Friday, July 03, 2015

The Liebster Award

The Nitrate Glow blog nominated me for the Liebster award :-)  I got this award once before, but that was quite a while ago, so I'm doing it again.

Here are the rules when nominated for a Liebster:
 a) Answer the eleven questions of the tagger.
 b) Share eleven facts about yourself
 c) Nominate up to eleven other bloggers
 d) Ask those nominees 11 new questions

1. Who’s your most attractive historical person?

I assume you mean besides actors and such?  Well, Almonzo Wilder, husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was pretty yummy:

2. Favorite animated film and three reasons why.

Robin Hood (1973).  1.  I love the Robin Hood story in general, 2. I love that style of animation, with the static backdrop and moving foreground, and 3. It's funny.

3. Three movies you wish would get released on DVD/Blu-ray?

Seasons 2 and 3 of Five Mile Creek (1983-85) are the only thing that come to mind at the moment.

Jack, Con, and Ben

4. Favorite TV series.

Combat! (1962-67)

Caje, Kirby, Littlejohn, possibly Billy hiding back there?, Doc, and Saunders.

5. Historical figure you find the most fascinating.

I find a lot of historical figures fascinating.  Does Robin Hood count?  I'm very fascinated by him.

6. Would you prefer the ability to fly or talk to animals?

Fly!  Once in a while, I dream that I can fly, and those are such amazing dreams.  I also sometimes dream I can breathe underwater, which is wonderful as well.

7. A movie or TV series that is objectively well-made that you just couldn’t warm up to.

Downton Abbey.  I just... don't like it much.  It's very pretty, and has excellent actors, but... I don't like it much.

8. Three movies you love that everyone else hates.

I don't have any?  But here are three that I love, though many people don't:  The Lone Ranger (2013), X-Men:  Origins:  Wolverine (2009), and Pride & Prejudice (2005)

9. Three movies you hate that everyone else loves.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Final Destination (2000), and Cruel Intentions (1999).

10. Three favorite film scores.

The Man from Snowy River, The Sons of Katie Elder, and Master and Commander:  The Far Side of the World.

11. Favorite dessert.

Chocolate!  Cake, brownies, cookies, whatever.

Now for the 11 facts about myself:

  1. I'm 5'7", but I really wanted to be 5'8".
  2. I love to swim.
  3. I enjoy painting interior walls.
  4. My blood type is B+.
  5. I have five favorite colors:  purple, blue, green, red, and grey.
  6. I have seen every episode of M*A*S*H.
  7. I have never read War and Peace.
  8. I have never watched a movie adaptation of War and Peace either.
  9. Strawberries and apricots are my favorite fruits.
  10. I refuse to read The Velveteen Rabbit ever again because it makes me cry.
  11. I also refuse to watch The Fox and the Hound ever again because it makes me cry.

And now, I'm going to award the Liebster to some blogs that have fewer than 200 followers, in the spirit of this award's mission to spread blog love.  These are all blogs I hope more people check out, cuz they're awesome!  And I'm going to try to tag people I didn't just tag a couple days ago :-)  So I hereby award:

Yeah, that's a bunch.  Anyway, my questions for those honored bloggers are as follows:

1.  Do you have a favorite mug or teacup?
3.  What fandoms are you into?
5.  What obscure author/book are you nuts about?
6.  What's the oldest movie you've ever watched?
7.  What did you have for breakfast today?
8.  When did you first see your favorite movie?
9.  Do you prefer fantasy or sci-fi?
11.  Has it changed?  If so, how?

Happy blogging, everyone!


  1. Thanks for filling it out! I liked Downton Abbey during the first two seasons, but it went downhill fast for me and became dull. Robin Hood (1973) took awhile to grow on me, but it's so fun.

    Keep up the love.

    1. I've only seen 5 or 6 eps, but it simply doesn't grab me.

      I grew up with that Robin Hood, and I can't remember a time when I hadn't seen it, though I had to have been 5 or 6 the first time.

  2. Tags like these never get old. :-) I say this every time, but I'll say it again: I enjoyed reading your answers. Let's just say I enjoy reading basically everything you write!

    Almanzo! Oh! *swoon* Yes, he sure was a looker. I just saw a picture on Pinterest the other day pointing out how Rutherford B. Hayes was the most attractive US president...and my, he was handsome. The things I never knew!

    You don't like Downton Abbey. *crosses arms and scowls impolitely* Okay, okay, I'll be civil. I guess it's not for everyone.'s kind of a soap opera. But I happen to love it. ;-)

    I like the '05 Pride and Prejudice. And I LOVE The Man From Snowy River soundtrack! Oh, and the Velveteen Rabbit is so saaaaaaaad. Why do people write such sad children's books. Have you read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane? Oh my goodness, that book creeped me out so much when I was little!

    Thanks for tagging me! Ooh, they look like fun questions. I'll look forward to filling it out. :-)


    1. Emma, my mom loves Downton Abbey. Like, owns every season, plus books about it, DVDs about Highclere Castle's real history, etc. So I've watched the first 3 eps in season 1 and then a few others scattered throughout the other seasons. I don't mind watching it with her if it's what she wants to watch, but I don't seek it out myself.

