I’ve been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Thomas Wikman of Leonberger Life . Thank you so much, Thomas! 🙏
Instructions:
Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog. ✅
Thank the person who nominated you. ✅
Provide a link to your nominator’s blog. ✅
Answer your nominators’ questions. ✅
Nominate up to 11 bloggers. ❌
Ask your nominees 11 questions. ❌
Notify your nominees by commenting on a blog post. ❌
For brevity’s sake, I’ll follow numbers 1-4 only.
SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD 🌻🏆🌻 #dogladysden #bloggingcommunity #SunshineBloggerAward
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What’s your favourite movie(s)?
Too many to list! I’m a classic movie buff, but also love James Bond (except Roger Moore), romantic comedies, murder mysteries, action films, Star Trek. Not a fan of horror or fantasy films, with one or two exceptions (Carrie, Interview With The Vampire).
In 2018, I wrote a post answering the question “What Four Films Define You?”. My Answer: Easy Rider, The Bucket List, Pirate Radio and Midnight in Paris. Read why below:
What is something you’ve done or experienced that is unusual?
Spent grade nine at a Swiss boarding school. It was co-educational, but girls and boys lived in separate houses, for obvious reasons. There were even bars on the windows of the main floor, and we were strictly monitored.
I wrote several chapters about it, intending to turn it into a book, but it was too sparse and has been sitting in re-write limbo for years. It might make a decent short story, though! I’ve been thinking about taking another look at it, and even designed a cover:
I shared these chapters for the A to Z Challenge in 2017. You can read the first one here, along with the musical memory attached:
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?
Ride a motorcycle! I think that ship has sailed, though. Can you picture a chubby 70-year-old matron riding a Harley? 😆
This goes back to my boarding school days, when my roommates and I met a motorcycle gang. They were nice guys from all over Europe – not Hell’s Angel’s types. Read the story:
What’s your favourite way to spend a weekend or a day off?
Since we’re retired, every day is off. 😀 We have an active rescue dog and spend a lot of time taking her out and about. She loves to explore new places!
Zoey at the park
We enjoy spending time with friends, going to movies, concerts, restaurants, exhibitions, etc. In the summer, we lounge in the backyard.🍹There’s the occasional road trip too.
Wine and cheese on the back deck
Admittedly, we also veg out in front of the TV too much, especially in the winter. And let’s not forget this little blogging habit, which I spend a lot of time on. 💻
Netflix and chill
What’s something you wish more people understood about you?
That I’m the proverbial “open book”. To use another hackneyed phrase: “What you see is what you get”. I don’t mince words or put on airs. This is fairly typical of German people and anyone born under the zodiac sign of Aquarius. Check and check. 😎
According to Chat GPT:
🧠 Aquarius:
Straight shooter in a mental or ideological way.
Doesn’t sugarcoat things—will tell you the truth, even if it’s weird or uncomfortable.
Often says what needs to be said for the greater good.
Not dramatic, but definitely doesn’t waste time on fluff.
Can come across as blunt or emotionally distant—but it’s not personal. They’re just focused on the idea, not the feelings.
🇩🇪 Germans (culturally):
Very direct communicators—small talk isn’t a big thing.
Value honesty over politeness. You’ll know where you stand.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To buy a house.
As a young childfree couple, we totally resisted the idea for many years. Too much responsibility, too expensive, etc. etc.
I come from an army background where rental housing was always provided. My parents bought their one and only home (an inexpensive prefab structure) long after retirement, so it wasn’t a priority.
My dear friend Corrie, on the other hand, placed great emphasis on owning real estate and was constantly telling us to take the plunge. “It will be your nest egg in your old age”, she said. Of course, she was right!
Twenty-five years ago, when the house we were renting was to be sold, we cobbled together the down payment and went for it! It was that or move, and by then the dog boarding business was in full swing, booked up as far as a year in advance.
It’s only a little old bungalow, but we paid the mortgage off in 16 years and now it’s worth over five times what we paid for it. Thanks, Corrie! 💖
What kind of music are you into?
My favourite subject! 😀
A few years ago, I compiled a list of the various genres I prefer. While rock predominates, it’s not exclusive.
