Favorite Things

I thought you might like to know a little about me.  The best way to get to know someone is by knowing what she likes the most.  Most people who know me in person would describe me as a very sensual person - not sensual in that I like to listen to Barry White in a silk robe, but sensual in that my sensory experiences, especially sound, taste, and smell, are more intense than the average bear.  A sudden loud noise makes me angry, but a good smell will send me into joyful arias on the spot.

Everyone knows I love food and I love to cook, so I've left out things having to do with food on this one, because that is a given.  Here are a few things you may not know about me:

1. Wiretap: the greatest radio show of all time.  Jonathan Goldstein has my sense of humor.
2. sassy red shoes - I'm an equal opportunity red shoe enthusiast.  I'm not saying I own tons of red shoes, I just love seeing them around down.  It doesn't have to be a stiletto, but I do own those very shoes and I love them dearly.
3. chubby babies - especially giggling ones
4. sailing on a sunny day - When I was 11 my best friend Michela and I were out on the family sailboat cruising around Lake Washington one summer afternoon, and I remember thinking I hope I remember for the rest of my life how happy and content I am at this moment.  Guess what...
5. paintings by Chuck Close - he's absolutely amazing.  Please do a google image search on him sometime.
6. ceramics with white outsides and colored insides - it's like a colorful surprise inside!
7. sparkling wine - goes with everything, makes anything feel like a special occasion
8. rainbow layer cakes with white frosting - the joy I feel in my heart when I see a rainbow layer cake is indescribable.  It must have white frosting.  I think this goes back to my childhood and my deep love of Rainbow Brite.
9. New England style homes with unpainted shingle siding, white trim, a flag hanging by the door, and hydrangeas out front - need I say more?
10. a nice pair of straight leg levis - this also needs no further explanation
11. sheath dresses - most comfortable, low-maintenance way to look sophisticated
12. barber shop quartets - tight harmonies give me the chills... in a good way
13. flowering daphne plant - they may be my favorite smell of all time; if I happen upon a daphne plant on a walk, I will stop dead in my tracks and just enjoy the moment
14. navy and white striped shirts - and all nautical inspired clothing
15. the smell of freshly mowed grass on a sunny day - just one whiff makes me feel as though the weight of the world has been lifted off me.  It's an instant vacation.

What are some of your favorite things?