FITBF 3.6

1.  Over this labor day weekend I will be     working on Saturday, going to my parents' on Sunday, and hopefully not leaving my house at all on Monday   .

2.  With the political debates going on right now, my thoughts are    I'm Canadian so I don't really care    .

3.  Today    I have to work from 1 til 9, and I am not looking forward to it  .

4. The best thing I've cooked recently was      a chicken garden salad, and a chocolate cake (which is baking, yes) .

5. The last thing I bought was    groceries. And some pens. Staples is a dangerous place to work when you have a pen fetish .

6. The best movie I saw this summer was    The Amazing Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield kicks Tobey Maguire's you-know-what. So good  .

7.  The best book I read this summer was    either the first 2 Matched books by Ally Condie, or Cinder by Marissa Meyer   .

The Liebster blog award!

A month ago Vanessa awarded me with the Liebster Blog award, and I'm only getting around to it now! Oy. Thanks very much, Vanessa!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have 200 followers or less. [That's me!]

The word 'Liebster' is German and it means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. [Awww :)]

Here are the rules:

1. Each person must post 11 random facts about themselves
2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you tagged
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post
4. Tell them you've tagged them. Remember, no tag backs!

11 Facts about Me
1. I married my first boyfriend.
2. I eat my toast and sandwiches starting at the flat end, not the round end. 
3. It takes me a dedicated hour and a half to reply to a letter. That means no distractions.
4. I have 2 little cacti planted in teacups on my desk, and Chris named them Steve and Ferdinand.
5. I don't like sweet peppers (the green, red, and yellow ones) in anything. At all. Ever.
6. I love Marvel superhero movies!! All of them! (Except the Hulk one with Eric Bana. I haven't seen it and I refuse to.)
7. When I was 10 I started writing one of my out-of-town cousins, and that's what sparked my love for snail mail.
8. I have never seen the ocean in person.
9. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my Instagram feed. (Addict, yeah kinda *ashamed face)
10. My favourite book of the Bible is Romans
11. My sister and I are Irish twins, meaning we are born a year apart. (A year less 12 days, to be exact)

My answers for Vanessa's questions
1. Do you have a nickname? What is it and what's the story behind it?
Yes, my nickname is Fe (pronounced "fee" but I don't like it spelled with 2 "e"s). It started 4 years ago, when I started college. Some people had problems remembering how to pronounce my name properly (The "c" is pronounced as a "c", not a "sh" sound), so then they just called me Fe. And it stuck. The other day someone was talking about fees, like late fees, and I thought they were talking to me.
2. Why did you start blogging?
I don't really remember why I started blogging. I think I just wanted to have one cuz it was cool. I was 16, okay? And also I like writing.
3. What is your most favorite book?
Gah! Bad question for a bibliophile. I will cop out and say the Bible. Because it really is.
4. And if you like reading: what is your favorite place to read?
Lately it is outside in my new lawn chair, in the shade. But on my couch, snuggled up with a cat is also a favourite.
5. Where would you like to travel? Which country/city appeals to you the most and why do you want to visit it?
I would like to travel to LOTS of places! Italy is a good one because a) there is pizza there, b) there is gelato there, and c) there is lots of history there. Also, I don't know 3 words in Italian but it is a sexy language.
6. Have you ever been on vacation where you never ever want to go again? Where and why?
When I was 11 we went to the Mexican Mennonite colonies over Christmas vacation. I would never want to go there again because I have no interest in visiting my parents' friends and relatives in a brown brown desert.
7. Which handicraft would you like to learn? Or what did you always want to and finally did learn?
I would like to learn how to crochet. I can knit like a semi-pro, but I just cannot for the life of me figure out how to crochet! I think I might be diseased.
8. What languages do you speak and which ones would you like to learn some day?
I speak English and a tiny bit of Plautdietch (Mennonite Low German). I would like to be fluent in Plautdietch, and also learn Spanish because it's also sexy.
9. Which was your favorite subject in school?
My favourite subject in school was English Literature.
10. Does your profession (or the profession you are aming at) has anything to do with this subject?
Someday I would love to be a book editor, so yeah it has everything to do with it!
11. Any kind of sweets you couldn't live without?
Chocolate. Ice cream. Cheesecake.


