Only hours away...

Well, you now know more than you ever wanted to know about me, but hopefully also have some fun ideas for food, books, movies, organizing bins or whatever else might have been amusing to you if you’ve read all 59 of the preceding posts.

December 31st at 8 pm, after about 14 years, I am breaking my chocolate fast. And the first thing I will eat is the last favorite:

BROWNIE WITH MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM, FUDGE AND WHIPPED CREAM.

Come celebrate with me (e-mail if you need the address - raybee777@hotmail.com).

And, Happy New Year!

1 - I Know a Name

...dearer to ME than any other....it is the name Aunt Becky.

I have the most adorable, precious, talented, wonderful, cute, smart, and perfect nieces and nephews in all the wide world. They are simply the joy of life.

I have been blessed to have an extraordinary extended family - once, my uncle took a day off work to spend six hours driving me to Idaho so I could join my family and go to Hebgen for the last time. Pretty big deal to me. My uncles, aunts, cousins and of course, grandparents are treasures.

My sisters-in-law, brothers and their families and my angel parents are the best part of my life. When people ask me what my hobbies are, I say - reading, cooking, swimming...stuff like that. But, the real answer is my family. They are my hobby and if I could, the way I would choose to spend all my free time. I love you all!!

#1 on my list of Favorite Things is MY FAMILY.

2 - I Believe

I remember the day I was baptized very clearly. I remember that Grandma Allred was sitting on the front row and told me after the baptism that my Dad was the only one who kissed me on the forehead when I got out of the water. I remember that the water was very warm. I remember feeling so happy and glad I had chosen to follow Christ. It was the best decision I ever made.

That decision has impacted my entire life and is one of the things I treasure most.

It might be more accurate to say:

MY TESTIMONY is on my list of things for which I am most grateful.

3 - I Believe There are Angels Among Us

I grew up in a neighborhood & ward with some truly angelic people - no one who lived in the ward would debate the fact that Maureen & Phyllis were angels who consistently blessed the lives of everyone around them.

I was blessed by them and blessed again to find another neighborhood and ward with angelic friends and neighbors who continue to bless my life with their thoughtful kindness.

I love my ward. It is full of people who do kind things for me and live good lives. They are real life evidence of what President Kimball said:

The Lord does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other. The righteous life is achieved as we magnify our view of life, and expand our view of others and of our own possibilities. Thus, the more we follow the teachings of the Master, the more enlarged our perspective becomes. We see many more possibilities for service than we would have seen without this magnification.

#3 on my list of Favorite Things is MY WARD.

4 - Tell Me The Stories of Jesus

One of my favorite mission memories was showing a mother and her young children an animated version of 3 Nephi 11 - when the Savior appears to the Nephites living on the American continent - and seeing the impact that knowledge of a living and loving Christ had on those precious children.

The video, produced by Living Scriptures, is a very sweet rendering of the account in the Book of Mormon.
#4 on my list of Favorite Things is this STORY OF JESUS.

5 - The REAL Christmas Street

I grew up on a street where each December, the neighbors all came together to do something nice for the community and to testify of the birth, life and mission of Jesus Christ...the real reason for the season. The homes in the circle all display large signs on their lawns with New Testament scriptures and pictures portraying the related scenes.

Cars, buses, limos, carollers came from all over the valley to drive around that circle. We always felt pretty special to live on such a cool street where so many people came to read of the Savior's birth and life. Most Christmas Eves we had to wait in bumper to bumper traffic to get in our driveway.

It was all started by some stalwart old souls - my grandpa & Sy Curtis - before I was born, but the tradition they started is still blessing countless lives - even after they have both returned to that Savior of whom they testified.

This was just one of the Christmas traditions I cherished...I loved the eggnog toast before going in to open presents, Christmas breakfasts, visits from and to grandparents, family parties, and Christmas morning programs to read and open presents by ("shepherds abiding in their fields, keeping watch over their flocks" meant wool sweaters....disciples called to be "fishers of men" meant fishing gear..."angels singing to proclaim His birth meant CDs, stereo equipment, or iPods), etc,.... We still do most of these and I love it!

#5 on my list of Favorite Things is our family CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS.

6 - Montana Mile Marker #5

Several writers and movie makers have tried to capture the essence of an Ideal – a perfect place of love, joy and peace.…

-Sir Thomas More in Utopia;
-The Arthurian legend of a place called Camelot (the Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave film is a classic);
-Or James Hilton’s description of Shangri La in Lost Horizon (was also made into a great movie).

I knew a man who succeeded in creating a real Utopia/Camelot/Shangri La. We called him Hans. And, his cabin on Hebgen Lake WAS the Ideal.

Apart from the days my brothers got married or had children, the best and happiest memories of my life are of Hebgen. Check out that sweet life-preserver. I could swim quite well by this time, but it was important to Mom and Dad and Hans that we all stay safe, so we wore them faithfully - and didn't really mind, because who could be bothered by anything at Hebgen?!

Hans was one of those rare individuals who saw the opportunity to make and share something special and actually did it. He was constantly improving things and doing things for us while we were there - like building a fire each morning so that when we woke up it was warm in the cabin...or teaching us how to make ice cream in the garage...or taking us on wood safari's...hunting for huckleberries...spinning tales about slingshots and moose (which I believed into adulthood)...showing us silent movies from his amazing collection in a living room theater decked out with big screen, reel to reel, light dimmer and surround sound...or giving up his bedroom in the big cabin so we could feel like the cabin was our's.

I can still remember the smell of the woods and lake and the feeling of waking up in that bed under the 4 inch thick brown quilt; and, the site of my Dad chasing a baby bear outside the dining windows to get a photo; my brothers hunting for frogs; swinging on the swing; playing chinese checkers and the marble game; listening to "cabin music"; the wind in my hair as I skiied across a glass lake; cleaning my first fish; sliding down the plastic cushions at the Walton-style table; and saying goodbye for the last time.

In a few days, when I blow out the candle sitting atop the first chocolate birthday cake I’ve had in a very long time, my birthday wish will be for everyone to have a Hans and the opportunity to experience the Ideal that was Hebgen.

#6 on my list of Favorite Things is HANS' CABIN and HEBGEN LAKE, MONTANA.

7 - Sleeping in Beauty

My niece and I were talking the other day about the removable tops of the posts on her bed (they make great microphones and weapons). She has the bed I grew up with. In it's prime, it was a beautiful canopy bed. I still remember my excitement, when at the end of my Christmas morning treasure hunt, I ended up opening my bedroom door to see this glorious cream colored bed standing there - with a matching cream and brown rug on the floor. My parents had us all sleep in one room that Christmas Eve. We thought it was so fun to have a Christmas slumber party. Despite the fact that my brothers will tell you I was spoiled every Christmas (only girl) I never thought I would get such a grand present. They kept it at the Pococks across the street to ensure secrecy. What a site they must have been carting big boxes out of their neighbor's house in the middle of the night.

