PONY PARTY… your favorite things (like ponies)

My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers

John Coltrane playing sax0phone. One of my favorite things. Zen. Somewhere else.
Transcendent. Terrifying. Alone. Everything.

If you’ve never experienced Trane, here’s a taste,
blowing what else, My Favorite Things.
The soprano… sharp and new. So outside, it’s inside.
Love the way musicians talk. I always thought that if God existed,
his spirit was channeling through these cats…

okay… we’ve launched… and this is not your kid’s MySpace…
it’s way more than politics… it’s open… it’s zen, and it’s not…
there is still some ass-whomping to be had here… so don’t take a seat..
keep on your feet: play, talk and, as buhdy commands, be excellent to each other….

oh… forgot to ask: what are your favorite things?

120 comments

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  1. but how about a short list~

    Sultry jazz for being alone by a midnight fireplace;
    Candles and a bubble bath and a fine champagne;
    Silk clothing;
    Sunrise while camping in the desert;
    First snowfall on mountain forests of autumn colors;
    Single malt scotch, the older the better;
    Good friends when I’m in the mood for people;
    ….and too many other things to count!

    • Caneel on September 13, 2007 at 00:28

    Grandchildren

    The sea, beaches

    Spine-y Democrats

    Speaking truth to power

    Poetry, especially Neruda’s sea poems, Rumi, Billy Collins, Grace Paley.

    Good books and more good books

    The sound of Pavarotti’s voice, his face while singing

    Beethoven’s music

    The Beatles’ music

    Wind chimes

    Candles

    The promise of the Internet

    My studio on St. Thomas with a view of Magens Bay

    The gifts of giving and of love

    Hmmmm. I feel very rich, indeed.

  2. because more books are better than some books, but when I get done I like books, but alas, one  cannot eat them.

    Grapes
    Carrots
    Cranberry Juice, yummy
    Ponies
    Naps
    Good People
    and then I’ll take a few books.

  3. Nicker! Snnnnnnort!
    Being here among so many of my favorite Kossacks, in a new pasture.

    I trotted really, really fast to get here.
    May I have a bucket of my favorite bran mash with honey and apples?

    • RiaD on September 13, 2007 at 00:46

    the smell of an already lit fire as I come down the drive
    steam rising on freshly washed dishes (or clothes) on a chilly morning
    my grandsons face full of wonder, expectation & hope, his smile makes me smile
    sunrises-anywhere
    sunsets at the ocean
    good books in a cozy chair by a crackling fire
    the smell of just plowed ground or fresh rain on asphalt
    hugs

    thanks pf been thinking about just this- trying to regain HOPE!

  4. In no particular order:

    My sons, good friends, good talk, good food, good music, a warm bubble bath, a cool shower, the feeling of sunshine on my skin, pooties, puppies and all things cute and furry.

    And pooties in bathtubs is a favorite combination of some of the things mentioned above.  :0) 

    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

     

    • jibbly on September 13, 2007 at 00:53

    My favorite things (random order):

    jazz (a dresser in my garage holds 1000+ jazz cds)
    most other music
    books (I’ve worked in bookstores for 15+ years)
    political chat (really?)
    sleeping in
    camping/nature
    my three sons (and one wife)

  5. my husband, my sisters, my daughters, my granddaughters.  Always someone there for me, someone always has my back.  I wish everyone’s family could be as much.

    Music, just about all kinds
    My piano
    books
    and ah, yes, champagne
    Savannah (despite its many flaws)

      • pfiore8 on September 13, 2007 at 00:26
        Author

      i love the fall… and i keep up my halloween stuff just past Thanksgiving…

      i’ll take a picture when it’s up and post it… we’ll have to do a halloween party here for sure

  6. my kids, mango-carrot juice, bookstore smell, books in general, coffee, raspberries, cherry coke, first kisses, mud between my toes, and chili fries.

    and i love the ocean…but it’s such a multi-sensory experience (the sound, the feel of the sand and the cold water, the smell, the breeze) that i think i like it even more when the wind in the trees sounds like the ocean.  just the sound and the wind….inherently pleasing, but evocative as well…feels more ‘personal’..i dunno..