Most Frequent: Blues, Blues Rock, Classic Rock, Folk Rock, Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal (except “Death”; keep it melodic, please!), Instrumental Rock, Prog Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Southern Rock, World Music
Less Often: Alt Rock, Arena Rock, Boogie Woogie, British Invasion, Classical, Country Rock, Funk, Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Jazz Standards, Motown, Rock and Roll, Rythm and Blues, Smooth Jazz, Soft Rock, Surf Guitar
Rarely: Bluegrass, Country, Doo Wop, Grunge Rock, Oldies, Pop, Punk Rock, Rockabilly
No Thanks! (occasional exceptions apply): Anything that is sung in a high-pitched voice or falsetto (Neil Young always excepted. His music transcends the vocals.), Bubblegum, Dance, Disco, Hip Hop, House, Gangsta Rap, Synthpop, Technopop, Trance
Done!
I’m supposed to nominate up to 11 bloggers to answer 11 different questions of my choosing, but let’s keep it simple, and open to anyone who wants to participate. Just grab the badge, write a post answering the above questions and spread some sunshine. 🌞
Thanks again, Thomas, for sending the Sunshine my way! 🌞
Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
Congratulations!!! I miss those awards. I had a ton and put them all on display. I miss the old blogger life before everything became about numbers and getting a Huffington Post, post. 🙂 This post rocked and then some. I would love to read your book about those boarding school days! You must think about publishing it.
Thanks, Karen! 🙂 It’s been years since I did one of these things. It was fun, but I sure wouldn’t want to get roped in too often. The boarding school saga isn’t really long enough for a full-fledged book, which is why it’s been languishing in re-write limbo for such a long time. Maybe I’ll polish it up and re-publish it here on the blog. 🙂
Wow, Debbie! What an action post and congrats on the The Sunshine Blogger Award! Thank you for sharing slices of your life, and good for you for owning a mortgage-free house. You and I are on the same page with music. Cheers!
Thanks, Eugi! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the post. We made a concerted effort to get rid of that mortgage by doubling the monthly payments. It certainly paid off in the end. Rock on! 🤘
Hokey-Smoke! That was probably the most extensive blog bit I’ve ever seen in response to one of these blog award quizzes, and the amount of time and work you must have put into the entire piece (counting all of the neat original images) is impressive!
I was going to suggest maybe taking your boarding school history and adding some fictional aspects and plot twists, thus turning it into a full-length novel or screenplay, but I see that you had already addressed this kind of idea here in the comment section.
It’s too bad your Zoey & my Yoey never got a chance to meet.
The Sunshine Blogger Award badge made me think of a Glen Campbell song I have always really enjoyed listening to:
SUNFLOWER (1977)
I can’t hear that song without immediately feeling cheerful, which isn’t my standard operating personality mode.
Thanks for coming by, Stephen, and for your kind words. Yes, I put a lot of time and effort into my posts, which is likely one reason I suffer from blogging burnout so often. 😆 I’m definitely going to revisit the boarding school saga and see if there’s anything else I can do with it, but I’m lousy at writing fiction. Zoey and Yoey would have been an impressive pair! 😀 The Sunflower song was new to me and you’re right – it does convey a feeling of cheerfulness! 🌻
Congratulations on your award Debbie! Thank you for sharing all the tidbits about yourself with us. I think the book would be fun and you should definitely finish it and self-publish it! I like the photo of your husband amidst all the dogs – everyone looks happy there. I have never seen any of the movies you mentioned as favorites, but then I am not really a big movie buff, old or otherwise. I hope you fulfill your dream of riding a Harley. I rode on the back of a motorcycle once, clinging to a friend for dear life and he told me afterward that he wouldn’t take me for any more rides as I wouldn’t bend when turned corners, forcing myself to stay upright in the seat. 🙂
Thank you, Linda! 🙂 I’ve thought about fleshing out the story many times, and in the end, just gave up on it. Plus, I looked into self-publishing and that seems rather complicated. We’ll see! Funny anecdote about your motorcycle ride! 😆 Think I’ll pass! Old bones break more easily. 😉
You should ask some of the bloggers who published on Amazon and get their opinion on self-publishing there – maybe it is easier. Yes, that was back around 1975 or so. I was braver to try new things 50 years ago, but still not brave enough to lean with Dennis as he took left or right-hand turns. 🙂
It’s great fun learning more about you. You really put together solid, interesting posts. I admire your style and quality! You really nailed the placement of your music. Generally, I prefer classic rock but I get on kicks frequently sharing music from various genres. Maybe you can use your boarding school days as a springboard for a young adult fictional series. I think young girls would love it! Buying a home is a great investment. I feel bad for anyone trying to do it in today’s market. The prices are outrageous! Thanks for sharing more of you with us, Debbie! xo
Thank you so much, Cathy! 💖 Yes, the formatting and design of my posts takes even longer than writing the content, sometimes. 😆 It’s interesting to explore other genres of music and there’s plenty to like with many of them. You know, I thought about turning the school memoir into a fictional story, but I’m not very good at that. Non-fiction is more my forté. We are glad we changed our minds about home ownership. Even though the house is old and small, at least its value has increased substantially. I know many people have given up on the real estate market. The politicians here keep talking about building more affordable housing, but there has been little progress.
