My New Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are definitely not my favorite things, although I absolutely adore hearing my daughter sing the song from the Sound of Music. Just recently, a woman whose blog I much enjoy reading listed some of her favorite things and that caused me to start thinking along those lines too. Interestingly, to me at least, is the fact that my tastes have changed over the years. I’m just listing things as they come to mind so they are not in any order, at all.

Children and dogs have to be first, at any rate. No, I don’t like all of them mainly because I know I can’t have all of them. Also, the only reason to dislike a young child, under 12 or 14, for example, is lack of training and direction. Children are like baby animals that have to be civilized. It is a full time job –and no, it doesn’t take a village. It takes an adult with the common sense God gave a billy goat to hang in there and do the job. I could write a book about this.

Another favorite thing is my jar opener and paring knife. I received a jar opener from our bank in about 1971 and I carry it everywhere I know I’ll be doing some cooking. Also, I often carry a sharp paring knife in my purse. I’m delighted to help with dinner but I have little tolerance for a dull knife. When I first married, I would ask my mother in law if I could help with dinner. She would hand me a dull knife and say to peel the tomatoes. I finally stopped asking.

Eggs- cooked any way at all. Years ago my internist said they are the perfect food and I agree. They are easy to prepare, nutritious, cheap, and perfect for old people on a budget. (I have eaten them most days for the past forty years and I have never had high cholesterol, either.) Years ago, when my husband’s family was having breakfast in a restaurant, a small boy sitting nearby wanted to order by himself. Reading from the menu, he announced he’d like to order “eggs any style”. Of course, his older brothers never let him forget it, poor little guy.

The fragrances of fresh pine and a wood fire, especially during cold weather.

A good writing pen is a thing of joy, even if just writing a grocery list. Ballpoint pens are from the devil. My cursive writing is not so good anymore. It was never beautiful but was very clear. Having taught 5^th grade, I found that my smallest quirk or mistake in penmanship, would be picked up immediately. Back then, I wrote on the blackboard a lot while the kids copied what I wrote. A member of our family had the most beautiful penmanship, looked almost like a picture. Only trouble was that it was nearly impossible to read. Yes, she was an artist.

Five years ago, I fell and broke both shoulders. Arthritis settled in the shoulders plus I lack full use of my left arm. Fortunately, I am right handed. The point I am making is that there are plenty of gadgets that are quite helpful, plus available. One that I use several times a day is what I call my grabber. It is less than a yard long and gives me the ability to pick up fallen objects plus reach items that are not close. I have one in my bedroom and another in the kitchen.. Coco hates it so if I snap it at her she drops whatever she has gotten into.

Another item I enjoy is a long handled hair brush that allows me to reach the back of my head. It is slightly curved, light weight, easy to clean and use. So many helpers are out there if one does a little research. The grabbers were purchased at a local drug store.

There are many favorite foods:

• I am amazed that I no longer actually crave chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, I still like it. However, I can live without it. I’m pretty much that way about all sweets, especially after a big meal.
• Mid morning or, better still, mid afternoon is a better time for a piece of my homemade pecan pie and a cup of hot Starbucks coffee.. Mike and I agree on a couple of desserts: Flan and Tiramisu. They are not difficult to prepare but are a tiny bit time consuming.[For more on Tiramisu see here]
• I remember my mother’s wonderful, homemade hot bisquits and I can make them nearly as good, though  I haven’t made them for ages. One of those bisquits with a little Smuckers cherry preserves is mighty good.

These days, a really good book, fiction or nonfiction, is a wonderful gift. Some years back, when we lived on a lake [a river, really] I saved the more serious books to read during winter. That way, if I was snowed in [read - over one inch of snow] I was happy as a pig in sunshine. Often, I reviewed books for the AAUW, in Knoxville and Oak Ridge, and I usually tried to talk about one fiction, one nonfiction, and one fairly lighthearted. I decided early on that talking about just one book for 45 minutes was boring to me. Also, it was very tempting to just teach the book. Actually, some of the little old ladies wanted me to teach the books. That way, they thought they could discuss the book intelligently without bothering to read it.

More than ever, these days, I enjoy staying in touch with old friends. The computer has been a major help in that regard. Sometimes the communication is just a funny or a political opinion but it allows me to touch base. Of course, we do trade letters and comments too. I’d probably never send a snail mail note with just a couple of lines – but I often send an e mail that short. Having, at my fingertips, the ability to research any subject I can think of is interesting and entertaining. Once I learned to Google, I was off and running.

Computers can be wonderful for seniors. I have two longtime friends who bought their computers about the time my kids gave me my first one. Yes, I made all kinds of mistakes, still do in fact. Every now and then, I make mistakes so bad, I have to pay someone to come fix them. But I have persevered  and received  many hours of enjoyment from my computer. One of my friends who has an MA plus years of teaching said she just couldn’t learn to use it. Now she is depressed and bored--------- and rather boring as well. The other friend, a clinical psychologist, has serious health problems and is being forced to stay home most of the time. She too is bored and depressed. She also decided learning to use her computer was too much trouble. One mistake both of these women made was to locate their computers too far away from their traffic areas. In my previous house, my computer was in my kitchen. In this house, it is in my bedroom, which is large.

For today, my last new favorite thing is actually a long time favorite thing. By thunder, my bright red lipstick just makes me feel better! When I glance in the mirror and see myself without it, I am not a happy camper. But, add the color--- and I think, the ol’ girl may be around awhile longer.