Questions, Questions...(2)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Today I'd like to thank Carrie from Northwoods Scrapbook for nominating me for the Liebster award.  Below are my answers to her questions, as well as a few questions of my own for anyone who would like to participate.

Liebster Award -- June 2015

1. What are some of your favorite hobbies?
By now most of you know: music, chess, blogging, gardening, amatuer photography, hiking, genealogy, and travelling throughout Iowa.

2. Why did you begin blogging? How long do you think you'll continue?
I started blogging because I wanted a place to voice my political opinions in 2011.  I currently don't have any plans of stopping.  If I get an advance notice on my death, I might be tempted to schedule posts ahead, so I can keep posting from heaven.  (You guys are, most likely, stuck with me!)

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live and why?
I'd have to scout the rest of the world to find out.  But I do love the land here in Iowa.
4.  Do you have pets? How many?
My family has one dog, Ginger.  We also have thirty-two chickens; three cats, Princess, Blackie, and Skippy; one stray cat, Amiga, and now her four adorable kittens.  If you have a good home and are looking for a kitten of your own, be sure to let us know!
5. What are your favorite foods? Do you do the cooking?
I do the cooking one week out of every three or four.  My goal in cooking is efficiency: creating constructing the best meal possible in the shortest amount of time with the least dirty dishes.  In other words, I'm great at "cooking" cold cereal, pancakes, hot dogs, ramen noodles, bean soup, green beans, rice, and ice cream.   My favorite foods would be desserts of basically every kind, mashed potatoes and gravy, bean soup, chocolate, peanut butter, raspberry jam, Grandma's chili, pizza, lasagna, ahhh...and the list goes on and on!  

6. What is the best lesson you've ever learned?
Jesus loves me.

7. If you could do any profession what would it be?
Paid travel writer, or lawgiver/judge of some kind who actually could straighten out some of the injustice in the world today.  I might not mind if I could be a professional chess player/coach either...but I don't think that's going to happen.

8. Would you rather travel to the past or go forward to the future and why?
I'd rather go forward to the future.  I can read about the past in history books and watch it in movies, but knowing what the future holds might help my perspective.  At least, "I know who holds tomorrow, and I know He holds my hand."

9. Do you prefer snail mail or email to send letters to friends or family?
It depends on to whom I am writing, and how quickly I would like a response.  I collect greeting cards, so I love to send them to family and friends, and in most cases when I'm writing a long letter about happenings, I prefer snail mail.  I prefer emails for correspondence where I'd prefer a reasonably timely response.

10. You're shipwrecked on an island; what one thing would you have to have with you?
A helicopter.  If that's too much to ask, an ocean-going motorboat with plenty of gas, a radio, and a built-in GPS.
My nominees (If they'd like to participate):
Gosia at Gosia's Blog
John at John's Island
Joyful at Snap That
Laura at Gazing Wonders

1.  Why did you begin blogging, and how long do you think you'll continue?
2.  What is your go-to meal for when you need to cook something quickly?
3.  You're shipwrecked on an island; what one thing would you have with you?
4.  If you could choose any profession, what would it be?
5.  If you could meet any of your long-distance blogging friends, which ones would you most like to meet?
6.  What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
7.  Describe a perfect day.
8.  If you could witness any event of the past, present, or future, what would it be?
9.  Have you ever been in a choir or singing group, or played an instrument?
10. What is the most encouraging thing anyone has ever told you/or that you've ever read?
11.  Would you share a favorite quote or Bible verse?
Thanks to the lovely ladies I stole borrowed most of these questions from: Cryslyn, Gabriella, Paige, and Carrie.

Northwoods Scrapbook
Thank you Carrie!

43 comments:

  1. Hello Bethany, love the photos! Sounds like you really like to travel. I do too, it would be nice to be paid to travel. I enjoyed reading your answers and your post. Have a happy day!

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  2. I enjoyed your answers! Glad to be "stuck with you"!

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  3. Sounds like you and I have the same cooking philosophy. It's all about efficiency, not the product. :)
    I liked your answer to number 10. Next time I am planning on being shipwrecked on an island I'll make sure and have a helicopter in my back pocket.

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    1. Oh, the product has to be good too! I think some of the meals I efficiently construct are more satisfying than delicately prepared foods that take the cooks a couple hours to make. I'd personally much rather eat a hearty meal of beans and hot dogs than have some caviar or a little gourmet dish of something I've never heard of...

      And @ #10 Awesome! And...no need to thank me for the good idea when you return from the shipwreck and deserted island safe and sound; good friends always watch out for each other. ;)

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  4. What a fun post! I really enjoyed all your answers. And your photos are beautiful. It's nice learning about you, Bethany. You are an amazing young lady.

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  5. Bethany thnks a lot I am going to do it on Friday. Love from Europe

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  6. Great photos and nice answers to the questions! It a lot of fun to read the response to these awards and find out a little more about the blogger behind the blog!
    Oh, and number 6, BEST lesson ever! :)

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    1. I enjoyed reading your answers to Paige's award as well!

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  7. love the photo of your pup, ginger, in those beautiful trees! :)

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    1. I think she really enjoyed coming with us. The other day we were going to town, and she hopped into the van and didn't want to get out. I think she was hoping for another hiking trip!

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  8. Your answers are always so fun to read, dear Bethany! And I love your answer for #5. It made me laugh so. ;-)

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  9. Hi Bethany! I enjoyed reading your answers! You made me hungry with your favorite food answer and reminded me how awesome it would be to be a travel writer! Have a wonderful rest of the week!