I loved that bed. And, I love my "big girl" bed now. It has a pillow top and in the winter, flannel sheets, fleece and down blankets and the best pillow in the wide world. I just LOVE when I get to sleep in or take a nap. There's pretty much nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap, is there? (SO excited for morning church in one week!!!)

I recognize that not everyone sleeps in such luxury - in peace, warmth, and comfort - and I am truly grateful for this blessing in my life. I am a girl who needs her sleep.

#7 on my list of Favorite Things is MY BED.

(The pic above is the closest web photo I could find to what my bed looked like. It is VERY close. The canopy on MY bed met its match with the monkeys who liked sneaking in and swinging from it.)

8 - Apples Anyone?

When I was in high school we had English lab rotations where we got to work on MacIntosh computers for 30 minutes. At the time, this was revolutionary because the computer lab only had Dos. Now, they have kindergarteners doing PowerPoint presentations. Talk about progress. (No comments on how long it's been since I've been in kindgergarten, please.)

Time has moved on a bit and while I'm not a school teacher, I still love the Apple. I think one of the best inventions since butter and airplanes is the iPod. What a cool device!! I started with a very cute pink mini, moved on to middle school and the nano and then skipped several grades to the Mac university with an iPod touch. This thing is absolutely amazing. Like my cell phone, I do not know how I lived without my iPod. And they just keep getting better and better. Those Mac people sure know what they are doing.

#8 on my list of Favorite Things is my iPOD!!!!

9 - Christmas is coming and the goose is already fat...

Catchy title, right? hahaha

I distinctly remember the trip to one Christmas Eve family party driving diagonally up a very steep and very slippery hill because the car had no traction on the ice. We slid all the way UP that hill. As previously mentioned, snow driving = evil for Becky.

Had I been my Dad, the driver, I would have thought of nothing else during the party but how the heck were we going to get back down that hill at the end of the evening without crashing??! He's much less dramatic than I and probably didn't do that. As a little girl, while it scared me, I did not quite comprehend the peril we may have been in and probably slept the whole way home, waking after a peaceful night's rest the next morning to presents galore.

Thanks to my parents and four very loving and generous grandparents, that drive is the only slightly negative memory I have of all the Christmases in my whole history. Most of my happiest Christmas memories are of family parties.

On Christmas Eve, we always went to my grandparent's home. We exchanged gifts, sang, performed, re-enacted the nativity, and ate spectacular meals. They served the best food made all year at Christmas - amazing statement given that they had already pulled out all the stops at Thanksgiving. But at Christmas, they must have found a few hidden stops and that food was sheer ambrosia. (Can you mix organ and food metaphors?)

My expectations for Christmas food is simply off the charts because of those parties, so when I tell you that I have found a recipe that to me is worthy of Christmas dinner, you know it is quite a statement. My friend, Claire, posted these amazing cookies on her blog in 2009. I made them last Christmas Eve and absolutely LOVED them. They are very Christmassy and really do melt in your mouth. I totally stole her post from last year for my day 9:

Peppermint Meltaways
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are very lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting:
2 TBSP butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2-3 drops red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies/candy canes
Beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, milk, extract and food coloring and beat until smooth. Spread over completely cooled cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candies.

# 9 on my list of Favorite Things is this recipe for PEPPERMINT MELTAWAYS. Thanks, Claire!!

10 - Ships

Have you ever sat and pondered what you would do if you won the lottery or the sweepstakes or just suddenly came into a substantial amount of money? Well, I have.

It would be a dream come true. After writing the biggest check in my tithing history, I would:

- Buy houses/pay off the mortgages for my family (and me)
- Buy a big cabin on Hebgen Lake
- Set up a charitable organization doing something great for children where the now mortgage-free family could spend their time
- Buy a car for any of the family who needed it (and four new cars for me – Black Convertible Boxster, Big Jeep, Super Big Truck, and a CRV like the one I have now only black and with a few extras)
- Undoubtedly go to the spa once a week and spend a few weeks buying a ridiculous amount of clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, luggage, and organizing bins, etc.
- Fly first class to Australia and spend two weeks driving down the Great Ocean Road
- And best of all, I would buy whatever gifts I wanted for family, friends, coworkers…whomever

Can you imagine? Not being constrained by a budget when purchasing gifts for people? THIS would be nirvana for me. I absolutely LOVE giving gifts. It is not because I am a wonderful philanthropist or benefactress (what a cool word!)…I just really get a kick out of seeking out and giving gifts that are special for people I love. I am sure it has more to do with loving shopping than anything else. OH….and, think of the stuffed animal lions I could get for me and my nieces and nephews. Life-sized. What fun!

The thing is, I can’t wait for my pirate ship (with Orlando Bloom captaining it) to come in. Albert Einstein said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” So – I am going to have to be worthwhile now. I am pretty sure the Budget Master would frown on increasing the 2011 amount budgeted for gifts, so- people who I love: get ready for non-monetary gifts….whatever that is. Oh Mr. Pirate...where are you?

#10 on my list of Favorite Things is GIVING GIFTS (which I prefer to call PRIZES).

11 - Soaring

Victor Hugo once said, “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”

His book, Les Miserables, lit a fire in me and I've been reading as much and often as I could ever since. When I find a book I love, I get consumed, and sometimes ignore everything else.

Here are 20 of my favorites:

- Les Miserables
- Gone With The Wind
- Uncle Tom's Cabin
- The Hiding Place
- Anne of Green Gables
- Harry Potter
- Open
- The Glass Lake
- Twilight
- The Bourne Identity
- Oliver Twist
- The Hobbit
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Dr. Zhivago
- The Grapes of Wrath
- The Good Earth
- Little Women
- Pride & Prejudice
- The Outsiders
- Shopaholic

And there are a ton of others that I love.

“To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”
- A C Grayling

I love to fly. And, I love to read.

#11 on my list of Favorite Things is READING.

