Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

Bright copper kettles with 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.

(music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II)

Now, that is a song to cheer up a soul, isn't it? I was reminded of this because we've been having thunderstorms and rain, rain, rain the last couple days.

In the movie, The Sound of Music, it is during a thunderstorm that Julie sings this song to the children, to calm their fears.

I was reminded too, because January in England we had record breaking rain, (it was the wettest January in recorded history, I do believe).

We sang this song alot... at least some of us did.

Okay.

It was me. I did.

And Romain too, not so much for the sheer joy as for the fact that it was stuck in his head.

Apparently his kids had been watching the movie over and over.

And over.

Being the nice guy that he is, he let me borrow the movie.

For several months.

And I suspect it still might be sitting on the window sill in John's shop, where I left it for Romain before I came back home in May...

Funny thing... The Sound of Music reminds me of home when I am in England... and England when I am home.

And so... back to this blog post.

A few more of my favorite things... some of which are not things at all... they're people...

Having opportunity to spend time with, and be in relationship with, well, my relatives (!) and also people from different countries and backgrounds and belief systems is by far one of my most favorite things on earth.

Recently, my nephew and niece were visiting from Cali and we got to spend an afternoon together wandering around Stowe, checking out the EXPOSED 2014 sculptures.

If you have a chance yourself, please go. The exhibit is organized so you can collect a map at the Helen Day Art Center and do a self guided audio tour.

All the sculptural works will be on display until October 15th.

You've got plenty of time!

While we were there, they wanted to see my piece from last years EXPOSED, which is still standing.

It really tickles me that people like this place of shelter enough that they continue to go there to sit and reflect, or have lunch, or drink a cup of tea or have a chat... the ground near the log seats continues to be worn by so many feet, it is just bare earth.

And some folks do more than sit, they actually interact with the structure in visible ways. The day we were there I noticed that someone had tied blades of grass together, making delicate ropes, and had tied them onto the inside of the structure, one on either side.

My picture does not really do it justice.

This really made my heart sing. Thank you to whoever felt lead to sit a spell and add a bit of your creative self to the structure.

And then. In case my heart was not full enough already. Lookey here...

morning glories... in all their splendor. Somebody loves me... that's all I can say.

And a couple other pics sent by friends visiting my piece. Dawna.

and Ron... looks like he has spotted the grass rope...

So, there you have it...these are a few of my favorite things!

Will you please take a moment, right now, to think about a few of your favorite things?

I would enjoy hearing from you what they are... or just hear from you!

Love-

susie