May 1, 2019
(Happy May Day!)

A-Z of Me, Part 2

Just for Fun!

Today I’m joining many other bloggers who have created A-Z posts. This is Part 2; find A-Z of Me, Part 1 here. Thanks to Nicki at The Secret Library Book Blog and Lynne at Fictionophile for the inspiration!

N

N is for Naps!
Whether listening to the roar of waves at the beach, lounging by the pool, crashing in front of the TV, or gently rocking in the back porch swing, the day becomes a little sweeter with space for a cat nap!

O

O is for Oceans!
Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach (Surf City), La Jolla, Santa Barbara, Hawaii!
Everything is better at the beach! I’m fortunate to live within driving distance of all these California beaches. Have you been to any of these beaches? Do you live near a beach? What is your favorite beach?

P

P is for Popcorn!

At home, at the movies or the ballpark, popcorn is my favorite snack!

Q

Q is for Quirky!
If I were an archer, I would use a cool word like quiver. Or if I were a musician, I might be in a quartet (although I’m not musical, I love listening to String and Barbershop Quartets and The Four Tenors!).

After some consideration of Q, I settled on Quirky. Some of my favorite literary characters are quirky (we call them quirky but really they are brave individuals who are overcoming obstacles and striving to live their best lives). For example, Eleanor of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Ove of A Man Called Ove, Harold of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Britt-Marie of Britt-Marie Was Here, Ruth of the Inspector Gamache series, Martha of The Library of Lost and Found, Keiko of The Convenience Store Woman, and Harold of The Music Shop. Do you have characters you can add to this list? Aren’t we all just a little bit quirky?

R

R is for Reading!
Reading is the best and most rewarding pass time! Characters become friends, compassion and empathy are built, history lessons are learned, themes are thought-provoking, transporting ourselves to different times and countries and cultures is cost-effective, and sharing books with others enriches our lives.

S

S is for sunny SoCal and South Dakota!

 I love South Dakota sunflower fields, wide open spaces, windswept plains, rural country roads, farms, and my SD family!

I love sunny Southern California living for its moderate climate, balmy summer evenings, and easy driving distance to mountains, deserts, and beaches. The congested freeways and earthquakes not so much!

T

T is for Teaching!
I enjoy fond memories of my teaching years! This is my fifth-grade classroom before one Open House. Three of our projects included lifesize Circulatory Systems, unique Solar systems, and “Dot” Glucose Molecules (on the desk)! Fifth grade is the BEST!

U

U is for USA!
I love my country!

V

V is for Volkswagen Bug!
My first car was a Volkswagen “Bug.” Who remembers the button on the floorboard to the left of the clutch that you could press to engage the reserve tank if you should run out of gas? I wish my VW was a cute blue. My first bug was plain white.

W

W is for Wildflowers, Whales, Writers, Windy Days, Winners (and those who try their best)!

It was harder to choose a W word than any other letter!

I love wildflowers in wide open spaces and whales.

I admire writers for the skill they have to transport me to different cultures, expose me to unique experiences, introduce me to unforgettable characters, challenge me with poignant themes, and to craft exquisite sentences and imagery. I love to cheer for ordinary protagonists doing extraordinary things in the most difficult circumstances or living bravely to overcome adversity and live their best life.

My favorite days are strong breezy days…..but not the harsh winds that drive destructive fires. I think my love for the wind is from my early days on the plains of South Dakota where the wind was often my frequent companion.

I also love to watch the Olympics, hear competitors’ stories, and cry with the winners and those that gave it their best. My favorite game show winner these days is James on Jeopardy! Have you been watching?

X

X is for Xanthoceras Sorbifolium Flowers!
One example, Scabiosa, Butterfly Blue. I love spots of purplish blue in the garden. I also love to add a touch of purple to every room in the house. Love this color!

Y

Y is for Yellow Daffodils!
One of my favorite flowers is a yellow daffodil. I love yellow for its cheeriness and for how well it gets along with blue!

Z

Z is for Zealous!

“Showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.”

I think of myself as Zealous in ways that are not athletic. I’m project focused and a creative problem solver. I’m zealous about reading, sharing great reads, and blogging. I was Zealous in my teaching career, spending most evenings and weekends creating Powerpoints or Smart Board files and collecting resource materials. I devoted many summers to pulling together fifth-grade science curriculum, planning engaging activities and lessons, and reading professional development books. I’ve always set high achievement standards for myself and worked really hard on meeting goals and solving problems. I’m not like this in every area of my life. I can be quite low key and relaxed unless I’m working on a project that consumes me. Then that’s all I think about. I suppose Zealous is a nice word to describe how driven I can be at times.

Do we have some things in common?

Find A-Z of Me, Part 1 Here