You chose two of my favorite movies: Easy Rider and Midnight in Paris! That award makes me happy just looking at the picture with the sunflowers! Congratulations.
Congratulations on your Sunshine award – way deserved!
I learned a few new things about you, thanks for answering these questions. I say go for it 8the motorbike) – I can totally see you doing this!
Thanks, Tamara! 🙂 You knew about the school, yes? As for the motorcycle, think I’ll pass. Don’t want to break anything. Old bones can be a bit frail! 😉
Debbie, thank you so much for doing this. It was a lot of fun reading your answers. I knew some of it already and I love your love for dogs and your love for music is great. That you spent grade nine at a Swiss boarding school is indeed unusual, especially the experience you had. I visited Toronto, but it was a long time ago (1987) and I loved the city. It was so much cleaner and safer than Cleveland, Ohio where I was spending my exchange student year. It sounds like your house purchase was a great success.
I had fun putting this together, so it was my pleasure, Thomas! 🙂 Thank you for nominating me. Yes, that boarding school experience was memorable, and I learned how to ski in the Swiss Alps! Mind you, I was a klutz and fell down a lot. 😆 I still love Toronto, but sadly, it is not nearly as clean and safe as it used to be. Still better than most big cities, though. Our house is old and small, but at least it has gained in value.
Y’know, I recently saw a thing on characteristics of Germans (Maybe you posted it on FB?) that nicely dovetailed your list. RN, I’ve got the latest “Laurie brought it home from Wal; Mart” bug, and not firing on all 8, but lemme try your questions.
1-Most anything with John Wayne, A Time To Kill, American Graffiti, several of Stallones.
2-The night we saw a kangaroo cross the road in front of us. We were really plastered, so this may or may not have happened.
3- Living on a lake.
4- How my Lord and Savior died for me, and rose to life for all of us.
5- See #3.
6- At “Bob’s Bar”….
7- That I am not the 2% of the time (and dropping, hopefully) that I blow my top…
8- Burger or pizza. Not a gourmet.
9- The Apostle Peter, Richard Nixon, Napoleon Bonaparte
10- To go to that men’s prayer breakfast two weeks ago- Jesus knows…
11- My current top 10 includes Alt metal, country metal, pop, retro, acid jazz, goth, alt, country, alt pop, and bluegrass. You tell me.
Haha! Yes, I posted that on Facebook. Sorry you’re not feeling well, Chris! Hope it doesn’t linger too long. Thanks for playing along. I enjoyed reading your answers, and the kangaroo made me laugh. 😆 I’ve never known you to “blow your top”. There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy disagreement. I’m intrigued by some of your music genres and will do more research about alt metal, country metal and acid jazz.
You are sunshine, so this award is perfect for you. I love your answers and the riding the motorcycle made me laugh out loud. I say be careful, but go for it.
Thank you for those sweet words, Sandee! 💖 And I’m glad you had a laugh about the motorcycle. 😁 Think I’ll pass, though. I don’t want to break anything! 😉
Debbie, you are sunshine itself, so this award is perfect for you, ,my dear hippie rock chick. I love the cover you created for your potential book. You’re very creative. And of course I love your love of dogs! Remember I told you how interested Penelope was in the sound of your voice? She knew from hearing you that you’re a dog lover.
Thank you for those kind words, Janie! 💖 And how nice that Penelope liked my voice. 🙂 I have removed the audio clip for now, because it was slowing down the website, but I plan to make a video with it and put it in the sidebar instead. Dogs rule! 🐾🐾
It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these blogging awards.
Some great answers.
Staying in Toronto for a week or so was always one of my favorite parts of our yearly show tour. It is indeed a wonderful city. I’d love to go back one day.
Same here! They used to be fairly common about 10 years ago. I thought it might be fun – something different! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed my answers – and Toronto! 😎 Sadly, like everywhere else, it’s not as clean or safe as it used to be, but I still love it.
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Many congrats Debbie! You deserve it 💕
Thanks, da_AL! 🙂 It was fun putting this post together.
Congratulations!!! I miss those awards. I had a ton and put them all on display. I miss the old blogger life before everything became about numbers and getting a Huffington Post, post. 🙂 This post rocked and then some. I would love to read your book about those boarding school days! You must think about publishing it.
