my favorites

the world around me
place to visit:  Santa Fe, New Mexico
flowers:  tulips, dahlias, gerbera daisies, any kind of lily.
time of year:  October through late December (a.k.a. Sweater Season in California)
days:  overcast that start out with a breeze, then begin drizzling in the early afternoon, with a downpour just after I get home, so I can have hot chocolate and watch a Rainy Day Movie

food
candy:  Lindt truffles (milk chocolate) or Snickers Popables
dessert:  black tie mousse cheesecake from Olive Garden.
ice cream flavors:  peppermint (homemade), mint chocolate chip, Bear Lake raspberry, pumpkin pie.
snack:  Trix yogurt.
Kool-Aid flavor:  Blastin' Berry Cherry.
candy bar:  Mr. Goodbar.
drink:  cherry limeade
nuts:  piñons and pecans

art and literature
work of art:  Pièta by Michelangelo
books:  can never pick just one.  Among the top 20 would be -
    Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
    Lloyd Alexander, The Prydain Chronicles
    Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country
    Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy
    Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted
    Madeleine L'Engle, A Ring of Endless Light & A Wrinkle in Time
    J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    Raymond E. Feist, The Riftwar Saga
    Richard Peck, A Long Way From Chicago & A Year Down Yonder
    Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows
    Roald Dahl, The Twits
    C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia
poet:  John Betjeman
poem:  "The Wild Swans at Coole" by W.B. Yeats.

religion
scripture:  King Benjamin's address
hymns:   #114 Come Unto Him and #240 Know This, That Every Soul is Free

music
kind of music:  I mostly listen to country, but also a lot of "mellow" stuff.
instrument:  cello.
CD:  tie between m³ v4.1 and James Taylor's JT.
songs:  Miles Davis, "It never entered my mind."
    Nickel Creek, "Sweet Afton."
    James Taylor, "You can close your eyes."
    Kalai, "Patience lies."
    Norah Jones, "Carnival town."
    Matt Nathanson, "Wings."
    Third Eye Blind, "God of wine."
    Eve 6, "Open road song."

movies
top 10 favorites (no order):
    Secondhand Lions
    The Power of One
    Matilda
    IQ
    Finding Neverland
    Chocolat
    Runaway Bride
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    Phenomenon
    O Brother, Where Art Thou?
last movie I saw in theaters:  March of the Penguins (cheap theater).
movie I've seen the most times in theaters:  The Fellowship of the Ring (5).
watch while cooking:  Labyrinth.

things to do
play The Question Game.
struggle as I try to play a hymn on the piano and finally getting to the end, painful to the ears though the process was.
play hostess, even if I end up feeding 18 people and am exhausted afterwards.
get letters with stripes (airmail!).
put Christmas lights up in my room.
give random gifts.
wash the dishes.  (Honestly!)
have a name that rhymes with paprika.
be mikacuddled.

random
color:  depends on what for.
    shirts - brown or light pink.
    sweaters - navy blue or red.
    pants - grey slacks.
    rooms - pale seafoam green.
    wood - light oak.
    Christmas lights - colorful!
    Crayola crayons - cadet blue or salmon.
summer evenings just after dusk with the crickets outside my window and the breeze coming through
kind of jewelry:  bracelets.
gold or silver:  always silver.

unfavorites
velveeta, corndogs, carnations...more to come.