And The Winner Is….

Did you watch the Academy Awards last night? I was on an airplane from Florida after spending nearly a week at a trade show, but I got my update on the morning news. Those who win always claim to be surprised. And those who don’t win always claim to be thrilled anyway, just to be in the running. I always think of the people who weren’t even nominated. Artists pour their hearts and souls into their projects; and even though the public may not agree with the award presenters, it is wonderful to be recognized.

This past week I was honored to receive a “Liebster” award from a fellow blogger, Susan Bahr. Liebsters are an informal way of encouraging fellow bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. It is an encouragement designed to be passed on to others. No, it’s not an academy award. And no, I didn’t walk down the red carpet in a designer dress. Good thing. Jennifer Lawrence tripped–I would have fallen flat on my face. But it is wonderful to be recognized, especially as a newbie. Thank you Susan!

Part of the fun is answering questions that your nominator poses. So here are my slightly expanded answers to Susan’s questions (I posted my answers on her website just before dropping into bed, exhausted):

1. Define your perfect day
It is early May, and I wake up in an historic inn in rural Suffolk, smelling the cool dampness of an English spring. In my purse is my National Trust Pass, which I use to visit a nearby country estate where time came to a screeching halt in the mid-19th century. In the afternoon I take the amazing Bluebell Walk in Brede High Wood, followed by dinner in a local gastro-pub (my table near a blazing log fire, of course). And oh yes, at the next table are a pair of authentic English eccentrics whom I observe closely and who will show up in my next novel, The Curse of Finchley Hall.

2. Tell me about someone you love
The obvious choice is my husband, but I will tell you about my grandmother, Christina Geraldson, who emigrated from Denmark as a child, speaking no English. Her fellow classmates called her “Little Danish Christine.” Grandma’s house was sparkling clean, and every Friday she made a heavenly cardamon bread called Systekage. She loved the color lavender and wore an old-fashioned corset with laces. She smiled a lot and had a way of making me feel that I was her favorite grandchild (I’ve learned since that all her grandchildren felt the same way). She answered my questions like they were really important. My dog Sunny loved her so much, she would run to Grandma’s house and bark at the door. Grandma was always home. She never learned to drive. And there was always something tasty for a hungry dog–or grandchild.

3. Tell me about someone you hate
Honestly, I don’t hate anyone I know.

4. Tell me why you blog.
I love to write. I love to tell stories. Some of the stories will become novels, but most are simply brief reflections that people who share my interests might find worth reading.

5. What is your favorite joke?
I told it tonight to my Norwegian cousin Ellen and her friend Mina. Six sailors were shipwrecked on a deserted island. Two were Germans, two were Italians, and two were Norwegian. Six years later they were rescued. Their rescuers found the two Germans putting the finishing touches on a rescue craft they had fashioned from local materials. The two Italians, having disagreed over the shape of a passing cloud, were feuding. And the two Norwegians were just getting acquainted.

6. Do you like lists?
I make lists of things I’ve already done so I can cross them off.

7. Where would you travel if funds and time were unlimited?
I would travel to Regency England where I would engineer an introduction to Miss Jane Austen. We would become friends, and we would discuss her novels over tea. She would ask my opinion, and I would offer a modest idea from time to time.

8. Who do you wish you could meet (living or dead)?
Miss Jane, of course. Or perhaps Agatha Christie. I would gain Dame Agatha’s confidence, and she would tell me the real story behind her mysterious disappearance and purported amnesia.

9. and 10. Write a poem about Susan

I really don’t know Susan Bahr, except through our websites;

But her heart is generous, and we share similar interests.

And now we are connected (to paraphrase the English poet—was it Pope?),

Not by joining hands, but blogs.

11. (Insert your own question) Connie, what is your unfulfilled dream?
My as yet unfulfilled dream is to be a published author with at least three novels in The Antique Mystery series. You can help me fulfill that dream by clicking on the “Books” tab, where the first 10 pages are now posted at the bottom of the page. Please comment honestly. Flattery isn’t helpful. Would you keep reading?

Check out Susan’s two blogs and the other bloggers whom she nominated at www.susanbahr.com.