More, ?Canada’s magazine celebrating women over 40,? is a content-rich, timely, relevant magazine covering issues of interest to the mature female. As much as I enjoy it, It’s impossible to read any publication cover to cover, and this one is no exception. I cherry-pick those articles and features that speak to me at that precise moment.

So reading ?More Connected,? the letters page, is out of the ordinary for me. Yet for the past two issues I have found myself reading and enjoying the section. It seems that in the February/March issue (before I began subscribing), someone wrote a ?Love from A to Z? letter to the magazine. In it she identified 26 different loves from A to Z. Since then other readers have contributed their own lists.

Because I hate to be left out of anything fun, I drew up my own list. (In the context of this column I have a bit more space to elaborate, and I took it.) I hope it inspires you to put pen to paper or digits to keyboard and compose your own version.

Without further ado, the list: Aubergine colour palette, artist’s pigment, aurora borealis, alstroemeria; Books of all kinds, babies? soft skin and bright eyes, Bernie Siegel, blueberries, birch trees; Chocolate-covered almonds, Canmore, Carrie, cordless phones, chaise longues, cushions; Decorating books/magazines/TV shows, dill, Dodge Super B, digital camera, dream home; Excellence, energy, Enya, education, Edo Japan; Fossil watches, flea markets; Greg and grandson Grady, gold (the colour and the precious metal), gourmet food, a general practitioner I trust; Hilary, handbags, Halifax, hummingbirds, HGTV; Ice cream, iPhone, investments, irises, Internet; Jewellery, journals, Julia Cameron; Knowledge, kindred spirits, kibitzing; Laptops, leather gloves, lilies, lottery tickets; and Mangoes, Merrells, and moolah.

How are you doing so far with your list? It takes reflection, creativity, and value judgements. (Am I bad for choosing moolah instead of mankind, or Fossil instead of fresh air or friends?) If you are so inclined you could add some fun: lists of people, lists of food and drink, lists of book titles only. You get the idea.

Now for the second half of the alphabet: Newspapers, naps; Orthotics, office supplies; Parents (thanks for the DNA!), peonies, passports, Post-It flags, Pachebel’s Canon in D, public art, plane tickets, pillows, prescription sunglasses, Pantalok; Quiche, quotation books; Roy (best friend and hubby), retreats, rolling luggage; Statuary, stationery, starry nights, skirts, scarves, San Jose del Cabo, sunshine, Scrabble; Travertine, tax-free savings accounts, throws, tote bags, Therese Bugnet roses; Urban Barn, ungulates, urbanism; Vases, vitamins, Venza; Walking down our road, watercolours, Words with Friends, weddings, words, words, words; Xylophone, Xerox; Yanni, yogourt, yard, Yak (long distance phone plan), and finally Zucchini cake, zero debt, and zigging and zagging.

Without intending to, I’ve created a long, alphabetical gratitude list. Anything that raises awareness, gives me pause, offers a challenge, and allows some tongue-in-cheek fun is all good. I can see why the exercise captivated More readers and led to list after list. Doing yours now would be good, from where I sit.