My questions
1. What are your thoughts on superhero movies? Do you have a favourite superhero?
2. What kind of landscape would your dream house be in? (beach, forest, mountain, etc.)
3. What is currently on your nightstand?
4. Were you a good kid in school, or were you the kid in detention?
5. What dish would you never want to try?
6. Do you have any hobbies or interests that most people don't know you have?
7. If you were stuck in an elevator with 3 celebrities, who would you want them to be, and why?
8. Why did you start blogging?
9. What is your favourite sport to watch in the Olympics?
10. Did you go/are you currently in post-secondary education? What did you study?
11. If you could go back in time, which era would you visit and why?

I'm tagging Jasmine, Penny, April, Laura L, Olive, Lindsay, Laura C, Ely, April P, Allison, and Lauren. (Boy, 11 was hard!)

Pioneer days.

Every year on August long weekend (which was this past weekend), the Mennonite Heritage Village here in Steinbach throws their Pioneer Days, which is 4 days of living like the old times. Volunteers come and do demonstrations with the old farming equipment, in the blacksmith shop, in the printery, and all these cool things that people used to have that we have no clue how to work now.

Last year I went with my friend Estela (see that post here) and this year Chris came with us. He has lived here for 12 years and he had never been to the museum before! Estela and I were both shocked. So obviously we had to go into every building for his sake.

This year there was also a flea market, which I don't recall ever happening before. There was a man running a stall with handcrafted pens and stuff like that (which were beautiful but I didn't have any cash *sad face*). he had a couple letter openers, and I picked one up, and he asked me if I knew what a letter opener was. We all kind of laughed at him. Do I know what a letter opener is. HA! I'm just that awesome.

Anyway, here are some pictures from our day there.

Some old writing utensils in the store.

Old handkerchiefs. So cute!

Barkman, represent!

They were just going to change the plates when we were in the print shop, so we didn't get to see them actually making anything. Boo.

More Barkman!

Some shots from inside the public school.

Estela felt the need to open all the car doors in the antique car display.

Chris wrote that.

We are so mature.

Da windmill! They actually grind flour there, and then the bread they sell in the restaurant is made from that flour. Yummy.

The grain thresher in action. You would not want to get too close to that thing - scary!

Estela was joking that she was going to get married on that island, and everyone would have to sit on the other side, so that they wouldn't be able to hear anything.

We found some super rad stuff at the antique sellers stalls!! I wanted those bookends and those glasses real bad.

The phone has an idea?

Winnie the Pooh and Christoper Robin and Piglet!!

Sweet camera Estela spied.

I am an Eskimo.

This pencil case was carved with a pocketknife! Can you believe that? It is so flipping intricate.

This is where you get the fresh bread. And awesome Menno food. We stood in line outside for about 20 minutes. It's that good.

Chris wants one of these constructed for him when he dies. So people will think he's epic or something.

Estela is milking an invisible cow. We are good friends for a reason.

YEAH  MENNONITE WOMEN REPRESENT!

Chris found a cane. He looks quite dapper indeed.

And... the windmill. (This year it uploaded right! Hurrah!)

If you ever come to visit me, please come the first weekend of August so that I can bring you to Pioneer Days.

Random (old) pictures.

Well, I have had this draft saved since JUNE! WHAT THE HECK, FE?? Um, so these pictures were all taken around Mother's Day weekend, when my family took our semi-annual trip to North Dakota for shopping and hanging out. We ate at Paradiso's, which is awesome Mexican food, went shopping at stores we don't have here in Canada, and saw the Avengers. So. Freaking. Awesome. Also, there is one picture from my birthday at the end of May, and one from our first anniversary in June! So enjoy these old-ish pictures.

Still at home: Doesn't Storm look so fat here, cuddling her straw? I love her.

At Paradiso: Chris gave me this depressed face...

So I gave him this face...

My parents, married for 34 years! They both look happy here, which is rare. Dad doesn't smile in pictures much.

Waiting for our table at... I forget. Not Texas Roadhouse but some other steakhouse. My family likes steak. Also, my siblings are weirdos and I love them.

