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?
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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!
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.
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.
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?
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!
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)
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)
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)
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
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..
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!
my favorite people from DKos,
and Cute Overload 🙂
And of course, ponies. Where’s mine?
… 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”…
(Hints about my likes and dislikes in the video, for anyone who cares to decipher them over time – mostly just the atmospherics, though) LOL
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.
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!)
Author
and bookstore smells….YES!!! love love bookstores
especially antique book stores
I came over as soon I saw the invite at dKos, after I arrived home from work.
Nice place you got here. Gotta beer?
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
A love seeing so many “friends” here!
Of course you can join us, Sweetie. I’d feel badly if you were missing. :0)
Author
so wonderful to see you here!!!
“coser”…
hey there, vidgie!
how are we gonna work this dual blogsistance…?
my husband, my daughters, chocolate, diet coke…
my friends here and everywhere!
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
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.
And the Grand Tetons 😉
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
… 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.
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
fiddling
reading
smoking nugs
Cabernet Sauvignon
big bucks
skiing
sweet, sweet love
great music
not in
this order
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.
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
This one’s worth a good chuckle…..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
BE YOUR 101st COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well done, pf…awesome.
…walks on the beach and through the woods, Jon Stewart’s snarkiness, a bout of silly giggles with friends, etc., etc…
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.
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.