Awe, Shucks!

Jane at Hardwork Homestead graced me with this pretty little thing.  First, I have to say that I am honored, albeit undeserving!  (Stylish, I am not!) 

Jane is my go to gal of all things homestead-ish, from gardening to canning, DIY, livestock, re-purposing, bargains, all things homemade or hard worked!  But above all things, she is my "Think Pad".  To say she is inspirational is an understatement. 

If you have never checked out her blog, I highly recommend it.  I am fairly confident she doesn't get much sleep with all the things she does in a day.  I only wish I were half as amazing as she is!  Click Here for Jane's Link!

Part of receiving this award is sharing 10 things about myself that you may not already know.  That's a tough one...

1)  OK, how about the Awe, Shucks -  when I was a kid, my Aunt used to prop me on the bed of a Pick-Up truck and make me shuck corn.  When I found ones with worms in them, I would scream like a girl and throw them as far as I could.  In High School, I broke the girls record for frisbee and softball throw.  Corn shucks must have paid off!  These days, my girlfriend, Heather, gives me the wormy ones to shuck.  I have no fear of most insects unless they bite or sting.  Then I am still a girl. 

2)  I never had a nickname growing up and always wanted one.  When I started my first 'real job', I got my first nickname and answer to it to this day.  It's "Stinky".  Some folks even forgot my real name!  It was entirely related to a horrid perfume I wore to work one day.  I have since acquired several more nicknames including Little Greek Girl, Little Sh*t, and (cleaned up version) Flippin' Genius or FG.  I hate being called Diane with an "E".

3)  I wanted to be a lawyer, motivational speaker, teacher and a mom.  I went to college and majored in English instead.  I became none of the above and never even finished college.  I have no regrets however.  I am exactly what I am supposed to be.

4)  I have always wanted to write a book.  If I thought I had anything worth saying or a story worth telling, I would!

5)  During High School and College, I was actively involved in Student Government.  I have never once considered running for Public Office for two reasons:  I don't want to declare a party and I would have to admit, "I inhaled".

6)  If I could buy any "toy" in the world, it would be a wave runner!  I love tearing thru the water, being in the water or any where near water!  I taught my little brother how to swim, but still have to plug my own nose.

7)  When I was little, I was always sick.  I missed alot of school and almost got held back in the 3rd grade because of it.  Then my parents had my tonsils and adenoids taken out and I have been mostly great since!  The worst is the occasional cold and seasonal allergies to all things outdoors (bummer!).  I have only had the flu once.  And I haven't been sick in almost 2 years now...knock on wood.

8)  I hate crowds and large gatherings and always sit in the back of the room.  My girlfriend Sue calls these "Mandatory Formations".  I can't take in all the energy in the room at once, it overloads my circuits and makes me cranky.  I would rather take a months worth of quality coffee breaks and visit with each family member than sit thru a big "Show and Tell". 

9)  Up until the 6th grade, I never completed more than a year at any one given school or town.  I stopped counting after having moved 25+ times.  I have never lived out of my home state however.  I learned very early that kids are mean and I hate bullies.  Therefore, I have always been an advocate for the underdog even when it means throwing myself in front of the bus.

10)  Working for a large company most my young adult life, I designed and developed -from the ground up- a computer program that is used from here to the East Coast.  It is somewhat outdated and needs work, but no one has been able to design an alternative or upgrade to the program.  After 15 years, it is still being used today.  I never saw a dime for it outside of my weekly paycheck.  This has always been something I felt very accomplished about (refer to cleaned up version of a nickname) and then in the other sense -extremely ripped off.  I should have been a millionaire long ago and living on a mountain range somewhere in the middle of no where surrounded by chickens, cows and pigs!  If only I had known... 

Again, I want to thank Jane for sharing this with me!  I love you girl!  But now I have to pick one person to pass this on to.  That's the really hard part.  You have all sparked my interests, inspired and taught me things!  Oh and you make me laugh...gosh how I love to laugh!  With you of course, never at you :)  Well, maybe at you sometimes! ;o)

So the person I chose, I hope you will all agree is someone who is very deserving and stylish as well.  One thing I love about her -her blog is an information super-highway!  She is very thought provoking and diligent with all tasks that she decides to conquer.  She has a love of animals and raises them humanely with great care.  She makes the best possible use of her land and puts the health of her family at the fore front by gardening and raising as much as possible within her means.  And she shares it all with us!  Truly admirable.

The award is being passed to Leigh at 5 Acres and a Dream!  Please do check out her blog and get to know her!  You wont be sorry that you did!