These are a few of my favorite things......

I was thinking today about how much I love autumn. I always have. And I started to think about the reasons why I love it so much. Which then led me to think about things that make me happy when I am sad, things that are comforting to me, and the next thing you know I have Julie Andrews singing in my head, and a great idea for today's blog! So here is my list of my favorite things, well some of them anyway:

Sweater weather. Cool but not freezing. The sun warm on your face but not boiling. The smell of leaves and cool air. The smell of cinnamon. The smell of cinnamon can instantly change my frame of mind. I need one of those cinnamon brooms in my bedroom. But I digress. A clean bedroom. Especially my own. Being able to escape there from the noise and have a full thought is wonderful. Now I just need a cinnamon broom in here and I may never leave. Again, I digress.

A cup of tea. And a warm, fuzzy blanket on my lap. With a good book. The smell of a new book. The smell of an old book from the library. The smell of polish sausage cooking. (OK, so I am into smells, what can I say?)

Baking Christmas cookies. I can do it for hours and lose myself in it. Especially while listening to Christmas songs. Which I start listening to the week of Thanksgiving. Yeah I know I am Catholic and listening to Christmas songs before Christmas is as shunned as saying Alleluia during Lent, but I can't help myself. And I know Jesus forgives me because He sees the little girl in me that just loves those songs. They bring back memories.

Candles. I love candles. Especially ones that smell like cinnamon. Sorry. I just had to put that in there. I am a junkie for cinnamon.

A glass of really good wine, and a dinner out with my husband. No one enjoys food more than we do. We can sit for hours with a bottle of good wine and a fantastic meal. From appetizers to dessert. We can't do it often, cause, hey, we have nine kids, three in Catholic high school, and one paycheck, so you do the math. Plus we gave up alcohol as missionaries so we have to ask permission when we want to have some with dinner. And our superior does give us permission to do that. But I tell you, that is one of my most favorite things to do with my husband. We will sit and talk, and enjoy. So relaxing. We used to plan for a movie afterwards, but by the time we are done, we are too stuffed and sleepy from the wine. Don't worry. We live three houses from a lively restaurant area. We can walk and not harm a soul!

A cup of coffee in the morning. Especially on the weekends. When you don't have to go anywhere on a Saturday morning and you can just enjoy your coffee and the quiet. We try to get up before the kids do and we have a rule. No TV. Just silence and coffee.

Silence. I have come to enjoy silence. And it is free. Just not too easy to come by in my life lately. Which is why it has become one of my favorite things! Grocery shopping. It means we have money. I love to go and buy all the things that my family loves to eat. I love my husband's cooking. He is an awesome cook. One of my very favorite things is when my spiritual mother comes over and he makes us a gourmet meal. The kids get chicken nuggets and chips and disappear, and she and I sit at the table while he prepares course after course of an awesome meal. He sits and eats with us between courses. It is so much fun.

Spending time with my spiritual mother\spiritual director. Same person, two different titles. She makes me laugh and think and she is a joyful person. I cherish my time with her.

Christmas crafters night with my in laws. A tradition we started when our oldest four were very young and we still do it to this day. I make potato pancakes, from scratch, my mil brings the polish sausage, and my sil brings the dessert- Death by Chocolate. After dinner we clear off the table and do Christmas crafts with the kids. At the end of the night, my fil takes a picture of all of us holding what we made. So much love and laughter in that night. I will never give it up.

Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and her boyfriend. We share the cooking responsibilities, and we stuff ourselves like pigs! And mom always brings really good wine! Very relaxing, with a fire in our fireplace and just a lot of coziness. Lots of things to be thankful for.

Chocolate. Need I say more?

Ok. These are just a few of my favorite things, maybe we will have a part two someday. But for now I am tired and I want to do one of my most favorite things, snuggle under clean sheets and thank God for all He has given me.

Oh, one more favorite thing: on His feast day, one of my favorite saints who also happens to be my patron, St. Michael. Thanks St. Mike for always protecting me.

Ps. I haven't even gotten into music yet, that would be another whole blog in itself! Ahh, for another time.