favorites!

 Today is one of my favorite kind of days.  It's another snuggly, stuck-in-the-house, snow day!  The girls don't have in-person school on Wednesdays, Sonja's college class got moved to virtual, and she called in to work because our county is still on a travel advisory, and our road hasn't been plowed in hours.  If the other professors moved their classes to virtual too, there won't be much need for her to be there screening people anyway.

So Jonathan fired up the snowblower, and Sonja and I got the shovels out...

(I looked at the last pic of me with Sonja K., and wow, I'm getting old!  I'm so old I don't even know how to apply filters to make me look not old!)

Favorites.   My most favorite kid is the one I'm talking to or spending time with at the moment.   

Favorite food...steak, hands down.  Bonus if it's grilled.  The best I've ever had was when Mariel and I rented a cabin in the Adirondacks a few years ago and grilled steak on charcoal.  Oh my.

Favorite dessert has to be ice cream, fresh local homemade is the ultimate.  I let myself have it a few times a year, and enjoy it more than you can imagine. I love all baked goods, but do not eat them anymore.  Donuts, pastries, cookies...nope, not anymore.  (here we are all snowed in, and I'm afraid to bake bread because I cannot resist it!)(I also cannot resist anything pumpkin...cookies, muffins, oh dear.)

Favorite pets: the dogs.  Cats are great, until you get a dog, and realize how much more personality the pups have.  Our two kitties ARE sweet and funny, but the doggies are like family.

Favorite place to vacation:  I love love love the beach.  I love when the sun is too hot and the water is just cool enough to refresh.  I also love the mountains, with that distinct mountain air, the smell of pine...in winter, I LOVE going to Florida...the smell when you arrive, that smell of warmth, of tropical weather...

Favorite smells:  crayons, cinnamon buns, fresh cold air, sunscreen, popcorn, chocolate, coffee, a new baby's head, a roasting turkey, fresh cut grass, a tomato from the garden...

Unfavorite things:  riding with one of the kids who is still learning, to drive, the smell of baby formula (I always switched over, weaned the babies from breastfeeding when I was expecting the next one, so I associate the smell of baby formula with morning sickness, yuck!), gambling, places with lots of stairs, ketchup, mayo, mustard, ranch, (super picky eater here!), rules, regulations, oppressive laws & taxes, arrogant politicians, being around water on a hot day when you cannot go in the water, seafood, and...fighting & arguing, although I don't know who on earth likes that.

I also love my comfy chair, although not nearly as much as my old, dearly departed comfy chair.  I love reading books and drinking coffee, and going on adventures.  I do love bargain shopping and doing projects.  I love talking to people, yet I also hate it sometimes.  I make friends with cashiers, and with grumpy nurses and receptionists.  

I do not like religion, yet I love the freedom of the gospel.  I love that trials are short and light when we have faith in God, that He sends all things for our very best.  

Distracted, that's what I am this fine day.  Jonathan is here, Sonja is between virtual classes, and I'm typing, talking, forgetting what I was saying, thoughts come and go, so...bye for now!