M is for

MACABRE

Bwuahahahahaha

Based on my fascination with Halloween, Stephen King, and all things spooky and scary, no better M exists for me!

L is for.....

LITERARY

I love to read, I love to write, I love the smell of an old book. My parents taught me to read at a fairly young age. "Hop on Pop." Loved it. Read it to them so often that, at times, they briefly regretted teaching me this wonderful skill.

Reading is a respite, a chance to get away from the humdrum of every day life. When I read, I can spend time on a dessert island without getting sunburned. I can enjoy the view from a helicopter despite my fear of heights. I can visit exotic lands without fear of the local cuisine.

Reading is not only an escape, it's a way to continue to learn and grow, regardless of you age, interests, or physical condition. You can read virtually anywhere; on a plane, on the bus, in the doctor's office, on the toilet.

There are few things that are as fulfilling as a new book!

K is for

Karen's sister.

(yeah- taking the easy way out today!)

J is for

JINXED.

Anyone who knows me well knows this!

At the grocery store, I will always pick the SLOWEST line! One afternoon, there were 2 lanes open at the small neighborhood market in the tiny town we lived in, one person in each line- one woman had a cart overflowing, the other had about 20 items. Seems like an easy choice, no? Wrong!

This woman first put some cheese, milk, and cereal on the counter that she paid for with WIC (Women, Infants and Children).

She then put a few other items on the counter that she paid for with her food stamps. She then paid some steaks with a check. Once these three orders were completed, her cart was empty, but she wasn't through.

She asked for a pack of cigarettes. Now, at this small grocery store, the tobacco products were kept in a separate room at the back of the store. The checker had to lock her register, walk to the back of the store to get the cigarettes, then check the woman out. She paid for these cigarettes with a debit card.

Sound like enough? Nope. She wasn't done yet. She asked for yet a DIFFERENT pack of cigarettes. (lather, rinse, repeat). For these cigarettes, she paid cash.

After what seemed like an hour, she was finally done.

And believe me, this is not an isolated incident. There are times when, relaying the events of my day, a family member will shake their head and proclaim. "Only you."

So, yeah. I'm jinxed. Remember that next time you decide you want to go anywhere with me!

I is for.....

Incandescence! Okay, so not really, that's just the sun reflecting off beads of sweat on my skin. For I, there are so many, really, it was hard to choose one.

Impatient- this is probably the biggest for me. I have zero patience, and it shows. I don't like waiting in lines, I don't like chaos, I don't like processes that aren't streamlined. This probably gets me in trouble more than anything else. I am a product of the "instant gratification" generation.

Intelligent- unfortunately, I think this helps to feed into my impatience. I do not deal well with people who are, shall we say, have zero common sense. I have a baseline of intelligence level that I expect people who hold certain jobs to possess. For instance, if you are working at a cash register, you should be able to make change. Period. Anything less than that and you should be doing something else. If my total is $3.01, and I give you $10.01. I expect you to be smart enough, without a machine telling you, that I get $7.00 back. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen.

Imperfect- of course then again, aren't we all? The difference, is that I am aware that I am imperfect, and while I might strive to reach that pinnacle, I choose to not beat myself up when my flaws come through. I embrace them, study them, and search for ways to improve upon them. This is actually harder than it sounds, and I fall flat. But, that doesn't keep me from trying.

Finally

I stands for....I. As in, self. I am always true to myself. One cannot give anything of value to others until they learn to be true to oneself.

Now, on to think about J.

H is for

HOT. HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!

When the morning LOW is 85, and this is the reading on the temperature gauge in your vehicle, you know it's hot! Today marks day 40 of straight 100+ degree temps here in DFW.

Maybe H really stands for Hell? Maybe that's where we are?

Come on fellow Texans, say it with me! "I will NOT complain about the cold this winter!" (if winter ever gets here!)

G is for...

GRATEFUL. With the world in so much turmoil, I thought I should take a step backwards and take a look at the things I am grateful for, because I do have so many.

I am grateful to have a wonderful husband who loves me. (Come to think of it, G could also be for Gene!)

I am grateful to have 4 wonderful dogs who, although can at times be difficult (Kyra, did you chew that bandage off AGAIN?), keep me on my toes, and find a way to make me smile on a daily basis.

I have a job, and in this economy, that is no small thing.

I also have food to eat and a roof over my head.

I have a big circle of family and friends! I thank and love you all.