is for Astrology. I am an so that means I was born under a fire sign. No surprise there. I take what I read in horoscopes with a grain of salt because I believe I have control over my own destiny. For fun, check out this site: http://home.istar.ca/~starman/daily-horoscopes.shtml#Sun-Sign

is for books. Check out my favorite on-line book warehouse -- Amazon at http://www.amazon.com. You can get some decent reviews of books here before you read them. Also if there is a particular book that you enjoyed, you can get names of books that are similar in stle and content.

is for Clarissa Dalloway, a Virginia Woolf character, who not only lives life fully, but survives despite its limitations and burdens. Vist Mrs. Dalloway's London at http://www.as.wvu.edu/~rgoldman/dalloway/

is for diamonds -- my birthstone.

is for the Enchanted Forest and the ever elusive tree eyes-- only some people will know what this means.

is for Foxwoods. Gambling, entertainment and food all under one roof at http://www.pequotcasino.com/

is Grease -- I love the music, the stage show and the movie -- maybe because my daughter and my neice have brainwashed me! Here's a Grease website: http://www.grease-tour.com/

is for Honesty -- I think this is the most important quality that a person should possess--at the least a person should try to be honest with himself/herself. A Shakespeare quote: "False face must hide what the false heart doth know."

is for the Italian language. I'm taking a class with a couple of my friends at the present time. Arriverderci!

is for jewelry--especially hand-crafted pieces. When I go to craft fairs, I seldom get past the jewelry counters.

is for Kids--they are the treasures of the world! One parent secret to remember is that all children need love, nurturing and understanding, even sometimes when they don't deserve it. I think this is how they will learn to become the kind of adult that most of us admire.

is for LAD (Lori, Andy and Donny, my Life's work, the Lights of my Life, the Loves of my Life, the Little ). I am a proud mother because I have been blessed with three wonderful children and I've enjoyed the whole experience. I can say that now that they are all adults. I could fill many pages about my three, but I won't. I'll just describe each of them by a FEW of their many great qualities:

Lori -- When I hear the phrase "good things come in small packages", I think of Lori. She is like a multi-faceted diamond--she shines in everything she does. She is champion of all causes, intelligent, outgoing and creative. Check out her website at http://www2.bc.edu/~piscatlo

Andy -- My youngest child is a dreamer. He has an unique vision about life and how to live it! He is the quietest of the group, but the most apt to take risks. He is sometimes introspective and too self-critical, but when he is ON -- he is charming and funny and lovable.

Donny -- "Little Donny" as we affectionately call him is a gentle giant, a true gentleman, generous and loved by everyone. He has a birthmark, which is a small patch of silver hair at the crown of his head. I've always called it his halo.

is for my favorite morning show with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer at http://www.msnbc.com

is for my mom's mom--NANA. I am her namesake and proud to say it because she was everything to me growing up and I still feel her presence even though she died in 1973.

is for Oprah. Some people call her the most influential woman of the 90's, and perhaps she is. I like her for the way she approaches life with so much energy and openness, and she shares all of herself with the whole world. I know so much about her life, past and present, and I seldom even get to watch her show. I've found her website though and I've added it to my bookmark because she is a wonderful woman role model. She is always seeking the truth in life! Here's the address for Oprah: http://www.oprah.com/

is for pies -- specifically apple pies that I enjoy baking from scratch.

is for quick! That's how I like to do everything I take on. I am not a procrastinator. Once I've made a decision to do something, I cut to the chase and get it done. Call it a personality quirk, if you please!

is for raspberry chip ice cream and red licorice -- my two favorite sweet indulgences.

is for my Stratus--the only Dodge I've ever owned. Out of the 8 new cars I have bought in my lifetime, this one surpasses them all. Color: champagne; Qualities: moon roof, comfortable seats, roominess, quiet and smooth ride.

is for Trisha Yearwood -- country music sensation married to one of the Mavericks, which happens to be my favorite country/everykind of music band. A great website about Trisha can be found at http://www.trisha.com/

is for unique and unusual people, places and things. If it's out of the ordinary, it appeals to my creative side!

• the harvest moon
• the commercials during the Super Bowl
• books by Virgina Woolf
• Alice Walker's writings
• Nintendo and Super Nintendo games
• the Mavericks
• lighthouses
• Tinker Toys
• David Letterman's Top 10 Lists
• Dr. Seuss books
• cryptograms
• the land of the midnight sun--Fairbanks (located about 130 miles south of the Arctic Circle which is the latitude at which the sun does not set for one day at summer solstice and does not rise for one day at winter solstice. Above the Arctic Circle, at Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States, the sun does not set from May 10 to August 2 - 84 days. For the period November 18 to January 24 - 67 days- there is no daylight in Barrow.).

I could go on forever, but I won't. You get the idea--if it's a bit different, it appeals to my creative side.

is for Vince Gill -- Love songs are his specialty. He often hosts the Country Music Awards. His website is at http://www.vincegill.com/

is for women who make the world run so evenly through all their contributions. If I had a calendar here, I could fill each day of the year with the name of a different woman who has influenced me in my lifetime, from family members and friends to writers, poets, celebreties, mothers, and professional women I've met. We HAVE come a long way, baby!!!

marks the spot where I love to vacation in the summer--Moody Beach-- on the Ogunquit/Wells line--an ocean paradise. Here's the website of Wells, Maine Chamber of Commerce: http://www.wellschamber.org/

is for the Yellow Wallpaper, one of my favorite short stories. It was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman about a woman whose creativity is suppressed by the male-dominant world she lives in--full of symbolism. There have been times when most women, even in today's world, can identify with the woman in that story.

is for Zelda, an adventure game from Nintendo. My son, Donny (Zelda-master) and I, spent many, many nights playing this game. Here's a website that will explain the adventure: http://www.nintendo.com/snes/zelda3/

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I am not going to dwell on the negative stuff, but there are a few things in life that bug me. Here they are:

• Age spots and middle-age spread
• Crowded beaches
• Two-faced people
• People who are condescending when they speak
• Any kind of fish, including tuna, and the smell and taste of mayonnaise
• Websites with too many frames

There are more, but these are the biggies!

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