Did My Mother Put You Up to This?

Shortly before I swapped my acting career for writing, a casting director said something I’ll never forget: “You look so familiar… Ever had your head carved out of butter?”

I knew immediately that he was A) from Minnesota, where head-butter sculpting is celebrated, B) had a bizarre dairy-chiseling fetish or C) knew my mother. (Mom’s been known to set people up for such…adventures.) Before I could speculate further, he  revealed himself as a MN State Fair groupie. So I busted out my best Fargo-like accent and ended up landing the job. (Nothin’ wrong with some extra edge, yah know.)

While I’ve never donned the Princess Kay of the Milky Way crown—an honor given by the MN Dairy Princess Program each year (And yes, winners’ heads are actually carved out of butter and put on display…), I’ve recently gained a bunch of nifty blog awards. And like the C.D.’s question, the warm fuzzy flurry raised surprise and suspicion: Hmm…Did my mother put you up to this?? 

Regardless, tremendous THANKS to Marc Schuster, Kourtney Heintz, Marcy Kennedy, Jessica O’Neal and NM for the Versatile Blogger honors, Debra Kristi for the Inspiring Blogger Award and Sharon K Owen for the Leibster. Y’all deserve these accolades and more. Wish I could carve you out of butter! (I mean that in the BEST way possible.)

*DRUM ROLL* I present these awards to…

1. Marla Martenson: Metaphysical Matchmaker
2. Pat O’Dea Rosen: Reading, Writing and Rambling: Comments and observations on books, movies, writing, travel and other things that strike our fancy
3.  Violets and Cardamom
4.  Ellis Shuman Writes: A Virtual Home for my Writing
5.  You’ve Been Hooked: Observations from the Trenches
6.  Ray, of The Journal Pulp
7.  Lance, of My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog
8.  Tameri Etherton: A Cup of Tea and Sourcery
9.  Little Miss Vix: The Journey of An Aspiring YA Author
10. Jennifer L. Oliver: World Beneath An Evening Star 

1. Reflection of a Buddhist Monk
2. Natalie Hartford: Life Out Loud: Be yourself…Everyone else is taken.
3. Joe Bunting of The Write Practice: Practical Inspiration
4. Write On, Jana! Random insights on health, happiness, housekeeping and the pursuit of margin…
5.  Holly Kammier: Could Have Been Hollywood

1. Moe and Moe’s LA Adventures
2. Unpublished Patti
3. Minerva, of Finding the Right Words
4. Sanjiv Bhattacharya: Something Good is Going to Happen
5. Cadbury Fife: Cadbury’s Detective Agency and other works of unimaginable genius 

WINNERS! Please pass your award on to 15 others and share 7 “random facts” about yourself and the award logo on your blog. For more details, visit: Versatile Blogger Award or Leibster Blog Awards. Have fun!

7 Random Facts About Yours Truly:
1. I’m an ambi-vert—equal parts intro./extro.
2. I’m the average of my parents’ heights: 6′ 4″ and 5’3″.
3. I’m a sagi-corn or capri-carious—depending on which horoscope’s better.
4. I like kids, especially my coolio niece pack, but don’t intend to have any.
5. I do, however, parent an American bull dog named Zoe—a.k.a., my heart.
6. I dream of performing in a bestselling writers band like Rock Bottom Remainders. (If Mr. King happens upon this, I’m available!)
7. My first novel, IN HER SHADOW, is a psychological thriller that began as a memoir.

Gotta ask. Have you ever had your head carved out of butter? Other foods? What odd questions have strangers asked you?