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07 August 2010

I Won an Award!


I don't win.  It's not in my nature.  I usually trip on my breakaway before the goal is scored, the team I want to win loses, and if I really want it to be a sunny day, I think of rain so I can get the opposite.

But things are going to change now because dagnabbit, the coolest chick *ever* at Bookgirl's Nightstand shot me an award for
The Versatile Blogger, and I am excited to participate with this group of fantastic folks!  And the rule is that I tell you seven things about me.  Easy, right?  When put on the spot, I get all knackered at the idea of trying to figure out what would be interesting for you to know about me.  So here's what I got:

  1. I believe that we can all pool our collective good energy and figure out what happened to Amelia Earhart, thus I am considering starting a blog to research it.  My brilliant husband put the idea into my head.  He's absolutely fabulous.
  2. I have a dog named Roma and a cat named Puppy.  That's right, the cat's name is Puppy because my husband and I thought we were never "cat people" until a stray kitten showed up in 20 degree weather one night in North Florida and ordered us to open the door with his intense stare and loud mouth.  We thought we would just watch him for a little bit and lo and behold, the cat slowly became ours and the name that we jokingly started to call him has now fully stuck with him.  And, yes, he rules the house and our 60 pound dog is wonderfully gentle with Puppy the Cat and Puppy the Cat beats the heck out of Roma the Dog.
  3. When I was a kid I saw Return of the Jedi 5 times and wanted to be a Jedi.  But then I also wanted to be an archaeologist because of Indiana Jones.
  4. I initially became a vegan 3 years ago partly for health reasons, and partly because I really didn't like the process of how food eventually got to my plate -- I instantly lost 30 pounds and felt so amazing that I couldn't even believe it!  I've sort of become a little more lenient since my honeymoon in Italy last year and now consider myself a vegetarian, but feeling like I'm going to return to my vegan ways fairly soon.  And I've found some incredible recipes on Weekly Bite's site!  Who would have thought being a vegan or vegetarian would be so tasty!  I even was a guest blogger on it, which was a complete honor!
  5. I am completely addicted to the iPhone App game called Angry Birds.  Do not download it.  You will stop reading for days on end just to spend hours trying to get your birds back from the pigs.
  6. I was born in Manila and lived in Greece and Venezuela before moving to the States as a kid, and have visited almost all of the states in the US.  I love to travel.    Which means that I should tell you that my husband and I went to Rome and Southern Italy for our honeymoon last year and we felt like we should move there.
  7. I went to college and got my degree in English and Creative Writing but somehow fell into the corporate business world.  But I've missed writing and that's why I'm in the book blogging world -- not only to write and write but most of all to meet all of you!
So many thanks to the fantastic blogging friends I continue to meet!  I love to support my friends in their enterprises and blogs and I thank you for all of the support you've given me!  Thanks for reading about me!


The rules require that I pass this on to fifteen bloggers!  And now I humbly pass the award on and introduce you all to ...

Happy Reading and Meeting Fellow Book Bloggers!
Coffee and a Book Chick


32 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for passing the award on to me, Natalie! And I LOVE that picture of Roma and Puppy. So sweet!!

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  2. :) thank you for that, what a nice way to wake up. The Amelia project sounds like a splendid idea.

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  3. You are an incredible individual and an amazing writer. I am so proud of you for embracing your passion to create and taking to the next level. Many more awards to come:)

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  4. Congrats on the blog win and i too would love to find out what happened to Amelia Earhart.

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  5. Congratulations!

    I think Roma the dog and Puppy the cat sounds like a great title for a children's book :)

    Your traveling adventures put mine to shame....but I sure hope to make up for lost time soon.

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  6. What an interesting post and I love the photo of your pets.

    Thanks so much for passing this award on to me; I'll have to think about this one....sounds easy but suspect it is not.

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  7. What a great post! Congrats on the award!

    Thanks for the shout out! You're the best Nat!!!

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  8. Congratulations and thank you so much for passing it along to me! I love that picture of your babies! :)

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  9. Thanks so much for the award, Natalie! :D

    I loved reading these things about you - and I loved the story about Puppy!