Thanks, Karen! 🙂 It’s been years since I did one of these things. It was fun, but I sure wouldn’t want to get roped in too often. The boarding school saga isn’t really long enough for a full-fledged book, which is why it’s been languishing in re-write limbo for such a long time. Maybe I’ll polish it up and re-publish it here on the blog. 🙂
Wow, Debbie! What an action post and congrats on the The Sunshine Blogger Award! Thank you for sharing slices of your life, and good for you for owning a mortgage-free house. You and I are on the same page with music. Cheers!
Thanks, Eugi! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the post. We made a concerted effort to get rid of that mortgage by doubling the monthly payments. It certainly paid off in the end. Rock on! 🤘
You’re welcome, Debbie! Smart move, my friend.
Congrats to you and I also love classic movies.
Thank you, Patrick! There are so many wonderful classic movies.
I remember when blog awards were all the rage when I started blogging in 2012. Nice to see you nominated, Debbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete! 🙂 I haven’t seen one of these in years and thought it would be a fun exercise.
DEBBIE ~
Hokey-Smoke! That was probably the most extensive blog bit I’ve ever seen in response to one of these blog award quizzes, and the amount of time and work you must have put into the entire piece (counting all of the neat original images) is impressive!
I was going to suggest maybe taking your boarding school history and adding some fictional aspects and plot twists, thus turning it into a full-length novel or screenplay, but I see that you had already addressed this kind of idea here in the comment section.
It’s too bad your Zoey & my Yoey never got a chance to meet.
The Sunshine Blogger Award badge made me think of a Glen Campbell song I have always really enjoyed listening to:
SUNFLOWER (1977)
I can’t hear that song without immediately feeling cheerful, which isn’t my standard operating personality mode.
Very insightful, interesting post, Debbie!
~ D-FensDogG
Thanks for coming by, Stephen, and for your kind words. Yes, I put a lot of time and effort into my posts, which is likely one reason I suffer from blogging burnout so often. 😆 I’m definitely going to revisit the boarding school saga and see if there’s anything else I can do with it, but I’m lousy at writing fiction. Zoey and Yoey would have been an impressive pair! 😀 The Sunflower song was new to me and you’re right – it does convey a feeling of cheerfulness! 🌻
Congratulations on your award Debbie! Thank you for sharing all the tidbits about yourself with us. I think the book would be fun and you should definitely finish it and self-publish it! I like the photo of your husband amidst all the dogs – everyone looks happy there. I have never seen any of the movies you mentioned as favorites, but then I am not really a big movie buff, old or otherwise. I hope you fulfill your dream of riding a Harley. I rode on the back of a motorcycle once, clinging to a friend for dear life and he told me afterward that he wouldn’t take me for any more rides as I wouldn’t bend when turned corners, forcing myself to stay upright in the seat. 🙂
Thank you, Linda! 🙂 I’ve thought about fleshing out the story many times, and in the end, just gave up on it. Plus, I looked into self-publishing and that seems rather complicated. We’ll see! Funny anecdote about your motorcycle ride! 😆 Think I’ll pass! Old bones break more easily. 😉
You should ask some of the bloggers who published on Amazon and get their opinion on self-publishing there – maybe it is easier. Yes, that was back around 1975 or so. I was braver to try new things 50 years ago, but still not brave enough to lean with Dennis as he took left or right-hand turns. 🙂
It’s great fun learning more about you. You really put together solid, interesting posts. I admire your style and quality! You really nailed the placement of your music. Generally, I prefer classic rock but I get on kicks frequently sharing music from various genres. Maybe you can use your boarding school days as a springboard for a young adult fictional series. I think young girls would love it! Buying a home is a great investment. I feel bad for anyone trying to do it in today’s market. The prices are outrageous! Thanks for sharing more of you with us, Debbie! xo
Thank you so much, Cathy! 💖 Yes, the formatting and design of my posts takes even longer than writing the content, sometimes. 😆 It’s interesting to explore other genres of music and there’s plenty to like with many of them. You know, I thought about turning the school memoir into a fictional story, but I’m not very good at that. Non-fiction is more my forté. We are glad we changed our minds about home ownership. Even though the house is old and small, at least its value has increased substantially. I know many people have given up on the real estate market. The politicians here keep talking about building more affordable housing, but there has been little progress.
You chose two of my favorite movies: Easy Rider and Midnight in Paris! That award makes me happy just looking at the picture with the sunflowers! Congratulations.
