Favorite Things, Encore

Champagne with bubbles
White popcorn with truffles
Giant sparkling diamonds and warm friendly muzzles
Flowers and kisses and Paris in Spring
These are a few of my favorite things

Lattes with eggnog during the holiday season
Galette de Rois and marzipan
and Project Runway Thursday evenings
Starlight and moon light and songs Tom Petty sings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the job sucks
And I’ve gained five pounds
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

Favorite things or Joie de Vivre are/is whatever brings you an exuberant enjoyment of life, a brightness when everything seems to be dark and gloomy, or a distraction from troubled thoughts and worry. This is exemplified in The Sound of Music when Julie Andrews sings My Favorite Things to the von Trapp children as a way to survive sadness, loss, and trouble through song.

Emotions evoke each time I hear the song especially during the holidays. The song brings an overwhelming cloud of nostalgia and sometimes a tear as I reflect on my life and all the favorite people, places, and things in the world and the experiences that bring me Joie de Vivre. Whether it is something to think about when we are sad, something to celebrate when we have, or something to share with our family and friends, and those that we appreciate as Oprah has been doing for the past 25 years.

In January 2019, I kicked off the new year with my own idea to share my Favorite Things. The idea, to embark on a series of shorter posts following the letters of the alphabet featuring all of the people, places and things in the world that I love – a treasure, a find, perhaps something that may even blow your mind. Instead, life brought a variety of other twists and turns resulting in only three entries out of the planned 26 – G for Galette de Rois, P for Pinkster, and B for beer in my post from 2020 – What’s a Brew.

Four years have passed. Over two of which have included COVID and all of the new practices and experiences that brought including: quarantine, job loss, contract work, and time. Time to clear the mind, time to think, and time to revisit hobbies and passions that fell to the bottom of the list of all the things that took precedence over them.

Some of my time was allocated to my blog, bringing it to the next level. I met and worked with a group of talented women to revamp and relaunch Je t’aime Productions which not only includes my consulting business and new Projects, but also a new and improved blog featuring Choses Favorites or my Favorite Things.

Simply remember your favorite things and then you won’t feel so bad!

The idea of being back to sharing the people, places, things, and experiences from the world that I love excites me so. Writing and sharing are both things that I love and thrive upon. With said, I believe that it is important for all of us to have (and remember) our own collection of favorites. Acknowledge and enjoy whatever people, places, and things that bring you joy.

I encourage you to do what I did Replace the lyrics of Roger and Hammerstein’s 1959 classic with your own favorites, making a personalized version of your own to song. Sing it to yourself loud and proud especially when you are feeling down. I guarantee it will turn your frown upside down.

Fashion and art and baguettes from France
The Nutcracker and Phantom and Captain Underpants
The joy that down pillows and comforters bring
These are a few of my favorite things

Bordeaux and Rosé
Dungenous Crab during season
Fruitecakes and snowflakes and buying shoes for no reason
Unique special friendships and all that they bring
These are a few of my favorite things

When the job sucks
And I’ve gained five pounds
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad