It’s the little things, really.

Today, I found a little bit ‘o sunshine warming up my blog:

I was awarded the Sunshine Award by Melinda Ziskinder, a fellow writer who blogs about parenting and life and what-not over at There is a Season. You should definitely take a moment and check out her blog. Thanks for the love, Melinda!

So, here’s the deal with The Sunshine Award (copied word-for-word from another site in a blatant display of blogger plagiarism):

The Sunshine Award Rules

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List 11 bloggers.  They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love!
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they’ve been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you.)

Here are 11 Random Facts about me:

1. I auditioned and applied to Clown College when I was 17. I was rejected. It was painful, but I had the single best rejection letter of any student in my senior class.

2. I have eight siblings. And we like each other.

3. Whenever I read a really good book, I have dreams that I am the main character playing out scenes in the book. I’ve been Harry Potter so many times that I sometimes wake up and yell “Lumos” at my light just to make sure. (Hasn’t worked yet, by the way.)

4. Even though I teach literature and I write book reviews, I’m a relatively slow reader.

5. I can recall good  movie lines after only seeing a film once. I also can apply them to virtually any situation when needed.

6. I can post, tweet, blog, e-mail, text, and BBM, but show me a fax machine and I’m suddenly a 90 year old. Where do I put the paper? When do I hit send? How do I dial? Do I wait for the sound? Seriously, I’m lost with it.

7. I hate anything that’s banana flavored except actual bananas.

8. I live in fear of the Fraud Police.

9. I bite my nails. It’s a terrible habit. I’ve tried to stop but I finally made peace with it.

10. Between The Prestige and The Illusionist, I prefer The Prestige.

11. I used to watch a lot of TV. Now, I rarely watch anything unless it’s on Netflix or Hulu.

Here are the questions I’m supposed to answer:

• What writers inspire you? Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Dante
• How do you make time to write? I drink a lot of caffeine.
• What is the last book you read? Dr. Sleep, by Stephen King
• What is the one talent you would trade (almost) everything to have? Mad tap dancing skills.
• Who is your favorite established blogger? michaelalexanderchaney Love this guy. He’s sort of established. More than me at least.
• What’s your favorite television show? Big Bang Thory? Maybe? (See #11 above)
• What’s something from the past that you believe we should bring back? Handwriting Skills
• What modern device/convenience/trend etc. do you wish we could send packing? The Fax Machine (see #6 above)
• What’s your dream job (besides parent or writer)? Book Store Owner
• What’s the best gift you ever received? My grandmother’s 100 year old copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare.
• What is your favorite children’s book? Andrew Henry’s Meadow – Never heard of it? It’s just so good.

Here are bloggers you can follow. Or at least bloggers who might need some more love. Some of them have plenty of love, but still, a little more won’t kill anyone. I’m supposed to put 11, but the ones who really need the love haven’t posted in a year or so and the others have, like, 1000’s of followers. Plus, I don’t think the Blogger Police will arrest me over this. Fraud Police, yes. Blogger Police? Unlikely.

1. purplerays – Some daily inspiration and good feelings
2. DeeAnn Frye – awesome self-published writer
3. Ninasusan
4. Stories by Mercilo Daviss

Here are questions for someone else:

1. Favorite App?
2. Samsung or iPhone?
3. Along the same lines, Mac or PC?
4. What word do you constantly overuse?
5. What’s your favorite waste of time activity?
6. Who was the worst teacher you ever had?
7. Morning person or night owl?
8. Write down your favorite joke.
9. What is a subject you know nothing about but always wished you did?
10. What are you an expert in?
11. How do you eat an Oreo? Straight up? Opened into two halves? Dipped in milk?

Thanks for this little award. Sunshine is always a good thing.