J is for...

Time for another WordPlay Personal Dictionary Entry! If you want to know more about how and why I started doing this series of posts, read my "A is for..." entry. If you want to see a list of more people doing the same thing, check out Laume's WordPlay site. This is an interesting week for me because I hardly have any things, or activities, and no places on my J-list, but I have lots of people - both people I know and love and people I don't know personally, but admire. Now here we go... J is for... Johnny - My beloved husband, most often referred to on this blog as "J" (because that's 5 letters less than "Johnny" and I'm a lazy typist!). We met nearly 20 years ago on a blind date and have been married since 1989. We're as different as night and day, but even though we hardly like any of the same things, we DO like, love, and respect each other, so it works for us. My former Marine Sgt., now EngineerGuy is way more romantic than I am, although he'd scoff if he heard me say that. And he can still surprise me after all this time. Oh yeah, and I'm not being cutesy when I call him Johnny. That's his for-real, on-his-birth-certificate name. Johnny - NOT John. You'll see why that's a Good Thing as you continue down the J-list. John Reid - My beloved dad. Whether by nature or nurture, he's largely responsible for my allergies and my eye color; my obsessive-compulsive tendencies and my love of puns; my dislike of numbers and LOVE of words and the way lining them up in various ways can make stories and pictures unfold inside your head. I'd give up the allergies if I could, but overall I think he did good. Thanks, Dad! John Mark - My beloved younger brother, who tends to be so quiet when you first meet him that a lot of people don't get how very smart and funny he is until they've known him a while. He and his daughter are perhaps even more into movies than I am (and that's saying something!). I always have a blast when I get together with him. Josh - My beloved (and waaaay cooler than me!) nephew. He's smart and cute and he makes me laugh. I'm really looking forward to seeing what sort of adult he'll be someday. Joss (Whedon) - A god. "Not THE God, but A god." (Name that movie!) Ok, y'all know I'm teasing when I say he's a god, right? I'm not trying to be blasphemous, I'm just being my usual smartass self. While I don't literally think Joss Whedon is a god, I DO think he's a ridiculously talented writer and director. Jane (Austen) - A goddess. (See above about the teasing thing.) When a person can write about everyday interactions between ordinary people in such a way that others still want to read those words 200 years later, that's pretty powerful. Jennifer (Crusie) - One of my favorite writers. Love her characters and the way she writes dialogues and relationships. Janet (Evanovich) - Another favorite writer. She makes me laugh. Joshilyn (Jackson) - And another favorite writer. I first "met" Joss (online, that is) on an email list years before her first book came out and when I didn't have time to read any other posts, I'd read hers because they were so original and funny. So YAY that she's now getting novels published so I can have her writing on my bookshelves! She also somehow finds time to write one of my favorite blogs. Jack (Finney) - And yet another favorite writer! (J first names are obviously a Good Thing for anyone who wants to be a writer, or at least a writer who appears with frequency on my shelves! I wonder if I'd suddenly be a superfantastic Jammin' writer if I changed my first name to Jeborah?) Jigsaw Puzzles - Love them! I like both the hands-on cardboard type and the online type you find at sites like Jigzone (one of my regular morning stops over coffee). Jewelry - Love it! It's one of my favorite girly things. I especially have a major Jones for earrings and rings. Jasmine - A J-flower I like, although I don't have a bit of luck growing it. I think the fragrance is almost edible. If I lived in a gardening zone where I could grow it outside I might have better luck with it, but I don't - it won't overwinter here. So I've tried to grow it as a houseplant a few times, but I've never managed to keep one alive more than 6 months or so. But the one (and only!) time I ever got one to bloom indoors, that scent....oh MY! :::swoooooon::: Jaffas, Jambalaya, Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream, Juice (esp. orange and grape), Jam (esp. blackberry and apricot) - Some of my favorite J-foods (and drinks). Jose (Cuervo) - Margaritas just wouldn't be the same without him. Thanks, Jose! Jubilant, Jumpin', Jeez, Joy (or Joyful) - J-words I like! "J is for..." (clickable if you want to see it larger in a new window)