I have kindly been nominated for the Shine On Blogger Award by Oenophilogical, check out his blog for all things wine! This is a peer-to-peer award and it is a great compliment that my blog brings some sunshine into someone else’s life. What else are we bloggers after but to make our readers – should we be lucky enough to have any! – happy?

As part of accepting this award, the blogger is required to do the following:

• Link back to and thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Post the badge on your blog.
• Answer the questions posed to you.
• Nominate five bloggers who shine a little light in your day and notify them.
• Ask five questions for your nominees.

Here are the questions I have to answer from Oenophilogical.

1.  If – like Merlin in the Disney animated movie “The Sword In The Stone” – you could transform into an animal for a day, what animal would you transform into?

First of all, LOVE “The Sword In The Stone”. If I could be any animal for a day, I think I would be a cat because they have the life, don’t they? Lay around in the sun, eat a little, get stroked, walk along a fence without falling off. Excellent.

2.  What is your favorite pasta shape, and what is the way you like it prepared best?

I like rigatoni because they’re big and chunky. I’m not a huge pasta fan, but when I crave it sometimes it’s just with lots of butter and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

3.  How do you get your new music?  I.e., do you hear it via radio, YouTube, iTunes, cable TV, etc.?

I love music, but am not one of those people that always knows the latest songs, music facts, etc. I hear about new songs mostly from my husband and secondly from the radio.

4.  Speaking of music, do you play (have you played) any musical instruments?  If yes, which ones?

I have played the piano since I was five – and before you ask, I don’t play show tunes or popular music. I love playing classical music. The piano is one of the most rewarding instruments to play because you can be an entire orchestra by yourself. If I could play any other instrument, it would be the guitar or the violin.

5.  What current TV show (including cable and web series) do you like the best?

Right now my favorite show is Parks and Recreation. Gotta love small town USA humor!

For my nominations, I’d like to nominate the following blogs which always bring a smile to my face and inspire me:

Tortore

The Winegetter

The Food and Wine Hedonist

One Man’s Meat

Happiness Stan Lives Here

The five questions I’d like you all to answer should you accept the challenge are:

1. What do you eat/drink the morning after the night before to kick a hangover?

2. If you had to drink wine from just one country for the rest of your life, what country would it be?

3. What is your biggest frustration with your non-foodie friends?

4. What have you eaten this month that you’ve never had before? And would you have it again?

5. What’s your first food memory?

Thanks again and I can’t wait to read the answers to these questions!