    • ab ovo on September 13, 2007 at 01:11

    I am sitting here trying to think of some of my favorite things, and I am having trouble, sheesh! Let’s see

    The smell of burning leaves on a damp fall day
    A simple act of  sincere appreciation from my kids, if only they knew how much that really means
    Miles Davis – Kind of Blue, every single note
    Quiet time for myself preferrably with a good book, good bottle of red and some chocolate
    New adventures in far away places, hey, that’s why I came here!

  7. my favorite people from DKos,

    and Cute Overload 🙂

    And of course, ponies. Where’s mine?

  8. … on a just-cool-enough morning…

    the quiet noisiness of outdoor sounds without the intrusion of machines and gadgets…

    really cool sparkly machines and gadgets…

    cats, of course…

    my only moderately decadent bright blue silk sheets, especially that first night they’re on the bed…

    a book that draws me in to its world for days after I’ve finished it…

    the first-of-the-season meal…

    silly Nephew games…

    music…

    finding something new to be fascinated by…

    reading words that I’ve poured onto a page and thinking “hey, that’s pretty good”…

  9. (Hints about my likes and dislikes in the video, for anyone who cares to decipher them over time – mostly just the atmospherics, though) LOL

    • vigkat on September 13, 2007 at 02:08

    at least at this moment in time:

    My soulmate, who I was lucky enough to meet 37 years ago

    My daughters, who are wiser than I could ever have imagined they would be

    Dancing (I do a mean pony)

    Fog

    Rain falling on the roof and
    eaves so I can leave the window open when it rains (which I long for and do not have)

    Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and so many many more

    Porko melted on polenta

    Hummus

    Pickles and capers and all salty things

    Really good sea salt and organic dry farmed tomatoes

    A nice glass of cabernet while watching the Daily Show, Colbert, and K.O.

    Italy

    The big blue Pacific

    I could go on, but I have made myself hungry and am off to forage.

    • Do Tell on September 13, 2007 at 02:15

    In no special order:

    My garden
    hummingbirds
    chocolate
    family
    driving with the top down
    a wonderful dinner with those I love
    warm fire, good book, glass of wine
    a great massage
    swimming in a warm pool
    chocolate
    old photos
    old friends
    and last but not least,
    this new blog!

    ( I was wondering where everyone went, now I know!)

      • pfiore8 on September 13, 2007 at 01:35
        Author

      and bookstore smells….YES!!! love love bookstores

      especially antique book stores

    • MTmofo on September 13, 2007 at 02:25

    I came over as soon I saw the invite at dKos, after I arrived home from work.

    Nice place you got here.  Gotta beer?

  10. Hot Rods
    Women rising from the surf
    A computer with a clean OS
    Beer
    A day off from work
    Opening Night
    Trains
    Free thinkers
    Patterns

    1. A love seeing so many “friends” here!

      Of course you can join us, Sweetie.  I’d feel badly if you were missing.  :0)

      • pfiore8 on September 13, 2007 at 02:14
        Author

      so wonderful to see you here!!!

      • on September 13, 2007 at 04:21

      “coser”…

      hey there, vidgie!

      how are we gonna work this dual blogsistance…?

  11. my husband, my daughters, chocolate, diet coke…

    my friends here and everywhere!