      Sad children's books should be outlawed. Dreadful.

    2. Emma likes '05 P&P! YAAAAAYYY!

  3. I am with you on Almanzo being an attractive historical figure. I can see how Laura fell from him despite the age difference.

  4. Thanks for tagging me- and good choice of Almanzo Wilder! I've always liked the looks of General Isaac Brock... there's a portrait of him in profile which is quite fetching- and who doesn't like a man in uniform? I'm with you on Downton Abbey; I couldn't make it through even the first season, and really couldn't see what everyone was raving about. Looking forward to answering my questions!

    1. Lynn M, I googled General Brock, and my goodness, yes, he was spiffy!

      I know people who really love the intertwined-lives aspect of shows like Downton, and it's a very pretty show, with all the costumes and such, so I can understand why people would like it, but.. it's too soapy for me, I guess.

  5. Like I said above--P&P '05!!!! Yesssss!!!!!

    I really didn't like the Velveteen Rabbit as a little kid. Also Bambi, and "Grover's Bad Dream," and "Bread and Jam for Frances." Oh, my golly . . . the trauma. It's all coming back to me now :) You're totally right--sad children's books need to be outlawed.

    1. Hang on, "Bread and Jam for Frances" made you sad? The one where Frances won't try new foods, so her mom gives her bread and jam for 3 meals in a row until Frances realizes she wants to try spaghetti? What about that one was sad to you?

      I LOVED the Frances books as a kid, and a couple weeks ago I was singing one of the songs from "A Birthday for Frances" (the one that goes "A rainbow and a happy tree Are not for Alice or for me. I will draw three-legged cats And caterpillars with ugly hats." I sing it rather a lot), and my kids clamored to know what that was from, so I got them "Bread and Jam" a from the library, and they loved it so much that the next week we got "A Birthday for Frances," and then we got "A Baby Sister for Frances" last week. This week, I plan to get them the one about trading.

    2. Honestly, I don't exactly remember . . . all I can tell you is that it made me cry the first time my mom read it to me. But hey, everybody's different! If your kids like it, go for it. :)

      A lot of things made my cry when I was a kid that my parents couldn't really understand or predict. I should also mention that I cried when the teachers would show us movies in school, because I hated movies. No kidding--I did. Happily I've grown out of that now.

    3. Well, there is a point where Frances begins to cry because she doesn't have any spaghetti, so that might have done it. Sam is very sensitive and cries over things that I don't expect to make him sad, like he refuses to watch Cinderella because the stepsisters and stepmother are too mean to Cinderella.

    4. Yes--THAT was it, the part where she cries about not having spaghetti. I thought it was something like that but I didn't want to say for sure because my memory was too vague. Sheesh. It did bother me, though.

      I know--even today, I'm sort of afraid to watch the new Cinderella movie because I just don't want to see the parts where the stepmother and stepsisters are so awful. I mean, I've heard lovely things about the movie and part of me WANTS to see it, but the other part is just like, noooooooo way.

      I think I'll wait until they come out with the live-action Beauty and the Beast in a few years and watch THAT.

    5. Okay, I can understand that, then. As a parent, I find it hilarious because my kids get ridiculous about food too, and I can well imagine myself feeding them nothing but bread and jam for a few days. As a kid, I was not a picky eater or especially sensitive, so I guess it didn't bother me.

  6. Thank you for tagging me! I've been too busy to post lately, but hopefully I'll find time to do it soon!

  7. Congrats! What a fun award.

    I remember watching Five Mile Creek. It's such a fun show. I collected them on VHS because that was the best I could do, but haven't quite managed the full collection - probably as soon as I do, it'll arrive on DVD. ;) As for X-Men and 2005's Pride & Prejudice (might be my favorite, actually), LOVE both of those and The Long Ranger is really fun too. I'm eager to see the "UNCLE" movie this summer as well. It just looks entertaining. :)

    Haven't read War & Peace and am not likely too, however I do really like the recent adaptation of it. It's been dubbed in English and was way better than I anticipated. :)

    Happy (belated) Independence Day. :)

    1. Hurrah! Another 5 Mile fan <3 I have season 1 on DVD, and then I've been gathering up the rest on VHS as I find them. I really love that show.

      I'm glad you liked The Lone Ranger too! Always happy to find another fan :-) I think Man from UNCLE looks exceedingly fun, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Speaking of Armie Hammer movies, I'm also terribly fond of Mirror Mirror :-D

  8. Thank you sooo much for the award, Hamlette! I appreciate it:D

    I'm with you on Downton Abbey. That is, I watched the first couple seasons, and liked it all right, but when Something Happened that caused great upset at the end of a certain season *ahem*, we stopped watching. Honestly, I don't miss it that much;-P

    1. The trouble with shows like Downton Abbey is that Something is Always Happening that is of Great Importance... and that wears thin after a while.

  9. I completely agree with you about Downton Abbey, there's lovely costumes, great scenery, nice music, and good actors... I mostly watched it for Dan Stevens, so I was relieved when he left, and I finally stopped forcing myself to watch it. It's just too soap-opera-y for me.