    I could never be a vegan or a vegetarian, but it's extremely important to me where my food comes from and it's shameful that more people don't care - and don't know! Knowing where your food comes from, how to grow it, what it goes through to end up on your plate should be an essential part of every school curriculum I think. Education could also be the best way to combat modern food-raising-and-growing practices. Plus, it's important to respect the animals and plants that sustain us, as well as the farmers who grow and raise them humanely. (Yeah I'm a farm girl!)

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  10. Thank you Natalie!
    I always admire people who have the willpower to be a vegetarian/vegan. I've tried it before but have always fizzled out.

    By the way, that is an adorable picture of Roma and Puppy!

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  11. I looooove love LOVE that your cat's name is Puppy. I don't consider myself a cat person either, but that's just because the two most perfect cats ever put on this Earth (Tom and Jerry), passed away years ago. They grew up with me and were finer than frog fur.

    Thanks for introducing me to some new blogs!

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  12. I love reading your answers and getting to know you a bit more. I love to travel too and just wish I could do it more often. I'm just waiting to win the lottery :)

    Hope you are having a fantastic weekend!

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  13. You only saw Jedi 5 times? Pshaw! I saw it about 20 times when I was a kid and had to sneak out of the house to do it!

    Love Italy. I believe I saw your comments at Picky Girl's blog about your experience. Didn't think it was possible but I loved the Greek islands even more than Italy, specifically Mykonos. Where in Greece did you live?

    Congrats on this award!

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  14. Most of the animals in my life have joined our family in the same way Puppy joined yours :)

    I could probably become a vegetarian except for my love of a good steak or grilled hamburger. I do want to know that the cow who gave its life so that I could have my protein had the best possible life while it was alive...no antibiotics, plenty of grass to eat and sunshine, etc.
    I agree with Shannon that self sustainability should be a part of our school curricula...even in the rural area where I live a lot of kids think milk and eggs come from the grocery store.

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  15. Loved learning more about you :) Good luck with finding Amelia!

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  16. Congrats on the award! If you move to Italy, I'll do my best to come visit you! :--)

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  17. @ Kathy -- Very welcome and it's my pleasure, I love your reviews!! And Roma and Puppy thank you as well for the compliment! :)

    @ Desperate Reader -- Congrats to you, your reviews are great to read! And yes, wouldn't it be fun to figure out who she was and what happened? The blogging community can do it!!

    @ Kelly -- Such kind words, thank you!! And thanks for stopping by again!!

    @ Bookventures -- I love that more people than I thought are interested in finding out about Amelia Earhart! I've seen so many documentaries and I forgot to mention that Amelia Earhart was the subject of my very first report in elementary school!

    @ Molly -- Thanks! I've kind of ruminated on that idea as well!! Great minds think alike! :) You MUST go to Italy!! It will be an experience never to forget!!

    @ Bibliophile by the Sea -- You're right! Finding 7 things of interest was tough for me!! I enjoy your reviews, thus the award was definitely passed on to you!

    @ Estela -- I love your healthy nutrition site!! Thanks for stopping by!!

    @ Book Addiction -- I had to pass the award on to you, your site is fun and I enjoy your reviews!! And Roma and Puppy also thank you! (I think they're heads are getting a little big right now and they might start campaigning for their own blog... :))

    @ Giraffe Days -- Thanks, and your site definitely deserves an award!! You'd be surprised that it's not too tough to become a vegetarian, or at least begin implementing the philosophy that the veggies should be the main entree and the meat should become a side dish. I have a couple of friends that started to just do that and they instantly felt so much better!! And I agree that children need to become more educated on their food and how to eat properly. The stuff they feed them in schools....strawberry milk!! So much sugar!!

