Yeah, I got the Sunshine Award!

Thank you so much, Marilyn, at Things I want To Tell My Mother, for recently nominating me for the Sunshine Award. If you’ve read my recent posts (here and here), you’ll understand I could use a little ray of sunshine right now in my life.

Part of my acceptance speech is to answer a few questions and nominate other blogs, so what am I waiting for?

1. What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Elf, the movie – Courtesy Wikipedia

I must have watched It’s A Wonderful Life almost every Christmas since I moved to the U.S. 19 years ago, and I never get tired of it. It displays the best and the worst about humanity, and gives us something to feel good about at least once a year. Take that, you 1%!

I’d like to add that my very second best Christmas movie is Elf, with Will Ferrell. I watch it every year for a good laugh. Last Christmas my kids watched it for the first time and enjoyed it a lot, so I can’t wait to watch it again this year with them. Santa’s coming, Santa’s coming!

2. What is your favorite flower?

The lilac! Technically, it grows on a tree, but to me there is nothing more wonderful than these clusters of bright flowers (white, pink or purple) with an “I thought I’d died and gone to heaven” fragrance. Unfortunately my local wild lilacs don’t smell but they are still beautiful. Don’t you agree?

Ramona lilac blossoms

3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage?

Tea! I start my day with English breakfast, enjoy a brew of Earl Grey in the afternoon, and love ice tea (easy on the ice!) in the summer. And I don’t like coffee at all. You’d think I was born and raised in the U.K., not France…

4. What is your passion?

Writing, reading, photography, drawing, painting… Do I need to pick just one? Anything creative that tickles my mind the right way, i.e. on the right side of my brain! When I can live my passion and manage to snap a photo like this on any given day, I know life is good.

Blue dragonfly

5. What is your favorite time of year?

Spring, when everything in nature rebirths, erasing the grays of winter and bringing bright colors to my daily life. I love summer because of the wonderful fruit but it’s just too hot in San Diego to label as my favorite time of year.

And of course, Christmas (go back to question 1.).

6. What is your favorite time of day?

Storytime with my boys every night. I first read with both of them. When my youngest goes to bed, I continue to read with his brother. I love how the three of us can travel to faraway places and times for amazing adventures every night, just sitting on my bed.

Of course, my second favorite time of the day is when I get to read by myself before going to sleep.

7. What is your favorite physical activity?

Walking / hiking, but it needs to involve good company or interesting vistas so I can take pictures. I don’t like physical activity for the sake of exercise. And no, I’m not fat!

8. What is your favorite vacation?

Anywhere where I can breathe fresh air and feel close to nature, without sleeping in the middle of bugs, spiders and snakes, or taking the risk of losing my life to humongous bears! Somewhere green is always a plus, since I don’t see a lot of greenery on a daily basis. I also love to go back to Paris and visit my family. I can’t wait to take my kids back so they can enjoy all the museums, history and culture the city of lights has to offer (compared to history and culture deprived San Diego).

And now, it’s my turn to nominate a few other blogs with this Sunshine Award. I apologize if you’ve received it already. Hey, who doesn’t like a little ray of sunshine once in a while?

Sofacents : From Adman To Diaperman
I recently discovered this stay-at-home dad’s blog. His son is a little younger than my two. I love to see how similar parenting can be across the board, no matter who stays at home.

Jmgoyder: Wings and Things
Julie has gone through so much these past few years, having to deal with her beloved husband’s degenerative illness. She’s such a strong woman (but sometimes forgets it), and I admire her resilience and sense of humor.

Spirits Light The Way
Nancy has gone through a lot too this year (what’s wrong with 2012???) and she deserves this little ray of sunshine, even though she lives in Florida. I visit her blog several times a week to get the breather she kindly offers in almost every post.

Joy In The Moments
I enjoy reading Char’s perspective on life, and how nuts fearless she is of bears when hiking in the mountains! Char has a new book out, so you’ll want to check her site out!

I’d nominate Carrie at The Write Transition but she already got the Sunshine Award (lucky gal!). Her new book is coming out in a few days, so I’m using this opportunity to plug it in. Apparently she tries to kill us all via a pandemic so you may want to check if your name is on the list of survivors at the end of her book.  ;-)

Of course, I could leave you with Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves, one of my favorite songs of my youth, but I’d be dating myself… so I’ll go for Aqualung’s Brighter than Sunshine. I don’t have a significant other to think about with this song, but it definitely expresses how much love I feel about my boys. Happy sunshine!