A decent picture of me and Chris!

Interesting billboard, no? Depression on the left, and a lady that looks like she's going to jump on the right??

At the theatre: Valida and Brenden imitating the Hulk.

Me imitating Thor without having taken a proper look at the picture. Geez.

Clockwise: Mom, Valida, and me after our traditional Mother's Day pedicures!  (Not at the theatre, how did this get here? Oh I don't want to mess up the pictures so here it will stay.)

Tyrone loves Scarlett Johansson.

And apparently he loves Andy Samburg too.

Oh yeah! My house! Look at my cheerful yellow door! I painted it at the beginning of June, and I just love it. My 7-year old neighbour told me that her mom doesn't like it. Because our side door is also painted this colour and is exactly across from their kitchen, she has to look at it when she does the dishes and she thinks it is the worst colour ever. I don't feel bad though because it is clearly not the worst colour. (We have nice neighbours, don't worry. Also, you know kid's interpretations of things they hear their parents say.)

Birthday ice cream cake for me. Yum yum. (My birthday is May 28 and I love presents! Next year I turn quarter of a century, so that's a big one that should be celebrated with presents.)

This is the only decent picture I got of us on our anniversary, and even so we look like derps. Oh well. Happy one year, babe! Here's to 60 more years of being derps together!

I should do these more often. And maybe try to post recent pictures.

Mail post 3.8

Hallo my dear readers! Today I spent the day outside (shock and awe!) at the heritage museum here in town with my hubby and dear friend Estela. We may or may not have sunburns. Chris may or may not have burned his freshly shaven head (poor hubby). It was quite hot, but not as hot as it's been lately. Plus there was a nice breeze that got the windmill going. I took a zillion pictures so I will post some later this week.

Right now, it's time for some mail. These are not in any particular order, and I apologize if I missed a picture of your letter!

From the lovely Laura. I really like what she did with the washi tape!

From my awesome sister in law. She sent me some tea from the coffee house she works at.

From Penny in Brazil. She has just started her own mail blog, check it out (okay, I almost wrote "sheck" it out which is how my Mennonite mother would say it. I have lived in this area too long.)

From Miri in New Zealand

From dear Olga in the Ukraine.

A cute handmade card from my new friend Ely in Mexico. Check out her blog as well!

Stickers and envelopes from my darling Belen.

I die over the Pixar stamps! Thank you dear!!

Okay, the Dr Seuss stamp from Merissa is also amazing. The USPS has way better stamps than Canada Post. Not fair.

Snail Mail Fan sent me this sweet Titanic stamp.

And Kelly used Franklin! Okay, maybe we do have cool stamps as well :P

And a lovely letter from Melanie. Her Care Bear address labels always put a smile on my face.

To my cousin in Alberta. She just started her own blog, like today!

For Lauren. You'll see me use washi tape a lot like this from now on. I love it.

To Abbye in Ireland. I spent an evening collaging envelopes and you will see some of my fruits in these pictures as well.

For my dearest Callie.

A reply for Laura. Honestly, we have so much in common it's hilarious.

A reply for my sis.

For a new friend, Katelynn. I'm excited to get to know someone from Alaska! She's also my first pen pal from Instgram, which is cool.

A few Postcrossing cards going out. I was a really good girl and I actually wrote them out on the same day that I requested the addresses! Usually I request addresses and then write the cards like a week later. Bad Fe.

To Olive, who has finally figured out her mailbox issues! Hurrah!

 

Long overdue reply going out to Lady Kay!

A couple things I wanted to note today:
1. If you have a blog and you send me mail, I will always link back to it. If you write to me, and I don't link back to your blog, that means I don't know you have a blog! In that case, please let me know what your blog address is.
2. I don't think that the links show up in a different colour on my blog. I'm going to change that.
3. I will only leave your first name and your state/country in the pictures. I don't want creepy online people stalking you and have it be my fault. I only leave addresses if I know for a fact that you do it on your blog. If you don't want me to show your state or your country, then let me know and I won't do that either!

Have a good mail day, my friends! Send out at least one mail item this week!