  12. jazz, and I couldn’t possibly say which ones, although Miles, Trane and Bill Evans would be in the list
    family
    friends
    the smell of pot roast, soup or stew slowly cooking when it’s cold outside
    thunderstorms
    good red wine
    the beach
    the mountains
    the city
    the country
    a good long bath
    books
    kitties
    gardens
    my guitar

    and so much more

  13. my husband and kids, dog and pootie.
    female jazz vocalists.
    blues.
    the smell of a fireplace on a crisp fall evening.
    snow.
    a fruit forward pinot.
    25 year old Irish whiskey.
    artichokes.
    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

    And the Grand Tetons 😉

    • plf515 on September 13, 2007 at 03:17

    Terry Pratchett, Neal Stephenson, John Varley

    Warm beds on cool nights

    Good beer, good food, and good friends

    My wife and kids

    dailyKos and Docudharma

  14. … and continues to try to tame me, with only sporadic success …

    Back from a long ride home from the factory on a sweltering hot day on Friday and cracking open a cold beer …

    Reading Kunstler’s Long Emergency and realizing that he’s overdone it so things might not be quite as horrific as he makes out …

    … but no ponies. One reason I like my bike is I don’t have to get up on Sunday morning and muck out the garage … I can just leave it resting while I escape for a weekend of blogging.

  15. talking to my daughter
    dinner with friends
    Copland’s Appalacian Spring
    New York City!
    the beach
    Rhapsody in Blue
    An American in Paris
    Night and Day
    Beyond the Sea
    All Blues
    Maiden Voyage
    Joni Mitchell
    Bonnie Raitt
    Let It Bleed
    Nessun Dorma
    Nike Adjusting Her Sandal
    Johnny Depp
    Bogart and Bacall
    Shunryu Suzuki
    the Marx brothers
    roses
    da Vinci
    Aretha
    Antonio Carlos Jobim
    Howard Zinn
    Chomsky
    Spanish anarchists
    cocker spaniels
    smell of cut grass
    paella
    Irish coffee
    Alexander Cockburn
    Amy Goodman
    Ralph Nader
    stepping outside late at night, whether it’s in Manhattan or out in the country, and hearing absolutely nothing

    • on September 13, 2007 at 04:17

    fiddling
    reading
    smoking nugs
    Cabernet Sauvignon
    big bucks
    skiing
    sweet, sweet love
    great music
    not in
    this order

    • fatdave on September 13, 2007 at 04:34

    Days when Mrs fd (a firm favourite) and I don’t have to do anything.
    Watching my daughter and future son in law soar and swoop on their freshly dried wings.
    Absurd comedy.
    Smoked Haddock.
    The Daily Show – which we get a day after the States.
    Dylan Moran in Black Books ( you tube it as I haven’t figured out how to post links here yet).
    Nick Lowe now he’s older and more mellow.
    Fishing on my own.
    The way it is just after thunderstorms.
    Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson.
    Christmas.
    12 Angry Men.

    And that’s just a fraction of 1% of it.
     

    • MO Blue on September 13, 2007 at 04:45

    A walk on the beach
    The warmth of the sun
    A good book (if nothing else is around a not so good book will do)
    Good conversation – Sharing ideas and interests
    Time alone when I need to regroup
    A really good back or foot rub
    Art and artists
    Down and dirty Blues

    • KrisC on September 13, 2007 at 04:52

    This one’s worth a good chuckle…..

    • LynneK on September 13, 2007 at 04:53

    Mountain views, gently flowing streams, baby animals, the look on a child’s face when they make a discovery or achieve something for which they have been striving, being the one who helps said child get that look, the smell of homebaked cakes or cookies, my husband’s strong arms to hold me when I need it, my daughter’s smiles, and my cat, Boots.

  16. Most days, weather permitting, I take a walk around the grounds of my workplace after lunch. I call it exercise, but it’s certainly not too vigorous. My iPod provides entertainment; often I choose Chicane’s “Behind the Sun” as my album du jour. One song in particular, “Halcyon”, is my favorite. If you’ve never been introduced to trance music, this song will show how imbued with beauty and emotion electronic music can be. A song greater than the sum of its notes. I no longer listen to it, I feel it.

    Periodically during my walk, often while enjoying “Halcyon”, I briefly get to look at life through a different filter.

    I experience clarity.

    Colors are more vivid and everything reveals its intrinsic beauty, from the swaying trees to the construction projects that abound nearby. Everything simply IS, and therein lies the astounding beauty. No labels, no judgments – just being, without effort or thought. I’ve realized I can invoke and maintain this experience, briefly, by focusing…without a target for my concentration. Focus on remaining in the moment , immersed in my music, and taking it ALL in – allowing for attention to the whole, but no single part.Then accepting that I, too, am part of that whole.