    @ Whitney -- Thanks!! And the secret to vegan and vegetarian success are recipes! Goodness knows I need a recipe to really make something good -- check out the Weekly Bite site and type in vegan; LOTS of great cookie recipes, too! Puppy and Roma thank you kindly as well!! :)

    @ Andi -- Puppy was definitely a great surprise for us, and now we just listen to whatever he tells us to do...! :) And who doesn't love Tom and Jerry! Cutest combo cat and mouse *ever*!!*

    @ Iliana -- If you can figure out how to win the lottery, please let me know!! To read and travel only...what a life!!

    @ Pop Culture Nerd -- Ah, ya beat me on Jedi! :) It was tough to convince my Dad or Mom to take me to see it -- I should give them an award for watching the movies with me over and over! :) And yes, Italy is my dream, but I loved living in Greece -- we lived just outside of Athens in Kifissia. I still remember it so vividly, the Parthenon, the food, the colors...sigh...okay, I could move there, too....!! :)

    @ Peppermint PhD -- I love strays so much and rescued animals, they really are so much happier and nicer (in my opinion!). And yes, nutrition education is sooo important for children. I was a fan of Food Revolution, did you see that show? Eye-opening!

    @ Becca -- It will be fun to try to find her!! I'm thinking I need to start this research project much sooner than I originally planned!

    @ Rhapsody in Books -- Thanks!! And yes, if I move to Italy, everyone is welcome to come! Free place to crash and lots of amazing food!!!!

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  18. Technical difficulties with comment posting -- for anyone who subscribed to them, sorry for the repeat posts!! :)

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  19. Congrats on your well-deserved award! Love your responses too, especially your Jedi confession. :) Also fascinated by your vegan story, one I am hearing more and more lately. Makes me question how we eat and how our bodies process food. Happy reading this week!

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  20. Congratulations on your award! I love to travel too, but haven't gotten to do that much of it.

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  21. @ Frances -- Thank you, you are too kind!! I must admit, even changing your daily intake by keeping vegetables as the primary dish and the meat as the side dish, you will feel a complete difference!

    @ Bermuda Onion -- Thanks much! I wish I could travel more, hence my daily reading to imagine and spirit myself away...my, if I could count those frequent flyer miles!! :)

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  22. Loved reading your 7 things - had to laugh at the cat named Puppy though. My cousin has a dog called Kitty!

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  23. Belated congratulations on your award!

    I'm so impressed at all the states you've visited...one of my dreams is to go on a road trip across the US.

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  24. I adore the picture! Don't you just love when your babies do stuff like that together! My problem is my dog, Obie, is jet black with black eyes and the crazy mama cat Madame Houdini is jet black with green/yellow eyes so the only thing that shows up in the picture of the 2 of them are her eyes! Btw, love the names, Roma and Puppy! I told my son we should name one of the new kittens 'Puppy' but he's sticking with meow, meow, and the chosen one!
    You so deserve the versatile blogger award!!! You are a rockin' cool blogger, and I cannot thank you enough for thinking of me to pass an award along to. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
    and p.s. I'm on board with the Amelia project too!

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  25. Oh no... I'm having trouble resisting the angry birds app!

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  26. Congratulations on your award and thank you so much for passing it along to me! What an honor. I love your blog and think you definitely deserve the award.

    p.s. So sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been on vacation and returning to my google reader is overwhelming!

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  27. @ Joann -- I love those kinds of names for animals that make you cock your head and go, huh? I love it! :)

    @ softdrink -- I've dreamed of one day retiring and doing the whole kick butt Winnebago and driving all over the country. Seriously, we've got all climates in the US, it's amazing -- the frozen tundra (literally) in the Midwest states (i.e., Minnesota), the desert, the tropics! Lovely!

    @ Stacy at a Novel Source -- Your site is fantastic as well, I always enjoy jumping on! I like the name meow, meow! SO CUTE! I'll keep you all posted on the Amelia plans...!

    @ Amy -- Nooo!! Stay away from the Angry Birds app!! Don't be like me!

    @ readerbuzz -- Thanks so much!!

    @ Avid Reader -- Ha, I know what it's like to vacation and try to blog, keep up with everyone else's... it's like a second job!! Vacations are a blast, so hope you had a great time, and welcome back!!

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