A Few of my Favorite Things

1. That is probably my favorite song in the Sound of Music. Closely followed by Lizel singing "I am sixteen going on seventeen". I think I liked that song so much when I was younger because she had on a gorgeous, flowing, gauzy dress. And I wanted one just like it. And I wanted to sing and dance in a gazebo. In the rain. To a hot guy. Who in actuality, wasn't that hot. But I was 8. And to me, it was incredibly romantic.


2. Rain. I love walking in it. Running in it. Dancing in it. Falling asleep to it pattering on the rooftops, plip-plopping on the leaves of the surrounding bushes and trees, and splish-splashing into the puddles. Not to mention, I love stomping through the puddles. Yes, even at 24 years old. However, I don't like being freezing cold & wet because of the rain. But playing soccer on a grass field while the rain comes pouring down...I just don't know if there is anything better. Except maybe the bubble bath I take afterwards to warm up. :)


3. Fall days in Seattle. The air is crisp and clear. The leaves are brilliantly colored in deep crimsons, vibrant oranges, and glowing yellows. I get radiantly happy everytime I crush a fallen leaf with the heel of my boot or toe of my Jack Purcell. The crunching sound of the leaf hitting my shoe, letting out it's last final cry of pain, brings me unexplainable pleasure.


4. The smell & sound of old books. The musty scent as I turn each aged and fraying page. The crinkling sound the spine of the book makes as I bend it back and forth. Such a small pleasure, yet leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Even better is when I curl up in an oversized armchair with said book in a cozy, quaint bookstore and read. For hours. With hot cocoa or cider. I'm not a coffee girl. Never have been and I don't see it ever happening in the forseeable future, but I love my warm, coffee-free, beverages.


5. The elderly. I have such a soft spot for them, which is good because I feel like they are often overlooked by today's society, which glorifies the young and selfish and forgets about the old and wizened. I have a secret longing to play a game of chess in the park with an old man...hopefully he'll be wearing knickers and suspenders. Or just one of the two. And preferably this park will be in Germany. I think I got this idea from the Pixar short where the old man is playing a game of chess against himself. Hopefully one day this dream will be realized. ;)


6. Rocking out in the car to Backstreet Boys or Phantom Planet with my younger sister. Belting out the lyrics off key, in various accents (country, russian, valley-girl, deep shouting voices). We're pretty incredible and will think about recording that album someday.


7. Watching the fire in my fireplace as the flames swirl and leap in the air. This could entertain me for hours on end. And sometimes it does. Especially fun to watch on a cold, rainy evening while cuddled up in a warm, fuzzy blanket.