w

w is for...

...watermelon. a true sign of summer. icy, cold watermelon. spitting seeds at your friends. fun food.

...wine. a good glass of wine makes a day seem much better. i remember when i first started drinking wine. white zin. we thought we were so sophisticated. then we visited wineries in napa. ah, what a trip. but it awoken me to other varieties. now i enjoy reds and a variety of whites.

...weight. ah, weight. something that i always seem to struggle with.

...why. a question i get asked all the time. but why, mommy? why not? why. why. why. it's good to ask why. not always go with the status quo.

...wonder. my favorite word in the world. if you can have a favorite word, that's mine. to
here's the dictionary explanation...

–verb (used without object)

1.	to think or speculate curiously: to wonder about the origin of the solar system.

2.	to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often fol. by at): He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.

3.	to doubt: I wonder if she'll really get here.

–verb (used with object)

4.	to speculate curiously or be curious about; be curious to know: to wonder what happened.

5.	to feel wonder at: I wonder that you went.

–noun

6.	something strange and surprising; a cause of surprise, astonishment, or admiration: That building is a wonder. It is a wonder he declined such an offer.

7.	the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising; a feeling of surprised or puzzled interest, sometimes tinged with admiration: He felt wonder at seeing the Grand Canyon.

8.	miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.

—Idiom

9.	for a wonder, as the reverse of what might be expected; surprisingly: For a wonder, they worked hard all day. isn't it just a good word?

v

v is for...

...violin. i always wanted to learn how to play the violin, but i guess i thought it was too geeky. my great-grandmother once gave me a toy violin, i loved that thing. it was fun to play. i could be in an orchestra now. wearing a long black skirt and white shirt. well, maybe it worked out for the best.

...vegetables. now that i'm an adult (in years), i willingly eat my vegetables. why i even buy them for my kids to eat, too. as a kid i liked veggies, except for the dreaded pea and that was because it was my sister's favorite vegetable.

...variety. i love variety. in food, clothing, activities. i like to have options of what to do, where to go. i love to change things up and look at things from a different perspective. no variety in my life drives me crazy.

...veins. okay. i think i'm getting old. well, i am, but that's another story. but i've noticed that my hands are veiny. actually i think they always have been, but i just heard that hands are a good indicator of age. which i shouldn't really care about, because i've always thought someone's hands can tell you alot about them. but my hands are just veiny. and i'm sure it's not from weight loss.

u

u is for...

...uninspired. that's how i feel. i've been thinking about this letter all day. actually i even started this last night to get a head start, but all i could come up with was ugly, unanimous, and undecided. how utterly dull. i haven't thought of anything else today, either. while i was shopping, dropping off the littles or even at the gym. i was pondering this darn letter. and pondering it hard. and i can't think of anything. so, i guess uninspired does fit today and does fit me for the day, too. i ran around like a crazy person this a.m. i didn't stop until after i had the littles home at 2:30. walking with a neighbor at 6, errands, shopping, working out, dropping things off, picking things up, the bank, a coffee. go. go. go. but uninspired going i guess. maybe tomorrow will be better in the world of memes for me.

t

t is for...

...tough. this meme thing is tougher than i thought. i'm tired. tired of trying to think of things. tired of doing this, but i'm so close to being done, that i'll hang in there and finish.

...texas. well, austin, texas specifically, but since i'm on t i'll put texas. i just got back from visiting my dear friend jeanne in austin. it was a good weekend. good to get away, have some time to myself, hang out with a friend, go to lake austin spa and be pampered, do some shopping, drink some wine and margaritas, eat some good food, be in warm weather and talk talk talk. austin is just a cool town. while it's got all the hip and trendiness going on, it also has alot of forward-thinking people. green building, environmentalism, new-urbanism, enjoying the outdoors and using what we've been given. this way of thinking doesn't seem to exist in kc. it's all about building it bigger and uglier. if you recycle here it's because your neighbor is and you can't have them get a leg up on you. it's not because you want to reduce your carbon footprint (at least not for most). the mayor canned light rail because people like cars, builders build on any inch of green space they can. and they build the same things over and over with no innovation, no thought. more strip malls, more beige houses. more bigger beige houses. oh, ok i guess i got on my soapbox...