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  10. Love this Bethany! Thanks so much for participating!! I especially love #'s 6-8. You are Girl with her priorities straight and a loving spiritual heart. Love that! And #10 made me laugh. ;) All your photos were beautiful too.
    I hope you can get that travel job one day!! How fun would that be? xoxo

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  11. More great answers, your favorite foods and cooking answer got me laughing!

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  12. Hi Bethany, More great answers to great questions and oh, my goodness, you nominated me to answer your questions! I am honored. Let me give them some thought. Regarding your answers and this post … Your second photo … the trail through the forest … it is just so different than my mind’s eye view of Iowa. For some reason it just seems more like something I would expect further east or up north. Your blog is improving my impression of Iowa a lot! I love it that one of your favorite dishes is bean soup. Me too! I like to make my own from scratch and I found a great appliance to make it easy … An electric pressure cooker. I start with dry navy beans (no soaking necessary) and cook at pressure with water, of course, and salt pork for 20 minutes. Release pressure, add chopped carrots, celery, onion, half a russet potato (chopped), a little bit of Frank’s Original Hot Sauce, and a couple of grinds of black pepper. That goes for an additional 10 minutes. Release pressure, stir well, allow to cool for a few minutes, and enjoy with some rustic bread. Please give it a try and/or give me your recipe! :-) Lastly, getting back to your answers … I admire you for your answer to number 6. Take care and have a great day!

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    1. I'll be looking forward to your answers should you decide to accept the nomination! The second shot is in the Iowa River greenbelt area at the Eagle City park. Eagle City is another virtually non-existent "city"--pretty much all that's left is a winery and the parks.

      Your bean soup sounds delicious! I'll save the recipe. We harvest our own beans every fall, and my mother makes huge batches of soup in our pressure cooker. We eat some and freeze the rest in quart bags, which I can thaw and cook during the winter. (So basically my recipe is open the freezer door, thaw beans, and boil. I will try to find my mother's recipe for the soup, and leave it in a comment at your blog--it is so good!) The rustic bread you recommend serving your soup with sounds like a good addition. Have a great day as well!

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  13. Thanks for sharing your answers. Jesus loves me too- that's the best sentence I have read all day, I think! Have a great day!

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  14. I really enjoyed reading your answers and getting to know you better, I must say ... some of your questions actually made me smile, the humor you put into simple words is a part of what makes your blog so unique, Thank you for nominating me, great photos and questions I can't wait to answer them . :D

    Hope you are having a lovely blessed day.

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    1. I'll be looking forward to your post, Laura! Thanks and blessings to you!

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  15. I had no idea you owned so many chickens! Great answers Bethany:)
    Blessings, Aimee

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  16. Bethany, your photos of Iowa are so very beautiful. I am honoured to be nominated to answer your questions and I would like to participate. I'm not sure if you want me to write my answers in comments or if I should post the answers at my blog. I'm thinking my blog since the answers will take up space. I don't usually participate in awards of any kind. Can you tell :-)

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    1. Oh, that's fine! You can answer whichever way you prefer. :)

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  17. Your answers were well thought out, I can tell...you did an excellent job.
    And deserving of the award.

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  18. awesome answers bethany!!!

    #1, i have too many to list but perhaps scrapbooking and knitting are my top 2. i loved your answer to #2. i live right where i want to, i don't have any pets and nursing was my profession of choice and it would always be my first choice!!! beautiful images!!!

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    1. It's great that you got to work in your profession of choice! Your knitting work is always beautiful!

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  19. Nice post! Even if people don't get an award, thinking about the questions is fun.

    Like the idea that you bought money on Amazon!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. I'd love to see answers to the questions from so many more of my blogging friends whom I didn't nominate; it's sometimes hard to guess though which ones would be most interested.

      Now that you mention it, buying money does sound a bit odd...but numismatists do it all the time--so I (hope) I'm in good company! (Just don't tell anyone that the money I bought is basically worthless....) ;)

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  20. LOVED your answers to 2 & 10! :-) Also, 6 is the only thing there is!!!! And as for 7....go for it! Follow your dreams!

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  21. Congratulations on your award, Bethany! I enjoyed your post and always love these kinds of question/award posts when you do them because we get to know fun and interesting things about you, like what your dream job is for example. What an amazing job that would be, a dream. I enjoyed all your answers and thoughts, and your answer to number six is the best thing you could learn :)
    You are so kind and thoughtful to list me as one of your nominees... thank you so much! I will work on the post to publish soon :)

    Have a wonderful day!
    Blessings to you,
    Jazzmin

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    1. Thank you Jazzmin! Have an awesome day as well!

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  22. Hi Bethany, Feeling a little curious this morning I came back to this post to take a look at your nominees for the Liebster Award and see if any of the nominees besides myself had answered your questions. Of the eight nominees … Dee, Gosia, Jazzmin, John, Joyful, Laura, Morning, and Terri … it looks like three of us … John, Joyful, and Gosia … answered. I sure enjoyed reading the other blogger’s answers. And, even though some of the others did not answer, I discovered some neat blogs. For anyone reading this comment and looking for some interesting blogs to follow, check out Bethany’s nominees for the Liebster Award … well, except mine, I’m not trying to self-promote :-) Possibly Laura at Gazing Wonders would have answered your questions except that she was answering a set of questions called the Sisterhood Award from Reyna who blogs at A Peace of the Past. It was fun to check all this out this morning and thank you again for the nomination. Hope all is well with you and yours and wishing you a fine weekend ahead.

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    1. Thank you, John! Have a wonderful weekend as well! Laura tagged me in that Sisterhood Award she answered, so I may have another similar post coming up soon, but I'm way behind in my travel posts...there are so many interesting places to write about!

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