Liebster Award

I got my first blog award, what whaaaaaaaaat, thanks so much to both Carly at Poor Woman Showing and NBChoice at Saddle Seat: An AOTR's Inside Perspective. Both of their blogs are wicked - check 'em out!

So apparently the Liebster Blog Award comes with some caveats...

How to Accept the Award: The Liebster Blog Award is a way to recognize blogs who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word that means beloved and valued. Here are the rules for accepting the award:

• Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog.
• List 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.
• Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or fewer followers to nominate and include links to their blogs.
• Go to each blogger's page and let them know you have nominated them.

I'll play along.

11 Random Facts About Myself...

1. I have never been outside of North America
2. I would really, really love to take Dressage lessons someday 
3. I have a sick addiction to cowboy boots - I currently have over 7 pairs, I only wear two regularly
4. I also love bling and turquoise, pretty stereotypically western over here ya'll
5. I've always been a writer, my friends always talk about how when we were in elementary I was constantly filling up journals full of stories. In Grade 6 I wrote over 500 pages on a "novel I was working on", and never finished it.
6. I'm currently babysitting 5 kids at the Office I work at because the schools shut down after the flooding... I now remember why I switched from being a counsellor to a riding leader. Horses are way cooler than kids.
7. My favourite movie is Legends of the Fall
8. I have a cat named Bob, you don't hear much about Bob, because I am not really a cat person. Poor Bob. To make matters worse, he is THE neediest cat in the entire world. He wakes up meowing, and doesn't stop until he falls asleep. He also plays a super fun game where he wraps himself around your legs while you walk and yowls at you. He also loves to kneed my face when I'm sleeping. It's outlandish.
9. One of my jobs is being a server.. sometimes it's a wonderful job, other times it makes me want to curl up and die/cut my feet off.
10. Jingle was the first Paint I liked, I was famous for saying I "hated" Paints and found them ugly. I still like/prefer how Jingle has a solid-coloured face, but now I have come to really love Paints. I have a dream of taking a Paint Cutting Horse to Fort Worth for the futurity.
11. I refused to swear as a child, it was a "thing" for my friends to try to make me swear. Now, I mayyyyyy have a penchant for swearing quit a bit, it's a nasty habit that is often accentuated when I'm with a certain friend group.

Questions from Carly...

1. If you could assume the identity of any person for one day, who would it be?

  - Good question, and a hard one to answer. Uhm. Honestly, probably a super rich, super vain person - someone absolutely crazy like Rhianna, or Britney Spears in her prime haha. It would be an interesting insight into the lives they live, and then at the end of the day, you would be done.

2. What unique horsemanship skill do you possess?

- Honestly, I don't really know. I think I was a pretty good guide and a hand when it came to trail. I have a keen sense of direction, so I used to like to get myself lost, to see where i'd end up. I always liked riding babies on the trail at the Ranch. You never know what they'll do, or when they'll do it, so you have to be pretty confident and calm.

3. English or Western?

- Western

4. Would your horse have an accent? If so, what would it be?

- Jingle might not have an accent but he definitely has a voice, everyone that knows me knows Jingle's voice. It's a bit of a mix between dopey "Maaaahm", and annoyed/haughty "WHY would you tie me here?!"

5. Have you ever met any of your fellow bloggers?

- No, I would love to put a true face to some of the names though!

6. What is your favorite vacation spot?

- I love Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, it's such a beautiful area, and so foreign to my prairie-born bones. 

7. Do you have any other pets besides your trusty steed?

- As mentioned above I have the neediest cat ever, Bob. I also have a big, 'ol goofy dog named Moose, he's a hungarian komondor - so a dog with dread locks! :)

8. Have you ever ridden bareback?

- Yep, lots. At my Ranch we used to always ride bareback on the last day of the week with kids - total gong show. I also broke my wrist really bad a couple years back getting bucked off a horse when I attempted to jump on him bareback. Now I have a bit of the "mentalness" when it comes to riding bareback, but i've been on Jingle a couple times. I think I posted about it once, but I really do prefer to ride in a saddle - you get more done and I feel as if my slipping and sliding around on his back is really not comfortable.

9. Who is your favorite clinician?

- I don't really have one, I went to a Buck Brannaman clinic and really enjoyed him, I would also have to say George Morris is by far the funniest clinician I have ever got the experience of watching. I was in stitches over the things he was saying to those poor riders.

10. Urban, Suburban, or Rural Living?

- Rural, that's all I want in life is a little property in the middle of nowhere.

11. What is your favourite food?

- mmmm... vietnamese soup and noodle bowls, and I would never pass up a good Steak.

Questions from NBChoice...

1. If you could have any job in the world and money wasn't an option, what would you do?

- Chase this cutting dream, and be a professional rider. I would also love to write for western/horse related magazines.

2. What are you most thankful for?

- My mother, she is wonderful.

3. Do you like scary movies? If so, what is your favorite?

- Not really, I honestly find them all pretty predictable, and not really scary. Although I will say the corniest of them all, Paranormal Activity, really scared the shi-at out of me when it was in theatres.

4. What was your very first job?

- Working at McDonalds! haha, it was greasy, but three of my best friends worked there, and we had so much fun. We got up to a lot of trouble, and I ended up staying there for three years. I used to love working the really early morning shifts with all the little old ladies.

5. What is the longest road trip you have taken?

I drove from Ontario to Alberta as a kid with my Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt. It was awesome.

6. Would you rather mow the lawn or vacuum the house?

Mow the lawn.. always outside, never inside.

7. How old were you when you first learned to drive?

I was pretty young, my dad used to let me steer on his lap, or shift gears in his cars. I also had a 80 cc dirt bike as a kid that i'd bomb around on. However, I officially learnt to really drive at 14 with my learners permit, and a very scared mother.

8. Do you wish you could have a specific talent?

I often wish I could sing, because I really, truly, am awful.

9. Do you have any siblings?

Nope, only child syndrome for life.

10. Favourite Song?

Hard one... 50 years ago by Ian Tyson or Angie by the Rolling Stones

11. Would you rather an old laptop, or old phone?

Definitely old phone, I loveeee my macbook pro.

11 Random Questions from Me!

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. Have you ever had a 'heart horse', if so - tell me about him/her!
3. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
4. What is one of the best lessons that horses have taught you?
5. What is your career?
6. How many horses do you own?
7. What is your a) favourite and b) least favourite thing about the place you board at? (if you board at home, answer it anyway! haha)
8. What is one food you absolutely hate?
9. Do you cook - if you do, what's your favourite recipe/dish to make?
10. What is your weakness?
11. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

So, finally... to nominate some bloggers.... well, I've been going through my blogroll and it looks to me that you've all been nominated by someone! Guys, apparently all of our blogs our beautiful, great sign! I also realize that I follow a very limited number of blogs.

So this is MY challenge to whoever is reading this, even if you have been nominated - Please do my questions, I'd love to hear your answers. If you've never been nominated - take this as my nomination to you. But, what I'd really love is for you guys to comment a few of your favourite blogs that I may have never read in my comments - that way, I can start to "meet" some new bloggers.

Thanks!