12 - I Know a Place

There is a song I used to love to sing when I was at girls camp:

I know a place where no one ever goes
There's peace and quiet, beauty and repose
It's hidden in a valley, beside a mountain stream
And lying there beside the stream
I find that I can dream
Oh what a place of beauty to the eye
Snow peaked mountains towering towards the sky
Now I know that God has made this world for me

I still like to sing this song, but in a different place of beauty to the eye, and with slightly different lyrics:

I know a place where Becky loves to go
There's peace and quiet, beauty eventhough
It's hidden down a Walmart aisle, beside an organizing bin
And standing there beside the bin
I find that I can grin
Oh what a place of beauty to the eye
Organizing bins and baskets towering towards the sky
Now I know that God has made this store for me

I absolutely LOVE organizing bins. I have them in my entry way, my bedroom, my bathrooms, my closets, my kitchen, my TV room, my living room, my car...everywhere. And I wish I had more. And, I am constantly in search of the best organized purses, bags, luggage, etc. This doesn't mean I am super organized...I just love the dream of being super organized. I am always thinking about what I could do in this corner or that one to be better organized. I love it.

#12 on my list of Favorite Things is ORGANIZING BINS.

13 - The Song of The Heart

When I was very little - 7 or something - my Dad told me he would buy me my own hymn book if I would learn to play the hymn, Come, Come Ye Saints. I told my piano teacher about it and she said I was not good enough to play it yet. My Dad bought a simplified hymn book to try and help, but it was too late.

The gauntlet had been thrown down when she uttered the "can't" word. Interesting (or not) side note - I don't mind when I realize I can't do something, but when someone else tells me that....sometimes (rarely) I agree. This wasn't one of those times.

I worked at that hymn until my whole family was probably sick to death of it. But, guess what?! I learned it so well that I still can play it by memory to this day. AND - I got my very own hymn book. Thanks, Dad for believing in me! Maybe Zora did too...just had a different method for inciting me. :)

Anywho - learning Come, Come Ye Saints started me down a path of loving to play hymns. I was the pianist or organist for everything growing up - family conferences and Christmas events, primary, young womens, sacrament meeting, firesides (where I was jinxed for a while and made a mistake in the intro every time for months - even in front of Jon Schmidt and President Hinckley), big regional basketball tournament kick-off meetings (thanks to Uncle Blaine), stake events (where I had to play with Richard Elliot and Elizabeth Ballantyne sitting right behind me - one of my worst performances EVER!), sitting around the piano with my family on a Sunday night, on vacation in Island Park as evidently the only visitor in a group of hundreds who could play the hymns (or was willing to), on my mission (where I had another jinx and simply could not play Called to Serve without messing up - one time my mission president's wife even looked over at me with incredulity wondering how anyone could mess up so much), for work seminars (had the great privelege to play the piano and the organ for apostles and prophets), and at grandparents funerals...when I finished playing How Great Thou Art at my Grandma's funeral, Grandpa got up out of the audience and walked over to the piano to hug me...one of my most cherished memories.

Who would have thought it? Well, my Mom and Dad did. Dad knew what he was doing with that challenge and Mom had envisioned her musical children long ago. Ok, ok - I forgive you for ripping me out of ballet. It was definitely worth it.

#13 on my list of Favorite Things is PLAYING HYMNS.

14 - Kermit

Contrary to popular belief, my favorite color is not black. I do love wearing black, but my favorite color is...

GREEN! I mean - who'd want a BLACK Christmas tree? Hmmm..... that might be cool... No. Green. Always has been. But, just think of the possibilities of black and green combined! Oh, yeah - I already did! That's my living room. hahahaha! (Can you tell I am running out of material and writing at odd hours on not much sleep?)

#14 on my list of Favorite Things is THE COLOR GREEN.

15 - Shaken, not stirred

What if there was a man who could always figure his way out of any situation, had a sweet fast car full of every gadget known to inventors, was quick on his feet, won every fight he fought almost without breaking a sweat, saved the world from war all in a day's work, dressed to kill and had a license to do the same...wouldn't you want him on your side?

Well, he's in Her Majesty's Service, so too bad for us Yanks, but at least we can enjoy the films. And I do! I love James Bond films. I know some of my sister "feminists" would dissaprove, but maybe they haven't seen Daniel Craig or Sean Connery before. And, while we are on the subject, here's my order of Great Bonds from crappiest to best:

-Timothy Dalton (surely, they jest)
-George Lazenby (who?)
-Roger Moore (fish face I call him)
-Pierce Brosnan (getting better! except, don't have him sing - WOW!)
-and here, I waver between Daniel Craig and Sean Connery - the two best - no contest

But, where I don't waver is which is my favorite Bond film: You Only Live Twice. Love it.

I also think Casino Royale (the new one, not the spoof) is excellent.

#15 on my list of Favorite Things is BOND, JAMES BOND FILMS.

16 - Are You Being Served?

One of the dumbest (in my opinion) British Comedies is set in a high-end department store where clerks approach customers with the phrase, "Are you being served?" It's the only redeeming part of the show. I love the idea of store clerks with a focus on service...remember how I LOVE good customer service...rather than just helping someone? Service implies meeting a need that might not have been expressed.

Well, my brother and I discovered the Mecca for customers seeking good service: Cancun Cafe.

A couple of years ago, we were at Cancun Cafe and made the huge mistake of drinking a lot of water with our chips and salsa and we were full before the meal came. That didn't stop us though. We ate the lot and thought we might lose our cookies the rest of the night. This kind of memory would normally cause me to avoid the scene of the crime, but the thing about Cancun Cafe is Pedro - the best waiter in all the wide world.

We've been asking to sit at Pedro's table for a couple years now. He remembers all our favorites - no lettuce for my brother, Horchata for me, doesn't charge us for chip refills and brings us guacamole and the spicey salsa with our chips without us asking, ...he's quick, the food tastes better when he's there, and most importantly, he is friendly and treats us as if we were life-long friends. He is simply the best, Jerry. The best! He even brought me a T-shirt from his trip to Mexico a while back.

Pedro gets a bigger tip than any waiter ever in the history of tips (well, maybe not quite that) and he deserves every penny.

#16 on my list of Favorite Things is PEDRO.

17 - People Without Faces

As we were traveling home from work one blizzardy day - just after I had gotten my driver's license - my Dad counseled his strong-willed teenage daughter, "I'm an experienced driver, and I wouldn't go out in this snow tonight. I think you should stay home from the high school basketball game."

I didn't stay home, and he was right. Two good friends and I were in an accident - no injuries, thankfully - and, the other driver was cited for failure to yield. To this day, I regret not listening to that advice for two reasons. The first - despite having gained some experience and snow driving skill, I am terrified of driving in the snow. Still.

The second reason - I lost my brilliant collection of key chains that night. I'd been collecting key chains on vacations for several years and somehow, my keys were lost during the mayhem after the accident. Tragic.

I love my collections...stuffed lions, movie soundtracks, trip sweatshirts, Authors card games, earrings, and Willow Trees.
My nephew calls them the people without faces. Somehow, these little people without faces speak to me (in the figure-ative sense - get it, Dad?) and I love them. Above is most of the collection minus my Willow Tree Nativity set and a couple of figures I have at work.

