A few of my favorite things...

Making the number one on my list, is Ryan. He is one of my favorite nouns. Every morning before he goes to work, while I am sleeping deeply, he kisses me. He has never missed a day in our eight years of marriage.

Another one of my favorite things is a book written by two dietitians and psychologists.  I feel as though I am finally free. I am eating. I am enjoying the food I eat...and I recognize when my relationship with food has nothing to do with nutrition, and everything to do with the diet fads "control." I found a picture of myself when I was eight, when the whole madness began...lets just say, I wasn't fat.

I love my public library. I can find just about anything I want there. I also love their e-tools, where one can find what they are looking for, request it, and the library will notify you when it is available.  Here is what I found there this last week:

An entire book of Amy Butler's patterns....I am in heaven.

Another bit of happiness is my relationships with a few particular people. Julia, Christie, Michelle, and Nicki.  They are four women who inspire me to be a better person every day. Each of their qualities are unique, and add so much to my life.  I am grateful for them.

Although I sobbed about money last night for about an hour...one of my favorite things right now is my job. Working with children, young adults, and even adults, and watching music transform their lives is so rewarding. I know there will be better financial days ahead, and I am looking forward to working in music...One of my Favorite things.

Another one of my favorite things is my piano. A real piano has transformed my practice time.

One more favorite thing: In a world where airbrushing, and fabricating what is real, it is no surprise that the opera world would suffer from manufactured sound...one of my heroes and his book deals with the issues in singing with someone else's voice. I am basing my entire independent research in pedagogy on his concepts and teaching. He was at Julliard for 16 years and is now at North Western in Chicago.  I will most likely be going to visit him this fall to observe, interview and then will write my final research paper.

And last but not least two more making the list: Aiden and Oliver. They are my favorite for many reasons, but lately, Aiden's understanding nature and compassion, and Oliver's ability to make me laugh. At Anything!!