These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

A Few of My Favorite Things

There can't possibly be anyone out there who has not heard the song called 'My Favorite Things' from The Sound of Music sung by Julie Andrews. For some reason, it just popped in my head when I started to think about what makes me happy. My gratitudes, if you will. Then, it made me smile, in that I truly am not a fan of this movie, although I have seen it. The image that immediately comes to mind is the scene and song of the hills coming alive with the sound of music. 

Pulling myself back on the track of my thought process of what truly makes me happy...I chuckled to myself as I thought of the saying that money can't buy happiness! Well, let me say that I wouldn't mind giving it a try by winning the Powerball. However, in all honesty, every once in a while we win $8 - $14 and I am ecstatic. That helps pay for the next lottery ticket. Once, we even won $200. Everyone in the store could hear me when I collected on that win. These things, though, are not what I would call my favorite things, as the song goes.

To refresh your memory when one is feeling bad or sad, just think of what makes you personally happy such as: 

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

These are a few of my favorite things! I won't bore you with the rest of the song, although these things can make most people happy by thinking of them along with the bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.

For me, I wanted to dig into what I am grateful for. There are so many things that came to mind that I found this to be even better than I ever imagined. My lists just kept growing and growing. All it takes is a moment of closing your eyes and the pictures pop in your mind of experiences and people and things that can bring joy to your life and therefore become some of your favorite things. Such as:

my family, which is my darling, loving, quirky, handsome British husband and all 4 of our children and their partners. With this group, let's add in 4 beautiful and unique granddaughters.

Immediately after family, which also includes cousins, would come friends. Some of which are neighbors, some from high school and college and some from where I have worked here in Memphis, as well as in TX and PA. Just gives me a warm feeling to stay in touch and know that we all care for one another.

Now for the random little things that come to my mind of some of my favorite things:

Another name for this is my happy place.

There is nothing like having great customer service all the time, especially if something goes wrong and a customer service person is helpful in solving the problem professionally.

Not one, but TWO very special loving dogs with two distinct personalities that we do not know how we ever did without them. I don't think they would know what to do without each other either. Truly inseparable.

The first day of Fall may have been September 

23rd,but here in Memphis it has remained in the upper 90's up until a cold front moved in last night, October 6th, and brought rain and actual temperatures in the 50's and 60's. Plus, it was actually good to see and hear the rain. Maybe soon, we will have the color of the fall leaves.

Not sure how you feel, but for me there is nothing in the world as good as the feeling of getting into bed just after the sheets have been washed. Ahhh! Fresh sheets. A great night's sleep for sure.

It is one of my favorite things when my hairdresser, Shanon, shampoos my hair. Somehow, I feel that the shampoo, which seems more like a head massage, is moving all of my blood cells around and making them pop with joy!

At one time, I felt guilty about taking a nap. After some research, I have learned that napping is so very healthy. Many countries actually have this built into their culture. Americans? Not so much. I am a firm believer in taking a siesta.

  I wake up refreshed and in no way does it mess up my nightly sleeping schedule. This is why I coordinate it, when possible, into my schedule.

Fall weather brings on the sweaters and boots. Love the change of wardrobe. 

Reading is one of my favorite things to do. Having a cup of coffee or tea and curling up with a good book is heavenly.

In this household there are two kinds football fans. We share and have become fans of both. My favorite would have to be the SEC college games. Of course, I have my favorite colleges,  but there is nothing like watching the crowds at SEC games. In college, I was in those crowds. Not so much now. More comfortable to be watching it on TV. And I must admit that I do love the NFL games, also. They have their negative points, such as the outrageous salaries. Well, so do the coaches of the SEC teams. It is what it is. Then there was the controversy of taking a knee to the National Anthem. There will always be some kind of controversy, some stronger than others, but let's move on.

This is the Premier League of Football (real football, as my husband likes to say). He actually goes back in time to let me know which came first. Well, let's see, how old is the UK and how old is the US? He does have a point in that in his football, they use their feet more than in the US. Details! I will say that he is pretty much on target in the American football rules and the calls that the refs make. I have more of an average understanding of soccer. I enjoy watching it and actually believe it may be a little more civilized, in some respects. 

Moving on to another favorite thing is a manicure and or a pedicure. Just a moment of pampering can put a whole new perspective on my outlook.

Marvel comics are basically not my favorite thing, however, they are such a big part of my husband's favorite things that I have integrated some of them into my life. Some of the movies I have watched with him at the theaters, some at home on Blu-Ray. There really is no rhyme

nor reason as to my favorites or not so favorites. One of my favs is 'Spiderman,' yet I despise spiders. Peter Parker is fantastic. Next fav is most definitely 'Dead Pool.'  Why? Perhaps it is Ryan Reynolds?

 An amusing story, at least to my husband, is that I said that I would go with him to see Captain Marvel. I watched and watched, waiting for Captain Marvel to appear. When the movie was over, I just sat in disbelief. Steve asked me what was wrong. I told him that I watched a whole movie called Captain Marvel and there was no Captain Marvel in it. He calmly explained that it was Brie Larson playing Captain Marvel. CLUELESS! I don't know who Brie Larson is (except that he told me that she played Captain Marvel). And I would know this how? I think that I even watched the Avengers: Endgame and was confused when I thought it was the end of the Marvel comics and movies because they all dissipated. I have since been informed that was in Avengers: Infinity War. I believe that my point has been made that

  these are a few of my not so favorite things and that is okay. They are some of my husband's favorite things. We share well. 

This quote is by The Doctor meaning Dr. Who. There are several quotes that I remember from watching Dr. Who with Steve but this one was from one of my favorite episodes featuring Matt Smith as The Doctor. It was about time traveling with Vincent van Gogh. He was standing in an art museum featuring many of his famous paintings and the curator spoke of the genius of van Gogh, not aware that he was actually in the same room. The Doctor made this astute observation about van Gogh's life and work. Brilliant, I would say. At one point, I really got into Dr. Who and did not miss an episode with Steve. Again, I think it was based on not only the story line but the actors. It started to turn weird in my mind and became quite scary, to the point of me having nightmares, so that was the end of that. Actually, I sort of shocked myself in liking even the concept of Dr. Who for a while. Sci-fi is most definitely not on my list of favorite things.

Music, on the other hand, is most definitely one of my favorite things. There are many genres that interest me. It depends on the mood that I am in.

 Lucky for me, Steve was once a DJ and is very much into music. There are speakers in every room in our home and usually music is playing somewhere throughout the house.

Writing has always been one of my favorite things. It started as writing in journals, of which I have one for each year starting in 1997. The diaries that I wrote in before I am not sure what happened to. Maybe they will show up one day or maybe they were tossed mistakenly. Now, I love writing this blog and working on a novel that I hope will be published one day. I even have a little notebook of ideas for future books. One at a time is how my brain must stay focused. I can read two books at the same time, and have even had three going at once. This method does not work for writing. The blog and the novel is enough for this writer. With some health issues and puppies, the novel work has slowed up more than I would like but it is getting there, slowly but in my way. 

So when the dog bites or the bee stings or you are just feeling a bit down, start remembering your favorite things and just all that you have to be grateful for! It will be a real boost to your spirit, at least it is for me!