"D" Things That I Love

Here's a fun game that my friend Joanne on Open Book passed on to me.

I need to find 10 things that I love that begin with "D". It's not as easy as I thought. It was hard to find ten.

1. Dimples - I think dimples are so cute. My grandson wears one on his left cheek, and just recently, he's learned to smile and show it so brightly when he sees someone he loves. (BTW- I claim that he got it from me...*smile*)

2. Daddy - I still call my father "Daddy". I am the only girl in my family and I've loved the special bond between my daddy and me. We both love books and teaching and children. I love to help him in his workshop or poke through old barns or even the discarded things at the dump. One of my daddy's favorite phrases is "I wonder where this road goes?" *smile* We may not be back for hours!

3. Dilly Beans - My mother loves to garden, and her favorite plant is string beans. Every year she would plant rows of string beans. She'd freeze them and can them and fry them with bacon, but my favorite way of eating green beans is to pickle them. We'd pack the jars with a sprig of dill and as many raw beans as we could. She'd pour the brine over them and seal them and keep us from tasting them for two weeks. What a tangy delight they were in our lunches all winter!

3. Dictionaries - I love words! I must own over twenty dictionaries right now. I have French ones, Spanish ones, Bible ones, and one that a friend gave me that is over 8 inches thick! I love how words change over the years, going from one language to another, going from one part of speech to another, and changing from one generation to another.

4. Diagramming Sentences - Along with my love of words is my love of English grammar. People look at me like I had two heads when I tell them that I love diagramming sentences. It's like a jigsaw puzzle to me, with only one way the words will fit. My goal as a teacher was to make diagramming as fun as I could for my students. They didn't always appreciate my enthusiasm of prepostitional phrases and indirect objects.

5. Directions- I like to read maps. Because we travelled so often when I was a child, I learned my states at a very young age and could assemble a map of the U.S. by the time I was two. I love to follow our route on a map, looking at the interesting names of towns and rivers and mountains. Now that I have a computer, the capabilities of Google Earth astounds me. Now, my love of geography takes on a whole new level.

6. Dabbling - I have inherited the trait of dabbling from my mother. I like to learn a new skill, just because it looks interesting. I have learned to knit, crochet, embroider; to make bread, candles, jelly; decorated a wedding cake, sailed a boat, shingled a house, played the piano and flute, wrote a book, spoke at a conference, sang in a choir... I'm not an expert in any of these things, but it has taught me to have the confidence to try new things.

7. Daughters (and sons) - I didn't have a little sister, and only two brothers (love them too!) so I am so thankful for all my children. There were times when our place was a mad house, like on school mornings - with 5 boys and 3 girls all wanting to use the same bathroom to shower and shave and brush their teeth. I wouldn't trade a moment of it... I love you, kids!

8. Downeast - That's what they call it, only it's north. I love living in Maine. (That's where I met my hubby!) I love the definite seasons, although winter takes more than its share of the year. Spring is welcomed with joy, and every day of summer is treasured. Autumn foretells of winter coming, but its days are crisp and beautiful with the bright reds and oranges of the falling leaves. I love the scent of the ocean and the beauty of the woods. I'm glad God brought me to Maine.

9. Dusk - My favorite time of day is twilight, when the sun has set behind the horizon, but the sky still holds a little bit of the soft glow. When we lived in the Bahamas, there was no twilight. It went from day to night. I love the in between hours when the world is going to bed.

10. Divine Power - I saved the best for last. I love the God that loved me so much that He took my sins and gave me eternal life. I love how He directs my life, teaching me, leading me, using me for His glory. I want Him to shine through me, so that others don't see me anymore, but only Him working through me.

(If you'd like to play this game, let me know and I'll assign you a letter. It's been fun to find things that I love.)