with the way our home looks, and how it’s run. Andy and
I have been married a long time. We’ve been parents a long time too. We’re
comfortable with the way we do things around here, so I don’t go looking for
ways to change or improve our home. I tend to add to what we have, and make
small changes occasionally, but more often than not, all we need to do to make things better is give
our home a good clean!
2. What is your quickest and tastiest recipe?
I have to admit I don’t do much cooking. I used to but
somehow the girls took over. They like being in the kitchen. They chase me away
whenever I try to help. I don’t complain. But I do know a wonderful quick and
tasty recipe: zucchini and leek soup. I once wrote about this soup. You’ll find
a soup story and recipe in my post Perfect Post-Run Soup: Zucchini and Leek. The soup really is good!
3. What is the most important principle you have built your
family life on?
Love is the most important principle, unconditional love. I
believe a family should be the one place where everyone knows they are completely
accepted and loved. We are a team. Everyone has their place. We all belong. A
family sense of humour helps life run more smoothly too!
4. Who has been your inspiration regarding creating a home
and family?
My mother always ran an efficient and beautiful home. She
worked and raised children, while sewing clothes, making wine, researching
family history, reupholstering chairs, making curtains, looking after older family members…There was nothing she coudn’t do. She was always teaching
herself new skills. And she encouraged us to do the same. We were taught
to cook and clean and arrange an attractive home. My two sisters and I could run the house if my mother wasn’t there. Some aspects of my family life with Andy and our children are different to my childhood life though. I became a Catholic about 22 years ago. That has influenced the way we are bringing up our children. Even after parenting for a long time, we are still learning as we go!
5. Do you have a morning routine? If yes, what is it?
I’m a morning person. We all are. None of us like lying in
bed. Wait a minute! That’s not quite true. My husband Andy would love to stay
in bed longer but he never gets the opportunity. He leaves for the gym at 5.45
am each morning, and then goes onto work. My day starts as Andy leaves home. In
the warmer months of the year the girls and I run before breakfast. After we’ve
exercised, we come home, shower, eat, do the chores together, before gathering
in the living room to say our morning prayers.
6. Do you come from a large or small family? Did you like it
that way?
I have three siblings. Andy has two. Our own family is very
different. I have given birth to 8 children.
7 are living. We also lost 7 children due to miscarriage. I certainly
wouldn’t have minded growing up with more siblings. It might have been fun. But it wasn’t
the way it happened. I am thankful for the 2 sisters I grew up with and the
brother who arrived after I left home.
7. Is there a gadget you can`t imagine your life without?
What is it?
My girls will tell you I can’t survive without my hairdryer.
I admit it. I’m a bit vain. I like to blow dry my hair every morning. But I’m
trying to be more relaxed. I have been known to walk in the rain and let my
hair get wet and still smile. I will tell you I can’t survive without my computer. That is entirely true.
8. Do you have a favourite craft?
I enjoy knitting and embroidery and I sew as well, though
these handicrafts are sadly neglected. I forget to work on my projects when I’m
in a writing mood (which is almost always.)
9. What is your dream travel destination?
I’m a home body. I don’t really dream of going anywhere. A
trip up the coast to the beach would be good though. I know my girls would
enjoy that. We don’t often go to the beach because we live away from the coast.
But if I did have a travelling dream, it would involve hopping around the world
visiting each of my blogging friends in turn.
10. If you could, would you change something in your past?
There are a lot of things in my past that were difficult to
deal with. I’m sure it is the same for everyone. However I wouldn’t change a
thing. If I did, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Every single event in our
lives teaches us something and gives us strengths. It’s good for me to remember
that when hard times reappear!
11. What is the one thing you would most like to
achieve in this life?
I could give the answer all of us should give: I want to do
God’s will, become the person He intends for me to be, use the gifts He has
given me. More specifically I’d like to actually get some of my writings into
book form. I have a children’s novel which is edited and ready for publishing, a book that needs to be republished in a second edition, and other books and novels in various states of completion. I just never seem
to get around to finishing a project. I guess I spend too much time blogging!
So I come to the end of the questions. You have all been so
kind listening to my answers. I sip my tea and nibble my scone, and then I say…
“Your turn. I’d like to hear about you. Would you like to
answer some questions too?”
So how about it? I’d love to hear more about you. Anyone can join in. I know I’m not following the rules properly, but I don’t see any reason you can’t claim a Liebster Award if you answer the questions. (No one seems to own the award.) 
So here are my questions…
1. What kind of place do you live in?
2. How would you describe yourself (appearance, character and anything else that’s interesting!)?
3. Are you an introvert or extrovert or somewhere in between?
4. What’s your favourite way to
keep fit?
5. What do you like to blog about?
6. What is your favourite blog post? (Don’t forget to include a link!)
7. What do you like to do when you’re not blogging?
8. Have you ever done anything you insisted you’d never do?
9. What is the last new skill you learnt?
10. What are your talents? (We all have some. God made sure of
that!)
11. What do you like most about being a mother?

If you like, you can pass the award onto specific bloggers, or you could break the ‘rules’ and issue an open invitation. And if you’d like a button to put in your side-bar, there are dozens to choose from. I just Googled ‘Liebster Award’ images and discovered them all!

READ  My Old Portmanteau

I’d love to visit your blogs and read your answers so please come back to leave a link.

I’d like to give Ingrid a big thank you for being so kind and nominating my blog for this Liebster Award. I enjoyed answering your questions. It’s been a lot of fun!

Image: Tardis Tea Pot by F_A, (CC BY 2.0)

Sue Elvis

I'm an Australian blogger, podcaster, and Youtuber. I write and speak about unschooling, parenting and family life. I'm also the author of the unschooling books 'Curious Unschoolers', 'Radical Unschool Love' and ‘The Unschool Challenge’. You'll find them on Amazon!

17 Comments

    • Natalie,

      Thank you! I'll remember your invitation. I'd love to meet you. I just might visit Perth one day because my eldest daughter lives there!

  1. Thank you for taking time to answer the questions! 🙂 I love afternoon teas like that:)

    I`m also the kind of person who takes books from library and then often returns them without reading. Library is a magical place for me and whenever I go there I highly overestimate my ability to stretch time to read all the books that lure me from the shelves. Almost every homemaking book published in Estonia has rested at my home before returning to library. Still, I have managed to read quite a lot of them. Reading and looking at books about home and cooking is somehow very relaxing.

    • Ingrid,

      It was a real pleasure answering your questions. They made me think! Wouldn't it be nice if we all could have afternoon tea together? I used to do that with a group of friends years ago, when our children were younger. These days everyone seems too busy to meet up. I miss the old days!

      Libraries are good! As a child I couldn't believe we could borrow a pile of books for free. Yes, a magical place! I love looking at those big glossy books which have beautiful photos. I don't often copy other people's ideas but I do enjoy looking at what they have created.

      Thank you again for asking me to answer these Liebster questions!

  2. Loved reading your answers, and the questions you posed. And since you said your readers could claim the Liebster, I'm raising my hand and calling out 'I accept!' I needed an L post for my new blog, and I do like your questions. In fact I wrote the post tonight, but won't be putting it on until I get to L, in my own informal non linked up blogging outside the box way of doing things. That's another letter down :)! I'll send you the link when I have it on at the end of the week. Thank you for letting us all participate!

    • Nancy,

      You accept? Wonderful! I am so pleased. I can't wait for your L post. I am sure you've thought up some interesting answers. You're doing things in an outside the box way? That sounds just like the way I do things! Yes, come back and share the link once the post is published so we can all enjoy your answers!

    • Nancy,

      I'm so sorry to hear about your computer problems! Oh we have missed out on something amazing, I'm sure. I disagree entirely with your guardian angel. But I understand and really you are not to worry about the questions. Another time! xxx

    • Sue, I began working on the Liebster post right after reading this. In the meantime, I was nominated by someone else. So I decided to write an extra long post answering TWENTY TWO questions. !!! I guess my guardian angel looked over my shoulder, took pity on the poor readers, and said 'this will never do!' Because I made one click tonight and lost the whole thing. After literally DAYS of work, I lost the whole thing, right at the very end of writing it. You know that sick feeling you get? I got it. I enlisted the help of my computer-savvy son, and he said nothing could be done. It was gone. He asked me why I hadn't backed it up anywhere. I actually did so, in Word, and THAT kept disappearing! Thank you, guardian angel, I can take a hint. So – that's why your questions are not answered on that post! But they WERE answered.. and they were fun! And now, 2 hours later, I have answered one set of questions. Sigh………

  3. WOW, love the post, Sue! Love it….and the DW tea pot if the coolest ever! We have the Disappearing TARDIS mug, so the teapot has to be acquired, I'd say! Maybe Santa will accommodate my wish at Christmas!
    Happy to click over and say HI, Sue,
    Thank you for the mid day break in our school day, friend!
    I've an old Liebster post, if you don't mind one that's not current!
    http://campfiresandcleats.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-exciting-my-second-blog-award.html
    Thanks for offering your friends the opp to link a L award post!
    I'm enjoying your A to Z posts…love the frock post…I read and love them!

    Take care Sue !

    • Chris,

      I thought of you when I posted the Tardis tea pot photo!

      Thank you for clicking over, and thank you for your Liebster post link. Of course it's okay to link an old post. I shall enjoy reading it!

      I'm glad you're enjoying the A – Z posts. I'm a bit stuck on the H post. I hope I get a good idea soon! xxx

    • Shelly,

      No worries about the look of your comment! Blogger does strange things sometimes. I'm just pleased you wanted to answer the Liebster questions. I shall be right over to read your post. Thank you for joining in!

  4. How interesting!
    I always like reading these kinds of posts, because you learn so much about the other person 🙂
    By the way, you're looking beautiful, too 😉
    I might answer the questions, although the last one is out of my field of competence 🙂

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