I love giving Willow Trees as gifts and getting them as gifts too...like my other collections, many of the pieces have been given to me by people who know me well.... and to each of you, I say THANK YOU!

#17 on my list of Favorite Things is my WILLOW TREES.

18 - Press Forward!!

Have you ever had times in your life where you've felt like the best you could do was to just keep breathing? Where the trials, or pressure, or stress, or burden, or sadness was so big and weighing down so heavily upon you that just taking those breaths was a big effort?

Well, I have. And I know many others who have had those times as well. A few years back, there was a song by Anna Nalick that I played over and over in my car....But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table. No one can find the rewind button now; Sing it if you understand...and breathe, just breathe....

That song was a temporary help then. But, my universal and much more effective cure-all is found in some words from the prophet Nephi, in The Book of Mormon:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)

I love this! I think Nephi, who surely endured much, understood well the feeling of being weighed down and knew what to do. Now I replace the "just breathe" with "just keep pressing forward!!!"

#18 on my list of Favorite Things is 2 NEPHI 31:20.

19 - Little Treasures

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior teaches the importance of seeking the Lord’s kingdom first. St. Matthew recounts for us these instructions from Jesus: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

I had the great blessing to learn from four extraordinary individuals who sought the Lord’s kingdom first: my amazing grandparents. Their lives and examples and the multitude of lessons I learned from them are treasures beyond price to me. I think of each of them daily.

In addition to the love and life lessons I inherited from them, I have some tangible treasures from each of them. Favorite among those treasures are –

From Grandma Pendleton: the hand-written 3x5 card of her favorite quote reminding her (and me) to stop worrying (LeGrand Richards: “For every worry under the sun, There is a remedy, or there is none; If there be one, hurry and find it, If there be none, never mind it.”).

From Grandpa Pendleton: his big warm red Stanford sweatshirt reminding me of the importance of a constant pursuit of excellence.

From Grandpa Smith: a $1 bill from his bill pad reminding me of the importance of saving and spending wisely.

From Grandma Smith: a rose ring I bought with the $10 she kindly gave me to use on my Australia trip weeks before she died – reminding me of her beauty and her constant efforts to bless our lives.

Treasures, indeed.

#19 on my list of Favorite Things are my TREASURED MEMORIES OF LOVING GRANDPARENTS.

20 - 80’s Night at the Oscars

One summer, my brother and I spent many nights eating Cheetos and Ranch dip (very delicious) and watching an 80’s classic film: North Shore. Now, some might say we were losers with nothing to do, but I think it is more to do with the fact that we enjoy good food, good movies, and having a good laugh.

North Shore is a “B” movie, if that, but it is very fun to watch and quote (“Nobody listens to turtle…”). There are several other 80’s movies I would throw into the “B” category – all movies I loved (and still love) to watch over and over; they might not merit an Academy nod for Best Picture, but I would give them other awards like….

Some Kind of Wonderful – Most Awkward Kissing Scene to Watch While on a Not Great Blind Date Award (in addition - a bug flew onto my lip while we were eating and I ate it)

16 Candles – Sweetest Red Porsche/Just Like the Boy Next Door Award

Top Gun – Top Volley-Ball Game I Like to Watch (what girl doesn't?) Award

Pretty in Pink – Greatest Soundtrack to Listen to While Lying Out Award

Always – Best Last Movie Seen with College Sweetheart Award

Footloose – Classic Movie My Grandma Didn’t Want Me to Watch on the Airplane Ride to Hawaii but Had Already Seen with My Young Women’s Leader Award

Fletch – Most Quoted Chevy Chase Line Award (also my favorite comedy film ever)

Karate Kid – Most Reminiscent of Neighborhood Boys Award

Superman II – Craziest Movie I Wish I Hadn’t Watched with My Mom and My Friend’s Mom Award

Princess Bride – Most Quoted Movie by Missionaries in Australia Award

The Outsiders – Best Book My 6th Grade Teacher Read to Us Award

Now – this is all just a silly walk down memory lane, to be sure, but in fairness to the brilliance of the 80’s, there were also some absolute classics produced– certainly worthy of a real Best Picture Oscar, like:

Somewhere in Time, Out of Africa, Dead Poets Society, On Golden Pond, Driving Miss Daisy, The Mission, Gandhi, Chariots of Fire and Rain Man.

#20 on my list of Favorite Things is 80’s MOVIES.

Bonus Prize: Which of these were either nominated or DID get the Best Picture?

21 - And even Mister Moon is left without a tune…

I love movies with 80's music references...like Wedding Singer (the Boy George wannabe is classic) or Music & Lyrics (what a great Wham! spoof).

I think it is safe to say, the 80’s produced some of the best music EVER. I started trying to compile a list of Top 5 Favorites – from the stuff I listened to a lot during the 80’s – and I simply couldn't narrow it to five.

Here is my list - these are just the MOST favorite. There were so many other classics from the 80’s:

aHA, Air Supply, Bananarama, The Bangles, Barry Manilow, Berlin, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Chicago, Corey Hart, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, Dan Fogelberg, Def Leppard, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Eurythmics, The Go-Go’s, Guns-N’-, Roses, Hall & Oates, Huey Lewis & The News, Kenny Loggins, Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Police/Sting, ‘Til Tuesday, R.E.M., Sheena Easton, Siouxie and the Banshees, Stevie Nicks, Tears for Fears, U2, Wham!, Whitney Houston, Yaz

Who did I miss? Do you have a favorite 80’s band/performer?

#21 on my list of Favorite Things is 80’s MUSIC.

Comment Prizes to be Awarded:
First Place – Cite who introduced me to ‘Til Tuesday & my favorite of their songs
Second Place – Cite the Siouxie and the Banshees song I used to blast from my Toyota Tercel stereo
Third Place – Cite the best Tears for Fears song phrase
Honorable Mention – 1st to finish the post’s title phrase and cite the artist & song title (TRY not to google it)

22 - This Little Light of Mine

When we took family vacations to Hebgen, there were some traditions that accompanied each trip:

-Visiting Western Nut Company to get spanish peanuts for the chipmunks and squirrels
-Stopping in Ashton to get worms for fishing
-Going on wood safaris
-Eating cheese curd, snickerdoodles, and home-made ice cream
-Silent movies
-Games, fishing, skiing, sun-bathing (I had the sweetest tan back in those days)
-Big amazing breakfasts every morning
-Cabin music, and...
-Taking turns washing the dishes.

Everything was better at Hebgen - even washing dishes. We worked in teams and it was fun washing those thick plates (I think there were orange and brown circles around the edges) and pretty clear glasses. This was the one time in my life I didn't mind doing the dishes.

I mind it now, but my sister-in-law introduced me to something that makes it a bit more enjoyable: LemiShine. This is the best detergent EVER. It smells nice and my plates and glasses and silverware come out looking better than they ever did before I saw the light that is LemiShine.

It is sometimes hard to find, and slightly pricey, but when I do find it, I stockpile it to ensure continued dishwashing happens at my house.

#22 on my list of Favorite Things is LEMISHINE.

23 - Simple Signs

Remember the scene in Sleepless in Seattle where Meg Ryan’s character, Annie, is trying on a wedding dress up in the attic with her mother and the dress rips? She sadly cries out, “It’s a sign.” And, her mother replies, “You don’t believe in signs.”

Annie might not, but I do. I believe when I get a great parking spot by a store or mall that it is a sign or harbinger of good shopping ahead. I have been known to happily exclaim, as I pull into a great parking spot, “It’s a sign!” I proceed into the store of choice, fully hoping to find just the right thing, or get a great deal, or spend a lot of money.
My great parking place excitement applies in non-shopping situations too though. I just think it is fun, and when I am running late (which is often), very helpful to get a great parking place. I once had an intern who told me my joy over finding a great parking place was a simple pleasure for a simple mind (needless to say – not one of the interns I hired full-time).
The workings of most female minds certainly aren’t simple. It can get pretty complex in there. I choose to characterize my parking pleasure as finding joy in even little gifts and events in life. Like putting a reserved parking sticker on my car this week. Pretty great perk!
#23 on my list of Favorite Things is GETTING A GOOD PARKING PLACE.

24 - Once there was a snowman...tall, Tall, TALL

A couple years ago, I had the calling of all callings at church. Primary teacher. Listen – this is just the best calling a person could have.

-You get to study the fundamental gospel principles and think of creative ways to teach them.
-You get to laugh and color and dance and go on treasure hunts and sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and Once There was a Snowman instead of sitting solemnly in classes for two hours.
-You get to be taught by some of God’s precious children about faith and goodness and love.

Example: One day, the lesson was on prayer. I had my class each take turns saying something they would thank Heavenly Father for and then something they would ask Him for. They all said many sweet things. When it came to my Jonah, he said he would ask for the little boy who had been in the wheelchair during singing time to be ok.

Doesn’t get any better than that.

#24 on my list of Favorite Things is BEING A PRIMARY TEACHER.

25 - Send the Sun in Time for Dawn

The summer before my senior year in high school, our Madrigals conductor, Mrs. Hewlett, gathered the group for weekly practices so that as soon as the year began, we could hit the ground singing.

The first song we sang together as a group was the King's Singers arrangement of You Are The New Day:

I will love you more than me
and more than yesterday
If you can but prove to me
you are the new day

Send the sun in time for dawn
Let the birds all hail the morning
Love of life will urge me say
you are the new day

When I lay me down at night
knowing we must pay
Thoughts occur that this night might
stay yesterday

Thoughts that we as humans small
could slow worlds and end it all
lie around me where they fall
before the new day

One more day when time is running out
for everyone
Like a breath I knew would come I reach for
the new day

Hope is my philosophy
Just needs days in which to be
Love of life means hope for me
borne on a new day

You are the new day

Aren't those fantastic lyrics?!! I LOVE this song!! And, I LOVE listening to the King's Singers. We sang several of their madrigal arrangements and Mrs. Hewlett got us tickets to go hear them perform with the Utah Symphony. Every time I've known they were coming to Utah since then, I've tried to go hear them.

The first time I heard the King's Singers sing You Are The New Day live, it was so beautiful, I wept. If you've never heard them sing, stop what you are doing and go now to listen to them.

#25 on my list of Favorite Things are The KING'S SINGERS and a NEW DAY.

26 - Today's favorites are brought to you by the letter

MONET
Other than my brothers, my favorite artist is Monet. I love his ability to represent light and nature with paint, canvas and a brush. Remarkably gifted! Here are some favorites: MEXICAN FOOD
I could eat Mexican food every meal every day for a long time and be very happy. My favorite is a chicken chimichanga with guacamole from Cancun Café. I could drink salsa...I think guacamole should be one of the food groups....and, don’t even get me started on cheese, glorious cheese. Simply three of the best inventions ever. MONTANA
I have been going to Montana nearly every year of my life since the year I was born. It is my place of peace and rejuvenation. I love being up in big sky country. Hebgen Lake, Montana is the best place on earth as anyone who has swung in the swing or sunned on the floating dock or skiied or fished or boated or hunted frogs there can attest to. MOZART

Mozart’s music is one of the great blessings in my life. He is my favorite composer. I love “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”…. It is simply sublime. One of my favorite musical memories was accompanying a clarinetist as he played Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Years later I had a front row view of a master clarinetist playing the concerto in Symphony Hall. Beautiful music!



#26 on my list of Favorite Things is: MONET, MEXICAN FOOD, MONTANA & MOZART.

27 - You know where liars go, right?

For my faithful long-time readers (Dad), this post may seem like dejavu, but I couldn't pass up # 27 without mentioning my annual birthday habit:

I've been putting a 27 on my birthday cake for oh, I don't know 10 years or something...maybe longer. You see,
-I love the #7, and
-27 was a great age, and
-I can't really swallow the four zero thing, nor have I been able to put a three anything on my cakes, and
-I love a good joke.....

So - 27 gets repeated over and over. I even remind my two cousins, who were born - one the same day and one a month later - that if they will continue to lie, who is to know? hahaha

#27 on my list of Favorite Things is my 27 LIE.

28 - Fruma Sarah

I love the movie Fiddler on the Roof. The character of Tevye has some of the best lines in movie history….like, “As the good book says, if you spit in the air, it lands in your face.”

One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Tevye tells his wife, Golda that he has had a dream where the deceased relatives all came to warn him that his daughter, Tzeitel, should marry Motel, the tailor, instead of Lazar Wolfe. Lazar Wolfe’s dead wife, Fruma Sarah, even comes back to threaten death in 3 weeks if Tzeitel marries her husband and wears Fruma Sarah’s clothes and “PEARLs, PEARLs, PEARLs….”

The dream is just a leetle white lie Tevye tells Golda to get himself out of trouble, but I am not sure I wouldn't blame Fruma Sarah if she had come back to say, "Step off." A woman’s jewelry shouldn’t be worn by the woman who replaces her. A woman’s jewelry should go to her nieces.

No – this is not my Last Will and Testament…but, now that I mention it: the girls should have any jewelry they want.