    That’s when the goosebumps come. I close my eyes briefly, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I feel flight may be attainable, if only I could jettison the fear of judgemental onlookers and raise my arms to catch the wind. How can this feeling exist within the same lifetime as all the mundane thoughts and feelings of everyday life?

    It is because it does, and thereby gives the mundane more importance, that THIS is one of my favorite things.

  17. Beatles, baseball and kissin’.

    ok, and riding my bicycle of course…so that’s 4 favorite things. Beatles, baseball, kissin’ and riding my bicycle.

    Oh, and reading. Five favorites. And by “Beatles” I mean Beatles, Zombies, Hollies, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bach and Scarlatti. And by “baseball” I mean baseball. And when I say “kissin'” I mean kissin’ my wife. And riding my bike mean biking and hiking. And books means…you know, books.

  18. hate-speech masquerading as political rhetoric, serves as evidence of our commitment to the freedom of speech, in direct relation to severity of such rhetoric. Standing as proof that we will not allow such expressions (designed to be a wedge between us and our human family) to tear down the very principles that bind us together.

  19. hate-speech masquerading as political rhetoric, serves as evidence of our commitment to the freedom of speech, in direct relation to severity of such rhetoric. Standing as proof that we will not allow such expressions (designed to be a wedge between us and our human family) to tear down the very principles that bind us together.

  20. Morningside Heights 35 years ago

    wandering around the Butler Library stacks

    the Outer Banks

    walking through the leaves along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Ma, in the fall

    the hills and valleys of central Maryland

  21. pancakes,bacon,vietnamese food,the chill i get when someone whispers in my ear,the giggles,playing guitar loud and bad,shoveling the walkway,falling asleep under a tree by a stream,chopping wood,yardwork,dreaming,taking a few hours to draw or paint,listening to a new CD,exploring caves,seeing hippies drive by,biker bars,watching Federer win,telemarking,cuddling,solar power

    that’s about it, I’ll have a new list next time.

    • SherriG on September 13, 2007 at 07:43

    would be too long, so, the short list..

    The smell of fresh coffee brewing.
    Birds.
    Flowers.
    Chocolate and strawberries.
    Spring.
    Summer.
    Miss Browne, my 4 legged (and only) daughter.
    My car.
    Driving my car.
    Armandos comments.
    All creatures great and small.
    Naps.
    A nice fire laid with well aged wood.
    Sweaters.

    But most favored favorites are our 2 sons, my unbelievable husband and PEACE.

    • lulu57 on September 13, 2007 at 11:16

    cheese
    wine
    ibuprofen
    tree frogs
    water
    redwoods
    not worrying about the government
    pooties
    Fizzies
    conjunto
    melty cheese
    low humidity
    fall colors
    laughing so hard your face hurts
    home

  22. BE YOUR 101st COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    well done, pf…awesome.

  23. …walks on the beach and through the woods, Jon Stewart’s snarkiness, a bout of silly giggles with friends, etc., etc…

  24. The people down the block’s cactus wrapped in wisteria that grows next to the street,  one bottle of Los Vascos with one small box of Godiva truffles, sex minus conception, fluffy white towels next to a sparkling bathtub after a full days work.

  25. A challenge, for a pessimist.

    Okay, then:

    Cats.
    Veuve Cliquot Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill.
    Naked women.
    Purple sage.
    Classic heavy metal.
    Kurt Vonnegut.
    My youngest daughter’s smile, and when she calls me “Papi.”
    When my son shows me a glimpse of the man he will become, and I realize how much better, and gentler, and less angry he will be than I.
    Bouillet bourbon, on the rocks.
    A pre-ban Cuban cigar.
    When my wife tells me I’m full of shit, and I realize she is sooo right.
    Black and white pictures of my grandparents when they were young.
    The smell of a library.

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