9 Cool Things...

Things.  I love things in life.  Here are a few things that I enjoy, and maybe....you will too!

CLANADONIA    They are Scotland’s hardest working tribal drums and pipe band and their high energy blend of tribal rhythms, bagpipes and tartan clad mayhem is exactly why I love them! There must be a sense of native pride and freedom when banging their drums with such vibrant passion!

TARDIS     Anyone that knows me, can tell you that I am a Dr. Who fan. Besides the Time Lord element, my favorite thing is this fictional time machine found in the British science fiction television program. The inside is much, MUCH, bigger than the outside…which looks like a 1960’s London Police Box. A Tardis is much more than a traveling spacecraft or magical box…it has a degree of sentience! Most useful in times when dealing with alien worlds or anxiety filled humans of the past!

THE VICAR OF DIBLEY      A BBC television sitcom starring, Dawn French, who portrays the character of Reverand Geraldine Granger. It is set in a fictional small Oxfordshire village called Dibley, which is assigned a female vicar following the 1992 changes in the Church of England that permitted the ordination of women. The theme music was a setting of Psalm 23 composed by Howard Goodall and was performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford with George Humphreys singing the solo. From start to finish, with the opening song….rolling into the quirky village characters…it is undeniable fun!

GOOD & PLENTY CANDY   It is old school….it is funny looking….it is licorice…and I love it!

THE RED FLANNEL SHIRT    Yes. I am a fan of the flannel shirt. I mean…let’s face it. When you are 50-something, you are not trying to look sexy anymore. I want comfort. I want to be warm and cozy. My favorite pair of jeans are not designer, or dark or form fitting. They are faded, baggy, and ripped to shreds. Still...I wear them…because I must. –LOL-- They are comfortable, and just me. 

THE SONG “MR. ROBOTO”      Yes.  I am a lover of “Mr. Roboto”. "Mr. Roboto" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung of the band Styx, and recorded on the Styx album ‘Kilroy Was Here’. Whenever I hear this song me and my kids bust out the lyrics ….. “You're wondering who I am, (Secret secret, I've got a secret)”

THE DOLMA AT NEW SEASONS MARKET     Dolma is a Mediterranean dish made with rice-stuffed grape leaves. I find mine already premade at New Seasons Market. I can’t…let me repeat….CAN’T eat just one!

NORTH & SOUTH     BBC Drama Miniseries       North and South is a four part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's love story of Margaret Hale, a middle class southerner who is forced to move to the northern town of Milton. The sets, costumes and acting were excellent, especially Richard Armitage's performance as mill owner John Thornton. He's got a brilliant deep, brooding sort of look about him, but with a softer and kinder side also. It is this side of his character that is gradually revealed as the story goes on. The way Richard Armitage portrayed these two sides of Thornton's character was amazing. The central story revolves around the antagonistic relationship between two characters, with Mr. Thornton, a hard-working industrialist running a cotton mill. Historical and quite the action….a must see!

ANSEL ADAMS     American Photographer    His black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, are the beginnings of my passion in photography. I have had a tough last year, and had to sell my camera equipment for health reasons, but I have the passion still in my heart for always looking at the world through a lens, even if only through my iPhone. I will be striving to save money to purchase camera equipment again. I still find myself drawn to black and white photographs. It is the contrast of light and dark and the shadows in between that tell the story.