A is for........

There is a fun little survey going around the blogosphere and I have been tagged by Kristi at Books and Needlepoint to take part. I was assigned the letter "A" and have been asked to come up with a list of 10 things that I love that begin with that letter. Let me tell you, this is much easier said than done! I had to really think outside the box in order to force my favorite things into the A category. Without further ado, here is the list (in no particular order):

1. Academics - I LOVE to learn. When I was a college senior and constantly asked the proverbial question "so....what do you want to do after graduate" --- I would respond "If it didn't cost money - I would be a professional student". I mean that sincerely. However, since that is a financial impossibility, I have chosen to do the next best thing --- become a teacher.
   
2. Angleterre - ok - this was a real stretch of mind association - but try to follow my logic. I LOVE to travel (a "t" word) and would like to visit so many different regions of Western Europe (Italy - France - England) --- but alas, they all eluded the A requirement. So....my French major came in handy and I was able to utilize the francophile term Angleterre for England :) I have traveled to England twice already - but only for a week at a time and always with a group of students. It is a true dream of mine to visit England for an extended stay - like 3 - 6 months - and not only visitLondon, but many of the surrounding countryside. I especially want to walk a large part of the Cotswald trails.
   
3. Atlantic Ocean -I really love the beach, but alas I am hampered by that starting vowel. But as I thought about it, I really enjoy the warmer beaches of the Eastern seaboard, rather than the cooler Pacific waters. My husband was born and raised in CT and we lived there until 1990. While we love our life in the midwest, I think there is a part of each of us that would like to retire to a small beachfront bungalow. If you have ever read any of Joan Anderson's books (A Year by the Sea is my favorite) - that would be my dream. Either a small cottage in Maine (where I could still enjoy the 4 seasons of the year) OR a littleFloridian condo where I am guaranteed warm weather 12 months out of the year.
   
4. Amazon - another stretch....but not really. I love reading (an R word) and I especially love reading books and novels in particular (neither one of them an A word) and then it hit me --- I probably go to the Amazon website at least once a day to either add a book to my wish list, or see other recommendations for a book I enjoyed.
   
5. Arf - Arf ---- this is not an original idea - this was actually offered to me by a fellow teacher when I was relaying this survey. I voiced that I really want to let folks know my love of dogs, but thought that animals was too broad a term. He came up with the "arf arf" and I thought it was great. We have had 3 sets of yellow lab puppies - and have just recently inherited a 10 week old female. So....in about 2 years we should be happy breeders once again.
   
6. Alone - ok - be patient with me on this one too. When I think of things that I really love, the first thing that my family would mention would be my "I" time. See, I am an introvert - an extreme introvert - and I LOVE my solitude (an S word). While I would not classify myself as a hermit, I can easily spend weeks on end totally by myself and being perfectly content.
7. Advent - actually, my brainstorm led me to my favorite holiday which is Christmas - but as I thought about it, I really like the anticipation of Christmas --- the decorations, the food, the hunt for the perfect gift, etc. , so advent is probably more accurate than I originally thought.
8. Autumn - truly my all-time favorite season is autumn. I love the cooler weather and the typical fall colors of orange, red, yellow, and even brown. I love wearing turtlenecks and sweaters and cooking such comfort foods as meatloaf, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
   
9. Alpha and Omega - another stretch, but I think it works. How could I possibly make a list of the things that I love - the things that mean the most to me, and leave out my Lord. Well, many of the words that I could use for Lord, Jesus, Christ, etc do not begin with my chosen letter. BUT...what aspect do I love most about my Lord? The fact that He is unchanging. That fact that He knows the past as well as He knows the future. The fact that we might be living in uncertain times, but nothing is uncertain with Him.
10. Apple pie - well, not just apple pie --- any pie and nearly any dessert. I am a sweets fanatic. I like cakes - cookies - pies, etc. Not really a candy or chocolate lover (I know - how could I be female and not love chocolate) -but give me a nice warm piece of apple pie with a little bit of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel - and I am a happy camper.
    

So....there you have it. Some of the answers are rather "forced" - but hopefully this gives you a bit of insight as to who I am.