ALPHABET!!! A meme from Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight (one of my newest favorite blogs---which I check several times a day because she always has great things to read there...)

With no further adieu, the letter "U"

U-nited States --- 'nuff said?! :-)

u-nicorns --- as a girl, I loved unicorns and anything even vaguely medieval... I drew them, painted them, collected them (some), was drawn to posters of them... I still find myself a tad wistful when I think of them... but as a 40 yr old mother of 1 little boy, my days of unicorns are over!

u-niforms --- I went to Catholic School from K to 12th grade, and was a habit-wearing nun in my early 20's... so uniforms of one kind or another have been part of most of my life. And you know what? I kinda miss them! I envy those people who don't have to consider what to wear to work each day (think: nurses, waitresses, police officers, etc..). I also envy men for their simple wardrobes. I once read an article about basically coming up with a 'uniform' of your own---in terms of a few basic pieces and then mixing and matching them each day. Considering I am generally in a sweater and jeans OR in a sweater and black skirt/slacks at work, I guess I am kind of wearing a uniform still!

U-known Soldier (Tomb of) --- I have never visited this but it's something that haunts me, the thought of people lost in battle and their family never knowing...

u-ltramarine --- a vibrant beautiful blue color... I LOVE COLORS of all kinds and although I don't wear alot of color in my every day life, I am drawn to them in papers, pens, etc... Ultramarine (and aquamarine) are two of my favorites...

u-kele --- and the Hawaiian music you play ukeles to...

u-mbilical cord --- okay, this one might seen kind of out there... and truth be told, I didn't actually see the umbilical cord that attached me to my little guy (as I had a c-section and couldn't see anything)... the idea of it impresses me, the idea of having your child attached to you in that way... isn't Life amazing?

u-nabridged --- I was a voracious reader as a child (still am, when I have the time)... I had the same teacher in 4th and 7th grade (she moved up) and she had a classroom library which I salivated over... except for this small series of books that I see sometimes in used books stores. They were classics (think "Tom Sawyer", "Little Women", etc)... in abridged form. Small square paperbacks, maybe 80-90 pages tops. Brrrr.... the thought still gives me the shivers. They were AWFUL!! Give me an UNABRIDGED version of a novel anyday. The unabridged Oxford Dictionary is on my all-time wish list too...

u-nity --- peace, calm, kindness... whether we're talking in our own individual families, or in the world at large, the idea of unity is a mind-blowing wonderful one

u-mbrellas --- I actually really love umbrellas, I like when it's a day I need to use one... not one of those crazy windy days when it goes inside out and you look ridiculous, but one of those days when you just feel like walking in the rain and the umbrella is so wonderful to have. I like big golf umbrellas that fit two people under them. I saw an umbrella that is black on top and inside it has a beautiful graphics of white clouds on bright blue sky... These days I have one folding black umbrella in the car, one red/white/blue umbrella (see 1st entry USA) in the house, and a small yellow umbrella that matches my son's yellow rain boots. Our big black golf umbrella finally bit the dust a few months ago...

I did 10 of the letter "U", woo-hoo!!!!