Letter of Love

Thanks to Bill, I have the letter "g." In particular, the task is to list ten things that I love that start with my letter. So:

greens I have always liked spinach--there's not much you can do to it to make me hate it. But of late I've been branching out, to kale, and collards, and beet greens, and I like those every bit as much, it turns out. It's felicitous that they're also quite good for you.

guimauve You know this as marshmallows. We made them in pastry school, and I loved them, not least because they are a cousin to Italian meringue, which I adore (beat egg whites, and then drizzle in sugar water heated to the correct temp, which I'm too lazy to look up right now, and let it continue to beat; the sugar cooks the whites). Guimauve isn't particularly good for you, and isn't particularly fancy, but that's not the point.

generosity And I'm not even really talking about money; it's more about being willing to give, whether it's credit, or a thank you, or a compliment, or a lollipop, or whatever. We all have something we can give away that someone else will be glad to get, and the giving encourages others to do likewise. It's a quality that I try to cultivate in myself, in part because I think it's one of those things that grows on itself and encourages others to be generous as well. I don't know that I succeed particularly well--that is, I don't think I'm *more* generous than the people around me--but that's okay.

game This one's kind of a cheat, in that I'm getting two for one, because I like game, as in venison, and wild turkey, and rabbit, but I also like game in the Michael-Jordan-he's-got-game sense. I think having game is wonderful to witness, or to recognize that one has oneself, on those days, or in those places or circumstances, where it all just comes together.

genitalia Speaking of coming together . . . okay, sorry, couldn't resist that. Genitalia are just fun. I realize people vary in terms of what they like to do with them, and what kind they like, and what they like to do. Not the point. The whole enterprise is one of the great pleasures in life.

g-spot And, hell, might as well throw this one in, too. I like it. I'm not going to provide any details, at least not any personal ones, and if you really need more, well, you know how to work the

google I sometimes wonder what the hell I did before the Google. If you don't use it, I can't explain it (but you guys are experts, I'm sure).

grammar If you don't care about it, well, then you are contributing to the downfall of civilization--ALL civilization.

goo-goos Most people do not regard this as a worthy goal. I disagree, deeply and profoundly. And I am extremely goddamned sick and tired of hearing the right wing of this country deride government; I am particularly sick and tired of hearing elected officials--who are collecting government paychecks--deride government. Especially the asswipes who have sucked at the public teat their whole long lives, but don't want a poor person to collect an extra fucking food stamp (coughPhil Grammcoughcough). Oh; wait; this is supposed to be things I love, not the rant zone . . .

Okay, so let me end with:
ginger Of course. Could I have left this off? No. I like it dried, fresh, pickled, and crystallized. I like it in sweet and savory dishes. I like tea made of it. I like the color. I love it deeply and passionately.