In which we get another prestigious award, and answer questions

Thanks to Kate who identified this blog as Beautiful. Thank you so much, Kate! We think you're beautiful as well.

The rules of this award are:
* Link back to the person who gave you the award.
* Tell 7 things about yourself
* Pass the award on to [up to] 15 other bloggers
(pretty soon, with math like that, unless we do a lot of duplicating, every blog in the universe will have had the award!), especially blogs that are newer to you.

If you're named below, please feel free to do this to whatever extent you wish, or not - it's your choice.

So here goes - 7 things about me that my readers have probably always questioned:

1. I am a grouch in the morning, and don't like to talk much until I've been awake for a while. At home, as soon as I'm awake, I put a kettle on to boil and go immediately outside to feed the horses, goats, and chickens (usually in my pajamas + rubber boots, plus a parka and toque in winter!). By the time everyone is fed and pens are cleaned, the kettle is whistling and I can make some tea and start becoming more civilized. In camp, I'll get up at least an hour before everyone else and do all the outdoor chores, then take the dogs for a walk in order to avoid talking. Yes, this does mean that I don't get much sleep on ride day.

2. I have trouble saying "no" to fun. I think that's how I became a storytelling librarian trail-building pirate endurance-riding radio disc jockey. All those parts of my life go together, but not in a very logical way until you know that the common denominator is the fact that I think fun is, well, fun.

3. Speaking of pirates, I play the "pirate librarian" in a forthcoming short movie made by my buddy Charlie Williams, which will be shown to schoolkids around the county to promote the library system's summer reading program.

4. I met Jim after he heard me on the radio and showed up to an event I was hosting. He started coming to storytelling events, learned to tell stories, and then joined me as a radio host soon after...and started taking riding lessons and then started riding endurance as well. What a cool guy. He cooks, too.

5. All my pets have always been named out of books, beginning with the kitty I got at age six, whom I named "Puff" after the cat in the Dick & Jane readers.

6. I hold a third-degree blackbelt in GoJu-Ryu karate, but I don't practice anymore. I consider the confidence given by the training absolutely priceless in my dealings with green horses and unruly library patrons.

7. Life goals I still haven't met: touring Mongolia, Iceland and Tanzania on horseback; learning to drive a chariot, and riding the Tevis.

Sharing the beauty, here's my ten faves:

1. Lytha at A Horse Crazy American in Germany who inspired this blog in the first place. She has a unique view of the world, which I treasure.

2. Leah Fry at Barn Door Tagz whose life in Texas is so different from mine, and yet so similar!

3. Jared at Moon over Martinborough who experiences the seasons exactly opposite of my own on his beautiful olive tree farm in New Zealand. His summer blue skies keep me sane in winter, his rain cools me in summer.

4. Mel at Boots and Saddles, who is wonderfully brave about learning new things and pushing herself further down the endurance trail.

5. Monica at Horsebytes, a local gal who gives me a new perspective on horsey events in my native land.

6. Funder at It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, who moved recently from the American South to the area near Rena NV with her pretty gaited mare. Funder's a busy lady, but never too busy to share the interesting details of her life with Dixie.

7. Janet at Mugwump Chronicles, a real-world horse trainer who doesn't hold with weird gimmicks or trendy techniques. She's also a helluva storyteller, bless her.

8. Now That's A Trot is a terrific chronicle of a standie in training on the other side of the U.S. Willie is such a handsome horse, it's always a joy to see photos from their adventures together.

9. Jane at The Literary Horse is able to make ordinary events funny, and make funny events outrageously hilarious. Treat yourself to some fun by reading her stories about the demonic pony Mr Chips.

10. Jonni at Trot On Hank has been doing the "endurance thing" a lot longer than I have. She's a bunch better at it than I am, no surprise--or else she's able to make herself appear more graceful in print than I've ever been.

Life (you know this part, right?) is good!

Comments

  1. Ok wonderfully brave is pushing it a mite....perhaps "moments of insanity is better ? Thanks for the award. I love awards! :)

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  2. I am also a grouch in the morning. I totally hear you on the being awake before talking to anyone. It can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour for me to "wake up"!
    Great getting to know more about ya!

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  3. I love the story of how you and Jim met. Stalker or future husband - the difference is so subtle! :-)

    Thanks so much for the award. You are fantastic, you storytelling librarian trail-building pirate endurance-riding radio disc jockey, you.

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  4. Like the idea of "unruly library patrons" having to be handled with karate!

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  5. thank you for the nice award. i don't usually participate, but i will do a FAQ soon.

    i seem to remember you not being a morning person. i am! but lately i'm way too lazy (and sadly unemployed) to get up to see the sunrise. i sure miss the olympic mountains in the morning.

    i wish i could inspire more people to write blogs. my family, for instance. they are all facebook people, and i'm just not. facebook depresses me (homesickness).

    i am thrilled and totally appreciative that YOU have a blog.

    btw i took yesterday's story to that board game party last night, and asked if i could read it aloud, translated. their pride spoke up and told me, "oh, we understand english" and i doubted it, but i relented. i read it very slowly (and with a little tiny bit of translation where i thought they might need it), and in the end, they laughed, but i wonder if they really got it. it is a great story. i made the host's wife read it later.

    (she gasped, "it's ENGLISH!" and i said, "you can do it." and she said, "reading is easier than listening." and she really liked it too.) it's a story that i will try to commit to memory.

    i'm trying to imagine what an unruly library patron is like. i just cannot!

    tell jim hi for me ok? as they say in german,

    "Gruesse an dein Mann!"

    ~lytha

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  6. Well, she is often grouchy in the morning. Fortunately, my back wakes up an hour after I do, so I'm fairly self-absorbed and don't much notice it. Heh.

    Emolk: A sub-genre of folk music that is very introspective and depressed.

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  7. Thank you! I just saw this. :) A high honor indeed from you.

    You crack me up, yourself. I love Librarian Karate (you could teach evening classes!). Now that is a class I'd sign up for in a heartbeat. "Read through chapter 7 please, for next time, and practice kicking butt before our next meeting")

    I'll see you at the next meeting of the Pirate Librarian Association dinner...I promise to find a swash and buckle it before I come. Love it, you are too funny!

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