...treasures. i love treasures. trinkets, finding something at an estate sale or flea market that evokes memories - a betsy clark lunchbox, dishes that my grandmother had. treasures. i love to hunt for them and am tickled when i find one.

...taxes. thank goodness ours are done and sent and we already got something back. thank goodness that alex isn't a procrastinator when it comes to taxes. i know people who act surprised every april 15th. come on people. it happens every year.

...tickled. i love this word, especially when paired with pink. tickled pink. it just seems so happy.

s

s is for...

...spring. it's about time. yes. time. now. for. spring. yesterday it was snowing. today it is 60.

...santa fe. a very. special. place. peaceful. calming. hip. cool. exciting. interesting. special. gorgeous. cultural. there's more, but it might take away from this special place. i adore santa fe. the jewelry, the culture, the history, the weather, the architecture, the spiritualality, the people, the food, the shopping. a few days in santa fe and i am calm, relaxed and peaced.

...smart-aleck. i love smart alecks. i consider myself to be one. nobody can be serious all the time. at least i don't think so. and i don't like it when people are.

...soup. i love to cook. one of the things i really love to make is soup. yes. soup. so much intrigue can be in a bowl of soup. but also, so much goodness. soup and sandwiches.

...shopping. yes i love to shop. i can wander a good store for hours. looking at all the goods. buying. carrying a bag of new shoes home...

r

r is for...

...rest. i guess i've been taking a bit of a rest from this challenge. i haven't felt very witty or bright lately. but i'm back now. a little sunshine today might just get me back on track.

...raspberry. my best berry. by. far. fresh from the vine (or box), in pie, on top of cereal, in scones, in jam. raspberries. yum.

...real. a trait i admire in others and myself. i think i've always tried to be true to myself. hasn't always made things work out the way i want, but i've always been able to feel that i've been real. be real people. don't try to be more than you are.

...ride. i've loved to ride my bike for forever. since i was a kid and kept my foot on a bike with a banana seat at a police auction until my parents bought it for me to my adult mountain bike. i love the feeling of pedaling along with no cares. as a kid, my bike took me all kinds of places - the pool, school, around the neighborhood, to 7-11...today it gets me out and about and roaming.

...roam. yes i love to roam. i love to get in my car and just drive and end up somewhere. i love to take trips and wander - you just never know what you'll find off the beaten path. i don't get much opportunity to roam these days, but i day dream about it a lot.

q

q is for...

...quiet. i love peace and quiet. i love getting up early and listening only to the birds chirping. i love being a loud place and being quiet and taking it all in.

...queen. that's what she calls me...she is the princess and i am the queen. better that than the dragon!

p

p is for...

...pickles. the sweet crunch of a pickle. zesty and spicy. as kids we always used to make "picklefaces"when we were little. don't ask me why, but everyone thought it was cute.

...pockets. i love any clothing with pockets. dresses, pants, shorts, skirts. places to put your hands. i love finding mislaid things in coat pockets. why the other day i found a $20 bill that i must have stashed last year in my coat pocket.

...purple. one of the worst colors on the planet. yes. and i had to live through four years of purple since both my sorority and college colors included purple.

...pie. strawberry, raspberry, chocolate pecan. delicious.

...parent. a tough but loveable job.

o

o is for...

...opera. my first and only have been at the santa fe opera. if you haven't been, you must. one of life's wonderful experiences. the people watching, the scenery, the venue. perfect. even if you don't understand opera. just like in pretty woman "you either love it or hate it". the santa fe opera will make you love it.

...orange. one of my other favorite colors. and fruits, for that matter. i remember as a kid spring breaks in florida and the smell of the orange blossoms. i always wished i could take that back home with me.

...oreos. my most utter favorite cookie from the pre-packaged, processed food section. i love to dip them in milk, mix them with icecream and make pies out of them. i don't eat them much these days, but a good oreo and a glass of wine always makes bad day better.

...opinions. some say i am very opinionated. i guess they're a tad right. i have opinions on pretty much everything nd will tell anyone who will listen.

obama. little republican me has been swayed to this camp this year. the excitement, the energy, the ideas has m hooked.

outside. i love being outside. at the beach , in the mountains, just in the backyard doing a little gardening. something about being in the outdoors brings me a sense of peace.

n

n is for...

