What the F?

I was reading Chez's blog this morning and saw she'd devoted an entire entry to the letter "E." As an English major I was always a sucker for a good writing prompt, so I left a comment she assigned me a letter and here I am writing ten things I love (or like a lot) beginning with the letter "F."

1)The "F" word: Not that one! Feminism. I've been interested in the women's movement for as long as I can remember. Honestly I love trailblazers of any kind, but I have to respect the women who went before me so that I could go to school, enter my profession, vote and have my own checking account. The idea of a spinster is kind of an anti-feminist notion, but it's one I embrace. I support myself and I've made a life for myself. And I love the idea that while that doesn't make me a feminist at one time it did.

2)Food: I'm a big girl and while I'm not sure it was solely a love of food that got me here; it's probably part of what's kept me here. Since I moved to Michigan, I've found it easier to "eat local" and that's made a differene. Since moving to Michigan, I've also been diagnosed with diabetes do I'm much more consious of food's affect on my body. I love the Food Network, Top Chef (Chef Tom, I LURVE YOU!). In the kitchen of my parents house there are a series of photos of my sister and me. We're in the kitchen of the house we grew up in making some sort of mess. I like the way that food brings people together over meals or shared recipes. A lot of my favorite memories are accompanied by meals. My favorite food? I like to think I've got at least a slightly discriminating palate but give me fried potatoes anyday -- french fries, tater tots, pomme frites, skillet potatoes, hashbrowns, sweet potatoes, home fries...

3)Friends: I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ever ask for. I don't get to see them or talk to them as much as I'd like (or should), but I'd be lost without them. A paragraph couldn't do them justice. Some have been with me longer than others, but each of them are important to me. They know who they are and I hope they know that I love them all.

4)Fitzgerald (F. Scott): The Great Gatsby was required reading, but it was the first required reading that made me really want to go beyond the page. Zelda and F. Scott which led me to Dorothy Parker, which led me to...well, you get the picture.

5)Film: For much the same reason I love fiction (another f word!) I love film. I don't have a favorite. I'm a documentary junkie, but I love lowbrow comedy and sappy romantic stuff too. The Jerk is one of my favorite movies. Welcome to the Dollhouse remains my all time fave. And I can't forget Gray Gardens -- those crazy Bouvier Beales.

6)Ford: I've never actually owned a Ford, but I love the ingenuity of Henry Ford and his representation of the American spirit of entrepreneurship.

7)Family: I have a great one. Really. While, we have our differences (and there are many) I know that I can always count on them to help me out. We may not always like each other or agree with the choices that others make but they know me better (sometimes) than I know myself.

8)Freezing: It's January in Michigan and I'm freezing! I don't love it, but I do love the change in seasons. I love when Mother Nature takes a deep breath and lets me know she's here and that I'm really alive.

9)Freedom: I'm currently held captive by credit card and student loan debt, but I love the freedom I have to hop in my car and go where I want, when I want. I don't always take advantage of it, but I love knowing that I can.

10)Florida: The best vacation I've ever taken was over the New Year's holiday. My sister and I drove to Daytona Beach, Florida. It was unseasonably warm that year and watching the new year come in on the beach with a stolen beer mug with the person who's been with you your entire life. Nothing better. When I'm stressed out, I think about that vacation. It was everything a vacation should be. Mindless, relaxing, filled with good food, sand and water. Everyone should experience the joy of swimming in an outdoor pool while your friends and family are under the cover of snow!

Bonus)Furkid: My dog. I'd never refer to him as a fur kid, or my kid, or my baby but when you're limited to one letter you do what you can. I come home sometimes to find that he's broken into a box of macaroni or eaten an entire rotisserie chicken that I was stupid enough to not wrap up when placing in the trash. He wakes me up in the cold, cold night whimpering to tell me he has to go out (after eating that chicken naturally). But when I come home from work he's always waiting in the window. He's always happy to see me and to jump in the car for a ride. He's good about waiting until I get home to "go" (usually) and while he doesn't know the difference between sit or down. And I'm only 80% sure he'd come back if I let him off the leash...he really is part of my family. I'm still not calling him my kid, though.