    You're a nice height! I'm 5'4" and I really wanted to be taller... I also still get people asking me if I'm in high school, so I'm short and my face looks like a teenager apparently. *sigh*

    I love swimming too... I used to swim competitively, and now I swim occasionally for exercise, and sometimes just "swim" (read: float around) for fun.

    Also agree about The Velveteen Rabbit and The Fox and The Hound. I find Charlotte's Web too sad as well.

    1. My mom is 5'4", so I know some of the issues you have -- she can never put things on the top shelves of the cupboards and so on.

      When you are in your 30s and 40s, you are gonna be so happy you look younger! I know, cuz I'm the same way -- when I was 27 and had had my first kid already and been married for 5 years, the guys who came to deliver our new washing machine thought I was the babysitter.

      That's so cool that you swam competitively! I never have, but it's basically the only sport I enjoy.

      UGH! Yes! "Charlotte's Web" is horribly sad too. Boo.

  10. (One of my read-through comments. Randomness abounds.)

    Two words: Raoul Wallenberg. If you don't know who he is, GO LOOK HIM UP. Not only was he an amazing guy, he was also rather handsome. :) Anyway, he's the answer I would give if I'd been asked that tag question.

    Robin Hood (1973) is my favorite animated movie too! Just watched it the other night and basked in the awesomeness and nostalgia. My brothers and I always laugh a LOT whenever we watch it. :) So much fun.

    Your favorite TV series is Combat!? Wow. You totally stunned me. I never would've guessed.


    Downton Abbey...yes! I feel exactly the same way. The first three seasons didn't do a thing for me, so I gave up after that. (Plus, the show was getting a bit content-y.) Oh, but I love P&P '05! One of my favorite Austen film adaptions.

    You've seen every episode of M*A*S*H. *jealousy rages* Well, my day will come sometime. ;) Have you seen any episodes of The Fugitive? My family owns the first season and I'm trying to talk Mom into letting me watch it, 'cause I'm sure I'd love it.


    P.S. As a fellow Robin Hood fan, I highly recommend Paul Creswick's version of the story. I don't remember too many details, since I read it so long ago, but I was in the height of my BBC Robin Hood obsession when I did, and I remember thinking that it was smashing. Much better than Howard Pyle's version, IMO.

    1. Raoul Wallenberg, huh? Looked him up, and definitely a cool guy. Looks kind of like a cross between Conlan Carter and Gregory Peck.

      I didn't get into M*A*S*H until college, when I had a best friend/roommate who loved it. After college, Cowboy and I set out on a quest to watch all the eps, getting the DVDs from the library a disc at a time. It's definitely got some adult stuff going on so... don't be in a big hurry. (I will let my kids watch "The Avengers" as teens, but tell them to wait until they're adults to watch "M*A*S*H")

      Ooooh, "The Fugitive" is a cool show! And that David Janssen is so yummy. The '92 movie version that stars Harrison Ford is my 2nd favorite movie of all time.

      Heidi Peterson just recommended the Paul Creswick version of Robin Hood to me earlier this year! So I bought a copy, because I collect Robin Hood retellings, but I haven't read it yet. I can barely imagine it being better than the Howard Pyle, though, because I am reading the Howard Pyle right now (for the first time, though I read an abridged version over and over and over as a child) and loving it so much I think it's going to end up in my top ten of favorite books!

    2. Now that you mention it, he does!

      Yeah, it's not like I'm fretting away because I can't watch it yet, but when I'm able to, I definitely will. (And, who knows, maybe I'll marry a guy who loves the show.)

      Admittedly, I read Howard Pyle's version quite some time ago, and I might've been too young to 'get' the old-fashioned style of writing, so if I can find the copy that's been hanging around for forever, I might give it another go. :) It's definitely the most classic version.

  11. Raoul Wallenberg--pretty awesome.

    If somebody had asked me, I would've said Red Hugh O'Donnell. Handsome, brave, patriotic, self-sacrificing, fatally poisoned at age 30 by a sneaky Irish-British double agent. (Sob.)

    1. Ooh, Jessica, I googled Red Hugh O'Donnell, and yes! Quite a guy. Good choice.

    2. I LOVE Red Hugh. He's one of my favorite Irish people ever--and one of my favorite historical figures ever, period. I actually based one of the main characters in my novel on him :) I know that sounds weird, because he died like 500 years ago, but I almost feel like I know him as a friend despite all that.

    3. I feel a little like that about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, so I know what you mean :-)

  12. Thanks for the nomination! Finally got mine done. :)

    Btw, we totally agree on Downton Abbey. I watch it with my folks, but that's about it. Too much . . . something and not enough something else.

    1. Cool! Off to read yours quick before breakfast.

      I guess we are just not the target audience for Downton, huh?

  13. Two things: Almonzo was very nice looking! And The Fox and the Hound made me cry buckets and buckets of tears.

    1. Kara, I know, right? It's no wonder Laura fell in love with him. And yeah, F&H is a terrible movie. Boohoo :-(


Agree or disagree? That is the question...

Comments on old posts are always welcome!

(Rudeness and vulgar language will not be tolerated.)