Chapter 5 – Breathing In – Part 5

But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
Job 32:8

Exercise 5: Playing Favorites

Make a list of your favorites: people, places, foods, music, colors, seasons, holidays, animals, things to do, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells.

Where to start. Where to start. Orange, red, yellow, purple, green, blue. Molten Lave, Peacock, Spring Green, Raw Umber, Bittersweet. Indigo – midnight blue. Every color in no particular order, but the more intense the better. The more saturated the better.

Sting. His music I can listen to forever. He is a poet AND a musician. An academic one. A trained one. And stage presence. The partnership of Bernie Taupin (SP?) and Elton John? Wow! There is a team. Songs by INXS are raw, but deep.

Spring, no fall, no spring, no fall. Can NEVER decide.

Animals. Big animals. Untamed animals. Predators usually. The ones with the huge eyes at the forward. Furry animals.

Christmas and Easter. Not sure which I prefer or why. But you must have snow for the first and you must have flowers for the second. I don’t have a preference for sunny skies or thunderstorms.

LOVE thunderstorms. I’d rather have overcast skies than sunshine. The colors are more vivid. Like the grass after a rain. Puddle splashing is a favorite treat. Wading in the puddles and floods.

Favorite place? Allerton Park although I haven’t been for years. Need to take the girls in the worst way. My grandparents old pasture lane is the same way, but no longer in existence. I miss the wild places that are safe by men’s ownership. When people used to have land. And you could get lost in it, but eventually find your way out.

Homemade fries. Mom’s tacos. Prison pizza. Lobster with tons of butter. French onion soup. Chips and white cheese sauce. Pa’s chicken fingers. Chocolate raspberry torte. Tiramisu. Homemade vanilla ice cream. Sue’s bierbrotchen.

Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths (purple) and lilacs are my favorite smells. Occasionally a rose can smell as sweet.

The stars in the heavens and the sunrise and sunset are my favorite free sights.

I love to spend the night in a hotel. With free breakfast.

I love people who smile or get excited when you walk into a room. You know, “mommy’s home!” I love that sincerity. The openness of joy at seeing you. No hesitation. No questioning whether it is appropriate or how you’ll be received. I just ran into a person that I used to run into all the time when walking the dog. He has the most beautiful accent. I had missed him. He leaves in a month. I’ll miss him. I hardly know him. But he is nice and friendly and he is an added bonus to anyday.

It’s cruel to meet someone new, for a moment, and then think that you’ll probably not see them again anytime soon.

I love to dig in the dirt. I truly enjoy digging up weeds with a vengeance. I like to shop for flowers. I get excited to see them come back every year. But I prefer to be inside. I’m not sure why.

I love surprises. Like a little shower in only one spot right beside you. An owl swooping by not once but twice. A mouse peeping out of the stove. A cat watching you walk by. An enormous bug digging through the wood chips at the park. A raccoon scurrying toward the drain. A scruffy fox sneaking across the cornfields. A fuzzy caterpillar climbing on a Christmas tree.

The smell of an old library. The smell of MY house.

The feel of my covers at night. The sound of a thunderstorm at night and first thing in the morning.

The feel of floating in a pool all by yourself. Cool water on a hot day. Small ripples.

Butterflies! How can I forget butterflies! Ginormous ones on your screen door. Like a Luna moth or Cecropia moth. Ok… moths too! Flutterbys.

Powerful music that grabs you down deep and doesn’t let you go. It makes you want to be a part of it.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

There is no Joel 4:13