Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A Few of My Favorite Things

Last week, we were busy counting our blessings. This week, I've made a list of some favorite things--and hope to nudge you into listing your own.

1. Performance of Maria Bello in Prime Suspect She's so tightly wound, she'll take out a city street if she snaps, but she's a dogged detective. Bello happens to resemble Older Daughter, so I like her and worry she's skipping meals. Let's hope NBC doesn't cancel the show.

2. The Soldier's Wife, Margaret LeRoy This book, set on the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, challenged my preconceptions. At its end, I asked myself which character had lost the most. The answer surprised me.

3. Gavin & Stacy The secondary characters steal every scene in this British rom/com series. (See publicity picture at top, left.) Seasons one and two are available at Netflix, via streaming and DVD, plus episodes are up on YouTube and other sites. Tidy.

4. Cool weather Hubs and I walked together Sunday morning. He layered up. For the first time this fall, I did NOT say, "Hot! It's so hot." He checked the temp: 48 degrees. My definition of perfect.

5. Men who name stray cats When I went out of town earlier this month, Hubs reluctantly agreed to feed the stray cat I've named Lucky along with Lucky's occasional sidekick, a black and white tabby. When I returned, Hubs mentioned "Checkers." I was baffled. "What's that?" Hubs shrugged. "Lucky's friend."

6. Until There Was You, Kristan Higgins I bought this book as an airplane read, figuring it would be light-hearted and funny. It was all that and packed a sneaky emotional wallop. I wiped away tears at the end, which is embarrassing and makes flight attendants uncomfortable. It may be my favorite of Higgins' books, and she's an auto-buy for me.

7. Daughters who come to dinner and stay for six hours Hubs and I don't qualify as witty conversationalists and we're too creaky to do snark effectively, but now that the kids are launched, they don't hate hanging with us. I credit dessert, the never-fail lure.

8. Fotofest International Discoveries III Through December 22, twelve photographers from eight countries are exhibiting at Fotofest's headquarters at 1113 Vine Street, Houston, Texas 77002 (A shade north and east of the University of Houston/Downtown's main building.) The show wowed me, it's free, and the gallery space, in a renovated warehouse, is stunning. For details and a peek at some of the photos on exhibit, go here.

9. Rain Houston's November rainfall edged into the above-average category. Hooray! Although we're roughly twenty inches below normal for the year, the grass is green again, and birds don't have to drink from saucers under potted plants.

10. WANA 1011 Kristen Lamb's sixty-day online course on blogging and mastering social media is nearing an end, and I've learned a lot. More importantly, I've "met" and come to appreciate the work of dozens of writers who are balancing fiction and non-fiction writing, families, day jobs, and blogs. If you're a writer reluctant to wade into social media waters, read We Are Not Alone, the Writer's Guide to Social Media. Learn more here.

Your turn: Name one of your favorite things and tell me why it's special. (I'm not asking out of pure nosiness; I want to expand my list by trying out the things you like.)

18 comments:

Coleen Patrick said...

A lovely list Pat! I'm going to have to check out that book--I've enjoyed her books before.

Fabio Bueno said...

Hi, Pat, one of my favorite things is my office, full of books, computer and acessories, and mementos. Band posters and my kids' art cover the walls. Very conducive to creativity. Thanks for sharing your favorite things.

Anonymous said...

What a terrific idea, Pat! Love your list. :) A few of my latest favorite things... Interviewing authors for my blog, walking rather than driving when I can and sipping cinnamon spiced coffee, hot cocoa or tea.

Louise Behiel said...

Lovely list Pat.

Mine would include my adult children who are good folks
Awesome daughter and son in law
Greatest grandkids ever (aren't they all?)
Anything by Linda Howard
My new phone

oops this is a gratitude list

Lark Howard said...

Okay Pat. You asked for it. Some of my favorite things:

Typing THE END and it really being the end.

Any action movie with Jason Statham, Paul Walker, or Vin Diesel. (Yeah, I know.)

J.R.Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books. All of them.

What my brilliant husband has done with the interior of our house. It's so wonderful, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. (Or with anyone else!)

Traveling...any time, anywhere pretty much.

Dogs.

Karen McFarland said...

Some of my favorite things. Hummm?

Well, spending time with my two sons who I don't get to see very often because of the distance factor.

Settling down with a good book before I fall asleep. Puts my mind in a far away place.

Creating charaters always makes my day. Nailing a great phrase puts me in a good mood.

Spending time with my hubby is the best of all! I've got a good one. :)

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Let me know what you think of the book, Coleen.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Fabio, your office is a special place, and by putting up the kids' art, you boost your creativity--and theirs. I remember how proud I was when parents stuck my art on the refrigerator door.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

August, I loved your interview with Daniel Palmer and look forward to more author interviews from you. Cinnamon spiced coffee, huh? I'm off to make some.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Louise, thanks for signing up for Blogger just so you could leave comments. I know you're a Wordpress gal, and I appreciate you visiting this side of the blog divide.

Your list's lovely, too. I bet your grandkids think you're the coolest grandmother ever.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Lark, after writing The End, of course you crave action. You've been chained to your computer for days at a time!!! Thanks for the recommendation of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books. I haven't read any of them yet.

Your husband created a beautiful home--for you. (You know you rank number one on his favorites list.)

I hear you on the travel and dogs. Sadly, the latter's out for me because of the c-a-t-s.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Karen, I hope you and your husband get to spend time with your sons his holiday season.

Books! What would we do without them?

I hear you on characterization and nailing a great phrase. In his blog debut, Fabio Bueno referred to Thanksgiving as a time for "renewing family tensions." Damn. I wish I'd written that.

Sheila Seabrook said...

I love your list of favorite things, Page. My favorite is spending time with anyone in my family but especially my two boys. And my kindle ... I'm addicted to the ease with which I can buy and download a book. :)

Anonymous said...

1. Talking with my cat
2. First feel of cold sheets against my sore feet
3. Bad dreams from which I awake
4. Good dreams I help to create
5. The sound of nighttime windows rattled by the wind
6. Recalling my dancing days
7. Tending my flower beds
8. Entertaining doubt
9. Choosing fear of oblivion over wishful thinking about Heaven
10. Being my own guru

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Sheila, isn't it great when kids turn into adults we like and admire?

It's TOO easy to buy and download books for the Kindle. Mine doesn't bulge at the edges--yet.

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Anthony, your list is now one of my favorite things, but I wish I entertained doubt with the occasional drinks get-together and didn't throw parties and Sunday brunches in its honor.

So glad to "see" you here.

Lark Howard said...

Pat, the BDB books are a guilty pleasure--not a recommendation! They definitely come with a warning label. I have a feeling your taste in books is a bit more refined than mine. :-)

Pat O'Dea Rosen said...

Hahaha. You overestimate me, Lark.