O is for....

Owl - Of course I'm a night owl. Plus owls are symbolic of Lilith. I've always liked the way she decided not to play when the menfolk got uppity and wanted her to be subservient. Also, there's my Owl-kitty.

O'keefe - one of my favorite artists. Saw my first originals of her work this summer in San Diego.

Oregon - the Oregon coast is one of my favorite places to be

ocean - I was a born a landlocked midwesterner, didn't see/feel/hear/smell the ocean until I was eighteen years old. Still, it was love at first sight. I felt like I was coming home to a place I always knew was waiting for me.

otter - the first animal I considered one of my totem animals. A critter with a message on how to be a more authentic me. No matter how old an otter is, she's never too old to play.

oatmeal - a favorite meal, brown sugar please

optimist - I've had a cynical moment or two, but mostly I'm Little Miss Sunshine. Shall we launch into a Monty Python song? "Always look on the briiiiight side of life - do do, do do, do do de do de dooooo!"

oak - I forgot to mention maples - another favorite tree. Maybe I'll just wait for T is for.... and list all my favorite trees at once.

okra - this one would take too much to explain. It's a family joke. Goes well with Sam and Patty. Ohhhhh Kra!!!!

online - where I spend a lot of time

orange - a favorite color. Defiantly happy. Not as serious as red, not as mellow as yellow. Just odd enough to be slightly in your face, but not terribly worried if you notice or not. It's a color that owns itself.

organic - I prefer to go organic whenever possible. I don't spend my life worrying about every last part of my life, but I am as careful as possible. I've been an organic gardener for over 30 years.

outspoken, opiniated, obstinate - all words that might possibly fit my personality. I'm not saying they do. But maybe....

obsequious - another family joke. Plus just a fun word to say.

olives, oregano, oranges - foods I like

Occidental - A teensy blink-and-you-miss-it village in the rolling hills and redwoods of Sonoma County. Also the best place to go for Italian Family Dining. Can we all say - "homemade ravioli". Or how about - "minestrone". Last but oh-so-not least, repeat after me - "apple fritters". Now shiver a bit with joy. My kids used to refer to it as "the place with the big fork and spoon" because the restaurant we went to had a giant carved fork and spoon as door handles.

Odd - even is nice, but odd has more personality - don't you think?

Ogden Nash - a fun poet.

O.J. - my sweet 'ol orange kitty, may he be happily a-frolic in the kitty summerland. No, I didn't name him. But it was before the big O.J. scandal anyway.

OM - the sound of the universe

Ooooooooh! - a handy all purpose exclamation. It can mean "I'm happy" or "I'm frightened" or "Oh no!" or "I'm a ghost!" Then there's the "That feels good" version of it. Blush.

opportunities - always on the lookout for 'em

ovulate - do you know how many months I spent filling in ovulation charts, back in my infertility days? Don't ask. It's gone from being a moment I used to literally plan my entire month around, to being something I'm vaguely aware of still happening just prior to that loveliest time of the month - PMS, chocolate, carbs, tears, and if-you're-a-man-watchout time. I never thought I'd hear myself say this but, I'm ready to leave ovulating to the youth.

oxalis - a pretty little thing, looks like clover, tastes like a green apple, cuddles up around the feet of the giant redwoods.

OZ - when I was a child, the year wasn't complete without an annual viewing of Dorothy in her red shoes (and Maria running up a mountainside as well, but back to Dorothy...). I was always afraid of the flying monkeys. Now as an adult when I think of Oz, I think of Maguire's version, the land of Elpheba and Glinda.

orbs - not sure if I believe in them, but it's a fascinating possibility