This is a just long introduction to today’s favorite: Earrings. I LOVE them. Everywhere I go I look for cool earrings. And, it all began with two high school graduation gifts. One from Bob and another from Jennifer. Thanks, friends!

Here is some of the collection: #28 on my list of Favorite Things is EARRINGS.

29 - Cinderella

Ever since I was a little girl, I have LOVED Cinderella stories. My Mom still has the classic Disney story of Cinderella memorized because she read it to me so many times. This is the very cover from that book. I love all versions of the story...books, cartoons, movies, real life... in fact, I was completely obsessed with the Princess Diana/Prince Charles story (in the beginning). I woke up at 3 a.m. to watch all the wedding proceedings. I just loved her. I loved watching her grace and love for people.

#29 on my list of Favorite Things is the CINDERELLA STORY.

30 - A Rose By Any Other Name

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Give me some Roses
If you know what's good for You

Hahaha - just kidding. But, I DO love roses. Especially red ones and white ones, but I'm fairly certain I would like black ones and I do like purple ones and yellow and I love this crystal one from Prague.

Roses are The Flower of all Flowers.

#30 on my list of Favorite Things is ROSES.

(Do you like how its 11/30 and this is the 30th Favorite Thing?)

31 - As Handy as a Pocket on a Shirt

About ten years ago, there was a week at work where the computers were down - for the whole week. I organized my hard copy files and dusted my desk about 300 times and I had to use a typewriter. (Joe doesn't even know what a typewriter is - too busy not being born, cuz using a typewriter was back before dirt.)

It was a grim week, and that was before I had an iPod and a cell phone. I am so dependent on technology now, I can't imagine how I could run my life without it. I use my laptop and the internet to do 90%+ of my work all day long. The other 10% is actually talking to people face to face. hahaha

There are two sites I simply couldn't function without. Google and iMDB. If I want to know pretty much anything, I google it. And, since I can't really speak without quoting a movie, I spend a lot of time on iMDB looking up various movie trivia. They are both so handy and so much a part of my constant learning process that I feel very disadvantaged if I am somewhere without my phone or laptop.

#31 on my list of Favorite Things is TECHNOLOGY.

32 - Candy is Dandy

Listen, is there really any debate? Pink are the best. Hands down. I know these things. Afterall, I've spent the last 14 years in the Non-Chocolate-Candy-Domain.

In the words of Henry Higgins (sort of)..... PINK, PINK, PINK.

#32 on my list of Favorite Things is PINK STARBURST

33 - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I am one of those people who LOVES Thanksgiving and feels that, while Christmas is the best time of the year, we should relish every moment of Thanksgiving before rushing on.

I don't believe in having Christmas stuff in stores before Halloween (which they always do - they get earlier every year); I don't put my tree up until AFTER Thanksgiving; and, most importantly I do not play my Christmas music until Thanksgiving has been good and celebrated.

When my Christmas music does come out I listen to nothing else the whole month of December. I have Christmas playlists on my iPods and a lovely little collection of Christmas CDs I play at home and in my car. And, aside from, Hello, There Mr. Kringle, and Boyz II Men, my Christmas music is truly wonderful.

There are three albums that must be played first every year. They are:

Celine Dion's These Are Special Times:

Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album:

...and, Jon Schmidt's Jon Schmidt Christmas:

There are many, many more that I enjoy, but these are the ones I can't be without. I love the spirit of Christmas that accompanies these songs. It doesn't get much better than O Holy Night. Simply glorious.

#33 on my list of Favorite Things is CHRISTMAS MUSIC

34 - Black Friday

There's a scene in Young Catherine, a movie about Catherine the Great, starring Julia Ormond, where the empress has died and the Grand Duke Peter, Catherine's husband, has broken with protocol and ordered the court to discontinue wearing the traditional black mourning garb.

When a black clad Catherine, enters the scene where Peter's court is dining, Peter demands to know why she has disobedied him, and she says, "I am told that black becomes me." Then she sits at the table and defies him again by saying, "And, I mourn. I mourn for a woman who loved Russia, and for the Russia she loved." Other than Count Gregory Orlov, the "black becomes me" scene is one of the best in the movie.

The thing is, who DOESN'T look better in black? I LOVE wearing it, and have been increasing the black portion of my wardrobe over the last four or five years. I have black everything - purses, coats, luggage, shoes, furniture, wallets, jewelry, clothes...I love black. See:#34 on my list of Favorite Things is BLACK.

35 - The Gratitude Key

Ever since I read, years ago, in The Hiding Place about expressing thanks for all things, including fleas, I have studied gratitude and seen the power of having a thankful heart. I have come to feel it is, perhaps, a bigger deal than we might think at first blush.

President Monson said, "If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that 'gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.' "

I have been blessed by this virtue on countless occasions...in fact, daily. There is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful. I believe that when combined with a dose of service to others, gratitude is an extraordinary antidote for sadness.

President Monson continued, "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love. We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude."

Who doesn't need to be lifted? And - who doesn't need to have the doors of heaven unlocked? We all do.

And, so - today, on this day of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for thanks-giving.

#35 on my list of Favorite Things is GRATITUDE.

36 - Favorite food to eat on Thanksgiving

One year, when my brother was in a little league football tournament in Las Vegas over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we all traveled down to Las Vegas with him and, hence, were not home for the holiday.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was eaten at the Circus Circus buffet. Not a stellar meal, but memorable for two things: the cardboard stuffing they served, and the waitress spilling a whole tray of water glasses on my dad.

Now, maybe some people don't mind mediocre stuffing, but our family does because my mom's father's stuffing was the best stuffing in the wide world. He was a great chef, but the stuffing was his masterpiece.

Thankfully, he taught my mom how to make it, and so the tradition carries on. Tomorrow, I shall be enjoying a big plate of stuffing and...some other stuff.

# 36 on my list of Favorite Things is GRANDPA's STUFFING

37 - Like the wind, honey

Some movies or people or situations are such a big deal that everyone immediately recognizes the acronym….like, LOTR…or POTUS…or LOL. :)

Well, see if you recognize the acronym for a favorite Thanksgiving film – HFTH. If you don’t know what that is, too bad, but I will tell you that there is just nothing better than Aunt Gladdie and her fruit loop necklace “singing” We Gather Together in multiple ranges. Classic!

# 37 on my list of Favorite Things is HFTH.

(Just in case - Lord of The Rings, President of The United States, Laughing out Loud)

38 - Pumpkin Patch

It's ALL about the pumpkin on Thanksgiving, isn't it?... just ask my cute niece... ...and because of that, I have fulfilled my traditional dessert making assignment for Thanksgiving dinner each year with pumpkin pies - traditional pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake.