Thank you, Cheryl! 🙂 You have good taste in movies. I have watched both of them multiple times. They never get old!
Congratulations, Debbie! Well-deserved! 🙂
Thanks, Kymber! 🙂 Were you surprised by any of the answers?
Yes! I hope you finish your book about boarding school, Confessions of a Boarding School Inmate!
Thanks, Kymber! 🙂 It’s been languishing for years. I’ll have to take another look at it.
I wish you much success!
Congratulations Debbie that’s great 👍👍 Have a great weekend 👏👏
Thank you, Jean! I appreciate your comment, especially since I know how busy you are. 🙂
Congratulations on your Sunshine award – way deserved!
I learned a few new things about you, thanks for answering these questions. I say go for it 8the motorbike) – I can totally see you doing this!
Thanks, Tamara! 🙂 You knew about the school, yes? As for the motorcycle, think I’ll pass. Don’t want to break anything. Old bones can be a bit frail! 😉
Debbie, thank you so much for doing this. It was a lot of fun reading your answers. I knew some of it already and I love your love for dogs and your love for music is great. That you spent grade nine at a Swiss boarding school is indeed unusual, especially the experience you had. I visited Toronto, but it was a long time ago (1987) and I loved the city. It was so much cleaner and safer than Cleveland, Ohio where I was spending my exchange student year. It sounds like your house purchase was a great success.
I had fun putting this together, so it was my pleasure, Thomas! 🙂 Thank you for nominating me. Yes, that boarding school experience was memorable, and I learned how to ski in the Swiss Alps! Mind you, I was a klutz and fell down a lot. 😆 I still love Toronto, but sadly, it is not nearly as clean and safe as it used to be. Still better than most big cities, though. Our house is old and small, but at least it has gained in value.
Y’know, I recently saw a thing on characteristics of Germans (Maybe you posted it on FB?) that nicely dovetailed your list. RN, I’ve got the latest “Laurie brought it home from Wal; Mart” bug, and not firing on all 8, but lemme try your questions.
1-Most anything with John Wayne, A Time To Kill, American Graffiti, several of Stallones.
2-The night we saw a kangaroo cross the road in front of us. We were really plastered, so this may or may not have happened.
3- Living on a lake.
4- How my Lord and Savior died for me, and rose to life for all of us.
5- See #3.
6- At “Bob’s Bar”….
7- That I am not the 2% of the time (and dropping, hopefully) that I blow my top…
8- Burger or pizza. Not a gourmet.
9- The Apostle Peter, Richard Nixon, Napoleon Bonaparte
10- To go to that men’s prayer breakfast two weeks ago- Jesus knows…
11- My current top 10 includes Alt metal, country metal, pop, retro, acid jazz, goth, alt, country, alt pop, and bluegrass. You tell me.
Haha! Yes, I posted that on Facebook. Sorry you’re not feeling well, Chris! Hope it doesn’t linger too long. Thanks for playing along. I enjoyed reading your answers, and the kangaroo made me laugh. 😆 I’ve never known you to “blow your top”. There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy disagreement. I’m intrigued by some of your music genres and will do more research about alt metal, country metal and acid jazz.
You are sunshine, so this award is perfect for you. I love your answers and the riding the motorcycle made me laugh out loud. I say be careful, but go for it.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥
Thank you for those sweet words, Sandee! 💖 And I’m glad you had a laugh about the motorcycle. 😁 Think I’ll pass, though. I don’t want to break anything! 😉
Very interesting. And I see you drink my favorite wine! Ciao.
Thanks, Denise! 🙂 Santa Margarita is an excellent wine. You have great taste. Cheers! 🥂
Debbie, you are sunshine itself, so this award is perfect for you, ,my dear hippie rock chick. I love the cover you created for your potential book. You’re very creative. And of course I love your love of dogs! Remember I told you how interested Penelope was in the sound of your voice? She knew from hearing you that you’re a dog lover.
Love,
Janie
Thank you for those kind words, Janie! 💖 And how nice that Penelope liked my voice. 🙂 I have removed the audio clip for now, because it was slowing down the website, but I plan to make a video with it and put it in the sidebar instead. Dogs rule! 🐾🐾
It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these blogging awards.
Some great answers.
Staying in Toronto for a week or so was always one of my favorite parts of our yearly show tour. It is indeed a wonderful city. I’d love to go back one day.
Lee
Same here! They used to be fairly common about 10 years ago. I thought it might be fun – something different! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed my answers – and Toronto! 😎 Sadly, like everywhere else, it’s not as clean or safe as it used to be, but I still love it.