Liebster Blog Award

Thanks, Jess at Hopeful Jumpers for throwing this my way - I'm glad to play along as it's fun to learn new things about each other!  Similar to Jess, I'm going to take the blogger's lazy way out and invite anyone who reads here with a blog of <200 followers to accept the award, and have fun with it, too!

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:

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

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. Despite growing up in New Jersey, a fact of which I'm very proud, I do not "tawk like dis." An occasional "cawfee" slips out, especially if I've been around my relatives, but generally people are shocked to learn I'm from the Garden State. I also don't look remotely like Snooki or other "famous Jersey Girls." :)

NOT ME. 

2. I'm a huge fan of Secretariat and have a number of cool collectible items featuring him, including photos (taken by both famous photographers and regular folks), plates, stuffed animals, sculpture, etc. 

3. The Secretariat collection is not too odd (I guess it is if you're not a horse person), but I also have a large  collection of stuffed guinea pigs. Believe it or not, there are enough of them out there that I can refuse to add ones where the toy manufacturers think cavies have tails. Argh!

Attention Ty Toy Co. - Do you SEE any tails???

4. In February I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA, for those who don't know, is a chronic auto-immune disorder that causes inflammation and deformity in the joints. White blood cells attack the synovial membranes, which makes it quite different than the far more common osteoarthritis, which affects the intra-articular surfaces of joints. The good news is that I have a much, much better prognosis than those who were diagnosed with this disease only ten years ago, due to the wealth of new drugs that been developed. The bad news is the drugs are horribly expensive and might not work. Everyone is different. My treatment goal is no pain and no joint damage so we are pressing forward. Right now, I'm taking an inexpensive, low-tier drug that is finally helping after taking almost three months to build up in my system... I was getting mighty discouraged. It is very hard to remain positive when your feet, knees and especially hands hurt too much to do practically anything (get dressed? Hah. Bras and tucking shirts in = hardly happening). Now you know why I haven't been blogging, i.e. typing, much. 

5. I went to Europe twice in H.S. but haven't been back since. Really, REALLY want to visit Scotland!

6. My favorite color is carnation pink.

7. My junior year in H.S. I was on the indoor track team. My barn had no indoor, and riding was postponed; I missed running and jumping, so I figured if I couldn't do it on a horse I'd use my own two legs. I was made into a high jumper, and was fairly mediocre at this - better at jumping a horse, for sure!

8. I love to read and read books that run the gamut from romance (Rosamunde Pilcher) to war non-fiction (WWII, Civil War) to blood n' guts thrillers (adore Jack Reacher, and anything by Harlan Coben). 

9. The most famous people I've met, as in actually talked to, not just seen in person, are the actors Cliff Robertson and Frank Langella. You may or may not recognize their names but I know you've seen them in the movies. Mr. Robertson is best-known for playing the title character in "Charly," (1968) and more recently, Uncle Ben in the Spiderman movies. Mr. Langella has been in tons of movies as a supporting character, but played Nixon in "Frost/Nixon," for which he was nominated for Best Actor in 2009. He's good at creepy guys, LOL. This makes sense because the time I met him was back stage when he was playing "Dracula" on Broadway (photo below). My mother has known Frank since H.S. (she dated his best friend!), so she always gets to go back stage when he's in NYC.

He was some pretty hot stuff back then! 

10. The most famous person I wish I'd met, but will forever regret not at least seeing in person, is Princess Diana. I simply adored her. I did get to meet her butler, Paul Burrell, when he came here repping his furniture line. He was lovely and gracious. 

11. My internal body clock would like to be permanently set to "Bedtime 1:00, Wake Up 9:00." This has wreaked havoc with my on-time arrival performance at every job I've ever held. ;)

11 Questions Given To Me:

1. Favorite color of horse? Grey. (Duh!)
2. Favorite place to trail ride or horse show? Trail ride on a beach. Haven't done this yet bareback in the tropics, but it's on the bucket list.
3. Most embarrassing fall? Off the runaway Arab at Little Hope Ranch.
4. If you could change one thing about your horse what would it be? That it was mine, since I don't have one! :-(
5. Biggest riding challenge? Lack of core fitness, and complete physical inability to turn toes in.
6. Favorite dinosaur? Stegosaurus. 
7. Favorite holiday? Easter. Joyous church celebration, cute animals, yummy candy.
8. Thing that you are most afraid of? Having no family. 
9. Roller skates, or ice skating? Ice Skating, I've always loved it. But I canNOT roller blade, which I don't understand!
10. Favorite board game? Life.
11. Art museum, zoo, science museum, or amusement park? Science museum.

11 Questions for Bloggers I Nominate:

1. Describe your dream horse.

2. Favorite breed of horse?

3. Age you started riding?

4. Most embarrassing fall?

5. Item at the top of your Horsey Bucket List?

6. Favorite famous race horse?

7. Riding discipline you would most like to try?

8. Piece of tack you covet?

9. What other pets do you have?

10. Favorite song/artist to listen to at the barn?

11. Your horse's favorite kind of treat? 

P.S. I'm sorry for the disjointed look of this post, but I've spent over an hour wrestling with the HTML and I officially give up!