Typically, the pumpkin cheesecakes have been the best and a favorite. Four or five years ago though, they were kind of yuck, and basically, I ruined Thanksgiving. I went over and over in my head what I could have left out, but never could figure out where I went wrong. Since then, I've made sure I have several options in case the old standby doesn't stand by...pistachio, butterscotch, banana cream, apple, etc.. Last year, I added a pumpkin cake to the mix and loved it.

This year, I am making pistachio, butterscotch, pumpkin, pumpkin cheesecake and the pumpkin cake. My two favorites are the pumpkin cake and the pumpkin cheesecake (if it doesn't fail me). So - in case someone besides Kurt and my dad are reading this and you are looking for a fun dessert to take to Thanksgiving dinner, here are the recipes for the two favorites:

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake
Two 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C Pumpkin
1/2 C Honey
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dash Cloves & nutmeg
Pie Crust (pastry, shortbread or graham cracker are all yum)

Mix cream cheese, honey & vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs. Mix. Stir pumpkin and spices into 1 cup of the batter. Pour remaining plain better into crust. Top with pumpkin batter and swirl lightly (if desired).

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes - until center is set. Cool.

Referigerate overnight (@ least 3 hrs). Top with whipped cream or a mixture of sour cream, a bit of whipped cream, honey and powdered sugar (I never measure this, so good luck.)

Pumpkin Cake
1 yellow cake mix, divided
1 cube & 3 TBS butter, divided
5 eggs, divided
1 large can of pumpkin
2 C sugar, divided
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4 tsp pumpkin pie spide, divided
1 TBS vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust
Set aside one cup of yellow cake mix for dessert topping. Pour rest of cake mix in bowl with 1 cube of softened butter and 1 egg. Mix well and spread on the bottom of greased 9x13 pan.

Filling
In a bowl, pour in can of pumpkin, 1 1/2 C sugar, 4 eggs, can of sweetened condensed milk, 3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 TBS of vanilla. Mix well and pour over crust in the pan.

Topping
Mix remaining cup of cake mix, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 3 TBS of melted butter. Mix until nice and crumbly. Spread crumble topping over entire filling mixture. (I like to double the topping, so I buy two cake mixes and save the rest of the 2nd cake mix for the next time I bake.)

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the whole cake is nicely browned and firm.

Eat and enjoy!

#38 on my list of Favorite Things is MAKING PUMPKIN DESSERT FOR THANKSGIVING.

39 - They weren't kidding about that Golden Rule thing

Have you ever thought about what a difference good customer service makes? I have. A lot. A good customer service experience has me writing blogs of praise and secures me as a loyal & faithful customer for life, while a negative one has me writing letters of "feedback" and boycotting for life. I will return over and over to a store that is more expensive, further away, and less convenient when I am treated well. Wouldn't all stores like that to happen?

Somehow, some of the sales associates at some stores haven't quite gotten the message yet and still treat you as if you are there for them or your presence in their establishment is a colossal inconvenience. What a missed opportunity.

And - it's not just about customer service. It is really more about civility. Think what a great place the world would be if everywhere you went you were treated like I was at ...

- The Ritz Carlton whose staff greeted me by name, turned on the lights in my room and had music playing as I walked in...

OR

- McDonalds whose 20-something year old cashier called me a beautiful YOUNG lady last week...

OR

- Nordstroms who lets me return anything - no questions asked...

OR

- Costco whose exit guy (also much younger than me) said, "Hey, Baby!" to me on the way out today...

OR

- The Tutoring Toy that employs toy experts who research toys for me and call me when they find just the right thing...

OR

-The Red Hanger manager who remembers me after months of absence - no matter which car I am in, and who my dad is and probably even my phone number, and gave me my own dry cleaning bag, and even sends me coupons.

What a great world this could be if we were all kind and thoughtful to each other.

#39 on my list of Favorite Things is GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE and CIVILITY.

40 - Here Comes the Sun

Wednesday morning, I walked outside after exercising, and found a glorious blue sky and the sun shining. I love sunny days. I can even endure the snow if there is a blue sky sunny day going on at the same time.

I have been known to lie out in the sun on occasion (as much as possible every spring, summer, and fall for nearly...well, who cares for how many years); and, if I have a summer that is somehow too busy for some pool time, I feel I missed a vital part of existence that year. I love the sun, and today, as the winter storms set in, I wish for you a sunshiney day. John Denver said it best:

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could giveyou
I'd give to you the day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine for all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high

#40 on my list of Favorite Things is SUNSHINE.

41 - King of Kings

The best part of my high school experience was choir. We sang all over the place - in rest homes, malls, the capitol rotunda, Epcott Center, high school auditoriums, churches and cathedrals, and in what was then Symphony Hall (now Abravanel Hall). We had some amazing experiences. It is a joy to sing - and especially with the great singers and gifted choir director we were blessed to have. Our madrigals group was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself, and we won awards. Being in choir was a life-changing experience for me (and many others).

The most memorable experience we had as a choir was singing the Hallelujah Chorus with the symphony in Symphony Hall. I will never forget how I felt when the entire hall stood as we began that glorious tribute to our Savior. It brought and still brings tears to my eyes.

I love the gift music is and especially singing. There is something of heaven in it...perhaps reminiscent of the angels who heralded the Savior's birth.

A group of choir members in Philadelphia gave a gift of singing to their neighbors in a mall. Check this out:



Pretty great!

#41 on my list of Favorite Things is SINGING.

42 - Ms. Piano Girl

One of life’s great and universal regrets is: “I should have continued taking piano lessons.” I’ve never heard anyone say, looking back, that they were glad they stopped.

I’m one of those who regrets quitting. I took lessons from about age 6 or 7 into the early teenage years and then was tired of practicing and tired of my “meanie teacher,” who was, actually quite brilliant. I took more lessons in college and more again after the mission. So, thankfully, I did eventually see the light, but it would have been much wiser to stick with it earlier on.

While I didn’t want to play the piano when I was little (I wanted to stay in my ballet class – and, even told my teacher when I had to quit to take piano, that I was going to earn my own money and come back); it is, now, one of the great blessings in my life. Thanks, Mom & Dad! I suppose this almost makes up for the Lake Tahoe tragedy.

