“Go into the sunshine and be happy with what you see.” — Winston Churchill
I want to thank Leeanne, my fellow beach-loving Bay Stater, from In the Olive Groves for nominating me for a Sunshine Blogger Award. The Award recognizes bloggers who bring positivity and creative content to the community of blogging. I want Sancerres at Sunset to be an inspiring site, one that helps you live the life you want, on your own terms, and I’m so honored by Leeanne’s nomination. The rules are:
- Thank the blogger who nominated you in your blog post and link back to his/her blog.
- Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
- Nominate 11 new bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 questions.
- List these rules and display the sunshine blogger award logo in your post and on your blog.
Leeanne’s Questions and My Answers
What was the inspiration for you to start your blog?
Well, sorry to disappoint, but my story is the antithesis of inspiring: I was bored batty at an office job and needed a creative outlet.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
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Oh, boy, this is a toughie! Here’s a top-of-my-head short list:
Badlands National Park, because I loved South Dakota so much during my Spring road trip
Idaho and Oregon, because they’re the only two states in the contiguous 48 that I haven’t seen yet
Alaska by cruise, because it’s the only other state I haven’t visited
London, because it’s the most important European capital I haven’t seen (other than Gatwick Airport on the way home from Rome)
What is your favorite holiday and why?
any holiday I can spend with family and friends who are like family
What is your favorite drink? also, do you prefer tea or coffee?
The second part is easy: Coffee! As for the first, everyone who knows me expects me to say wine. And yes, it’s a favorite, especially truly fine champagne. But I’ve cut back on drinking alcohol this year, and over this unbelievably hot summer, my go-to drink has been refreshing–wait for it!–cucumber-infused water.
What is the 1 book that has inspired you?
Almost every book I read inspires me in some way (or I stop reading it), but the most inspiring is the Bible.
Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?
Beach, but I love the mountains too.
What season is your favorite and why?
Definitely autumn, sweater weather and kaliedoscoping natural beauty.
Are you a morning person or night owl?
Morning person. I turn into a pumpkin by 10:00.
If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Jesus, to thank Him
Do you prefer to read or watch TV?
Read.
What do you do for exercise?
Are you sure you want to know? One of my goals for this summer has been to get back in shape, so I’ve turbo-charged my fitness routine. I also strongly believe that our bodies need different forms of exercise to be in peak shape, just as our minds need to read different kinds of things, so I have a lot of variety in my routine.
Monday-Saturday: 10 crunches and one or two work-outs from my favorite fitness DVDs, which combine calisthenics, strength training, and aerobic dance.
Monday, Friday, and Saturday: Many federal employees “work from home” on Mondays and/or Fridays, and the gym in my Alexandria condo building gets pretty packed on these days. So they’re my outdoors exercise days: I go for a roughly five-mile walk through my community; I designed the route through much trial and error to include a lot of incline. I especially enjoy it during Spring and Fall, when the flowers and the leaves are different every day.
Tuesday-Thursday: On these days I head down to the gym for 5K jog-walk on the treadmill. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I also lift weights. In the afternoons, I climb at least 10 flights of stairs. In the summertime, Wednesday has been my day to go outside for a swim, but I’ve started taking a photography class at the Smithsonian on Wednesday evenings, so pool day has been suspended.
As added incentive, I don’t let myself eat until my fitbit tells me that I’ll burn at least 2,000 calories on any given day. If I need a boost, I grab a pair of hand weights and twist on my fitboard.
And My Blog Nominees Are …
Questions for My Sunshine Bloggers
- What are your favorite works of art?
- What place have you visited, other than home, that you want to visit again and again?
- If you could ask one historic person one question, what would you ask whom?
- What’s your favorite aroma?
- Which literary character would you like to have a conversation with?
- What is your favorite family tradition from your childhood?
- If you had to go back in time and live in another era, which era would you choose?
- What came as a big surprise in your adult life?
- What’s your favorite social-media platform?
- What are the books that have most influenced your thinking?
- What’s your biggest blogging challenge?
After my misspent youth as a wage worker, I’m having so much more fun as a blogger, helping other discerning travellers plan fun and fascinating journeys. Read more …