A Few of My Favorite Things

Maria Von Trapp sang about her favorite things. Oprah gives away her favorite things. Grams wants to share a few of my favorite things with you.  This is just a partial list, there will be more later. Here are a few of Grams favorite things ...

Pop-Pop Reading to Our Little Princess

I love reading to children, especially Our Little Princess and I love childrens' books. I also love the fact that Grandad will read to Our Little Princess any time she asks. Normally, he doesn't display too much interest in books. He would much rather stretch out in that recliner and watch a movie or television show. But somehow, whatever the Princess wants to do is okay with Pop-Pop!

Bird of Paradise

I love Bird-of-Paradise. I love it so much that I chose for my bridesmaids to carry single stems of Bird-of-Paradise.

The  plant pictured is in my front yard. It was a gift from my next-door-neighbors in memory of my mother. It's been planted in that spot for three years, but has never bloomed. About two months ago, my neighbor asked me if she could fertilize it. She gave it a Miracle-Gro feeding and it's been blooming ever since. Gorgeous!

Picture Mail

I love picture mail! It keeps me in touch with my family wherever they roam. This picture is my gorgeous daughter-in-law, Marie, and my handsome son, Nick, enjoying a winery in the Los Angeles area. They were there in September for a long weekend and, because of picture mail, we got to share the excitement as they looked at the stars on the Walk of Fame and visited Rodeo Drive. It's so great to get picture or video mail that allows me to share their lives and stay connected to them.

Bunco

I started playing bunco on a regular basis when I was pregnant with our son. He will be 29 years old tomorrow. That means, I have played bunco a minimum of once a month for almost 30 years now. For a while I played with two clubs, so I played twice a month.

If you're not familiar with bunco, it's a dice game for 12 people (usually 12 women).  The only skill required is the ability to count to 21 and a whole lot of enthusiasm. And, to tell the truth, the ability to count to 21 is optional because everyone has a partner and you can depend on someone at the table to help you count. For me bunco is a girls' night out once a month and an opportunity to let off steam and act silly. Some clubs play for prizes, but we play for money.

Books

I love books ... fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, bestsellers, classics, leather bound, paperback, whatever! You name it. I love it. I discovered books at a very early age. I was one of those kids that would stay indoors and read all the time. My mother had different plans and would chase me outdoors and make me play with other kids. Now, rather than isolate me, books help me interact with others. I belong to a fabulous book club. The twelve women who are members of The Book Snobs share my love for books. Once a month we get together to discuss a great or not-so-great book, share a glass of wine and a lovely dinner. This group feeds my soul like few other things in my life.

These are the little things that make life lovely for Grams. There are many other things that also belong on this list. I'm thinking of making this a regular post.

My Favorite Picture(s)

A couple of days ago, my friend and fellow blogger, the Yummy Mummy tagged Grams to post my favorite picture of all time. This has been a very tough choice for me. I've sifted through hundreds, if not thousands, of photos of my kids, my parents, my family. I've looked at photos of births, baptisms, Christmases, Independence Days, vacations, family reunions, and a plethora of other celebrations. I finally narrowed it down to just a few photos and I did ultimately choose one favorite.

This photo of my parents is among my favorites. It was taken on their wedding day. Mom was a war bride and just a short while later she would be expecting their first child while Dad would be in Europe fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. But they look happy and full of promise in this picture. The dress in the photo was a dark green, she kept it for many years. Notice that she wore socks on her wedding day. It always makes me smile.


I really like this photo of my children dancing together at Katy's wedding reception. It was very nearly my favorite of all. I love the way they are laughing and having a good time. When they were little and fought with each other a lot, my mother-in-law promised me that some day they would love each other. It didn't take as long as I thought and I can really see it in this picture.


Another favorite is this one of Katy and Travis right after their wedding. It was taken just outside the church after the ceremony. All the guests and the rest of the wedding party had already gone to the reception site. The photographer captured this shot from a distance and I don't think they were even aware that he was still shooting. What I see in this moment is how tenderly Travis is holding Katy and the joy in the way she has opened her arms to him.


I also must include this photo from Nick and Marie's wedding among my favorites. Clearly the photographer told him to look serious. Something that is completely foreign to Nick, so much so that it made Marie laugh out loud. I think they look like models.


And then there is this photo of Grams at 2 years old. I think I was pretty darn cute and I've always loved this picture.


And, what kind of Grams would I be if I didn't have at least one picture of our little princess among my favorites? I especially love this one of Ezra and Katy which was taken last fall at her Aunt Catherine's wedding. By the way, Grams made the dress that the little princess is wearing.


But, if I have to narrow my choice to just one favorite, here it is. It's a snapshot of Katy and Nick when they were little. Katy is about 3 years old and is clutching her ever-present stuffed animals while looking completely and, I think a little smugly, innocent. Nick is about a year old and for some forgotten reason is crying hysterically. But I'm sure Katy had nothing to do with it. This photo cracks me up and I love it. It captures the moment so accurately.

Okay, so maybe I cheated a little by sharing more than one favorite. But to be fair, Grams is a lot older than Yum so I have a lot more to choose from.