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is sit at my piano, with the sun streaming through the windows, and play my piano. It is therapeutic, inspiring, and uplifting. I love having music in my home and I especially love piano music. And – I love the piano itself. It is beautiful. I planned my whole living room around my piano. I carpeted and painted to blend with the piano. I bought artwork, rugs, chairs, vases, candles and even my couch to compliment this beautiful instrument. My Christmas decorations – down to the type of material in the tree skirt match it. My tile, countertops and decorations above the cabinets in the nearby kitchen echo the piano color. I’d like to say my home is all about me…and it is, in part…but really – it’s all about the piano. And I love it. #42 on my list of Favorite Things is MY PIANO.

43 – The Great William Shakespeare

One of the best Christmas presents I ever got was a miniature card game called Authors. The deck includes greats like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Robert Louis Stevenson, and of course, William Shakespeare. The game is played like Go Fish…where a match/set consists of four of the author’s books or works…the person with the most sets at the end of the game wins.

My brothers and I grew up playing this game. Whenever I ended with the most sets, I never considered it a complete win unless I had the Shakespeare set. It was (and still is) my personal challenge to get that set, and I have employed all sorts of trickery to get it (except cheating, of course).

In high school, I was always more excited to memorize Shakespeare lines than any others. In college, when I had to write a compare and contrast paper in film class, I chose two of the versions of Henry V (the ones by Sir Lawrence Olivier and by Kenneth Branagh – who, by the way, does Shakespeare brilliantly). And I continue to notice quotes from Shakespeare more than others – in various facets of life and our culture. I’m not sure what besides the Bible is quoted more than Shakespeare.

I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a Shakespeare expert. Not remotely. I do think, though, within the works of Shakespeare exists something of brilliance and inspiration. Here are some of my favorites:

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Sonnet 116
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

But men are men; the best sometimes forget.

Hamlet
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.

As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.

JULIUS CAESAR
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar.

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.

HENRY V
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in Englad now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

ROMEO & JULIET
O, here
Will I set up my everlasting rest,
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world-wearied flesh.
Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!

But O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes.

Truly great!!!

#43 on my list of Favorite Things is SHAKESPEARE.

44 - The Sleepy Blue Ocean

When I was a little girl, we traveled to Lake Tahoe for a family reunion. We stayed in some condos with a fantastic swimming pool. One day, I spent a significant amount of time (I say 5-6 hours, my parents say 10-12 hours) in the pool and when everyone went down to the lake in the afternoon, I was not allowed to get in because I had been in the water too long...or some other silly reason - I'm not sure - all I know is I wasn't allowed to swim in Lake Tahoe. I'm still bitter.

I have always loved the water - swimming pools, rivers, lakes, and most especially, the ocean. I love the sound the waves make. I love boating and skiing. I love the view of the sun setting or rising on the water's edge. I love swimming in water and I love drinking an ice cold glass of water. I love sitting on the edge of water and listening. I even subscribed to Coastal Living for a few years - just to look at the pictures of homes near water. I love the water.

My happiest memories are associated with water - fishing with my Dad and brothers, laying in the sun on a floating dock, swimming for the high school swim team coach when I was 12, laying in a lounge chair on the deck of a cruise ship, walking in the ocean along the Oregon coast, riding the waves of the lake on a tube in a storm, watching orca jump while working out, swimming parties at my place with my nieces and nephews, snorkeling in Hanama Bay, boating in Sitka, driving along The Great Ocean Road in Australia, and most significantly, coming up out of the waters of baptism.

I am grateful for the water that sustains the life of my physical body and for the Living Water that sustains my spirit. Water is one of the greatest gifts in my life.

#44 on my list of Favorite Things is WATER.

45 - Got Milk?

Years ago, some co-workers were talking about milk and claimed that it didn't matter which brand you drank, "...they all taste the same..." What foolishness. I very matter-of-factly stated that I could pick the Winder Dairy Milk from any other milk because it is orders of magnitude better than the others.

One of them arranged a taste test to prove me wrong. He went to several stores and obtained five different brands - Winder, Kirkland, Viva, Albertons, and some other one - can't remember - all 2%.

He kept the milk very cold (which masks the after taste most milks leave) and he carefully labeled the five cups. It was easy to weed out the bottom three and narrow it to the top two cups. A few more sips and I pegged the Winder and the Kirkland respectively.

It took about 60 seconds total. And, not only did I pick the WINDER (get it, Dad? ...the WINNER...I might be a Bradshaw afterall), but three other participants did as well.

OBVIOUSLY, it matters which milk you drink. Incidentally, Kirkland has a nice flavor, and I enjoy drinking it. Winder is just a bit creamier. That's how you tell - great taste and creamy.

#45 on my list of Favorite Things is WINDER DAIRY MILK.

46 - We're Not Normal, We're Harmons

WARNING: Budget Master - don't read this one...

At 7:00 am Saturday morning, I ran over to the Harmons near my home to grab some laundry detergent. There were two reasons for this early morning visit:

1. I was out of detergent. :)
2. They open at 7 and I wanted to get in and out of the store quickly before the crowds came charging in. It's a popular store.

When I walked in, I smelled the bakery and decided maybe I'd buy a loaf of bread and have a slice for breakfast...then I saw the Thanksgiving stuff and decided I needed to get some little gifts for the dinner attendees...I got some tights...some granola...and, yes - the detergent.

Could this crazy shopping behavior have all happened at some other grocery store? Yep - probably.

Could the baker have given me a thick slice of multi-grain bread for free just to be nice...at some other store? Don't think so.

Would the checker have been friendly and automatically given me change in fives, tens and twenties rather than just twenties? Nah.

Would another checker have come up and asked if everything was ok with my Dad who hadn't been in to the store for three weeks? No way.

Would that same checker have sent our family a card of condolence when Grandma died. Not a chance.

This is a great store. They have a drive-up window for Rx - which is open until 10 - or you can order it online. They have an awesome kitchen section and delicious salad bar. They have clothes, etc., for various events like Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They have great produce, an awesome selection of seasonal items, and frequently have stuffed toy lions. Oh, yeah - that was the other thing I bought Saturday morning. Ooops.

#46 on my list of Favorite Things is HARMONS! They aren't the normal grocery store.

47 - Word Games

I remember a conversation a while back with a guy I met online who said he liked a girl who was straight forward and spoke her mind, because he was too old to play games. Those words were just that - words. Words to form a trite little dating phrase rather than an actual mantra or principle by which to live. They were in reality part of a game. A game I didn't want to play.

Now, I like playing online word games, just not the kind he was referring to. One of my favorite online games is Yahoo's TextTwist where in one version, you find all the words six specific letters can possibily form, and if you find the six-letter word(s), you advance to the next round. I don't play this as often as I once did - in meetings when I got bored, while watching movies or the news, while wasting time, etc., etc.,...but every once in a while I do like to hop online for a few minutes and play a game with words.

#47 on my list of Favorite Things is TEXTTWIST.