...nothing. i've got nothing. nothing i can think of for the letter n. surely there is something. nasty, nobody, nice, no. but really. i can't come up with anything for n. nice is just too easy. maybe i'll come back to this letter someday.

m

m is for...

...moderation. something i'm not good at. especially when it comes to cake, cookies or shopping.

...mobile. i'm all about mobile these days. phones computers music videos. has to be ready when and where i'm ready. sounds cliche and like i'm trying too hard, but it's true. i was lost today because i was without my computer, my ipod and my phone went dead.

...mundane. pretty much sums up my day. i worked the little known april 1 election. yes i was by far the youngest worker. yes it was beyond painful. 13 hours, 34 voters, only 1 thing on the ballot - 1 unopposed candidate, 1 million (yes, million) taxpayers dollars at work to put this election on.

...michelle. one of my best friends from college. we go way back. we've been through lots of things and had lots of fun. she's witty and funny and energetic...wish i could bottle some of that today!

...the littles. the sweeties in my life. little goofy ones with big hugs and sloppy kisses that make us laugh and sometimes cry! little ones with big plans.

l

l is for...

...limes. real limes. fake limes. lime green. limes in margaritas. limes in corona. lime sorbet. a bowl of limes on the table instead of flowers. lime green paint on the wall. lime green bells of ireland.

...late. i'm always late. late to everything. and if i'm not late i'm way early. but that rarely happens.

...light. i love day light savings time. i love it when it stays light longer. that the kids can play outside longer. that it's not dark by 6:00. that we can be outside in the light until 8 or 9.

...lipstick. my little one loves lipstick as much as i do. shiny pink lipfusion is our current favorite.

k

k is for...

...kids. i adore my sweet sweet little ones.

...king. that's what madeline calls alex. "i will be the princess and you can be my king." i guess it fits.

...kfc. yes. kfc. i am still sick and when i am sick i want kfc mashed potatoes. not chicken. nothing else. just kfc mashed potatoes. don't ask why. it's just one of those things that only sounds good when you're sick.

...kansas. the place i've spent most of my life. not a bad place. just not a very interesting place.

...king tut. i was fascinated by king tut when i was a kid. made me want to be an archaeologist. clearly my path didn't take me that way, but it inspired me to learn and explore.

j

j is for...

...jinxed. exactly how i feel today. i jinxed myself. said just the other day how i hadn't been sick all winter and what happens on the first day of spring? i wake up with the flu. jinxed people. jinxed.

...julie. not only my name, but my best friend's name, too. hence the name twoyulies. she is bright and witty. and listens to me. we've been friends since college and we'll be friends forever. we've been through good and bad together. ups and downs. fun and no fun. land and sea. she's a part of the family.

...jeanne. smart, sassy jeanne. my austin friend who loves the good things and a day at the spa as much as i do. she's savy and silly and independent and successful and a great mom. i love that she owns her own business has interests and thinks big. she does cool things like surf camp and has grea ideas. she lives in a cool place and best of all she's a great listener.

...jamie. sweet silly jamie. jamie who always sees the good through the clouds. jamie who

loves to shop like I do, jamie who endured the utter ridiculousness and ignorance of gd with me, jamie who my kids adore, jamie who always has a smile and witty word, jamie who's crazy fun life inspires me to be young.

...jam. on toast, as cake filling raspberry, peach, blueberry. summer mornings. bread and jam for francis one of my most favorite kid's books.

...java. oh how i love the stuff. i've been trying to cut back, but i love nothing more than a good cup of java in my hand in the a.m.

...jealous. oh i can get pretty good and green with envy. people who are living my life with lots of wide open spaces, beautiful scenery and creative minds. i am blessed with what i have, but somedays i do get a little green.

...just. just because. i seem to say that alot these days to my four year old.

i

i is for...

...icecream. neapolitan is my current favorite. But a vanilla dipped cone from dairy queen is always perfect.

...indecisive. probably the best word to describe me.

...imagination. people with imaginations amaze me. i get alot of energy from mine.

...installation. yeah! new countertops installed yesterday! our semi-remodel of our kitchen is coming together.