Monday - My favourite things

Morning!  A bit different today.
Tracey of My Beautiful Life posted this yesterday and I thought I'd copy it.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens.

Brown paper packages tied up with string.

These are a few of my favourite things . . .

1.  My favourite film
I don't watch films all that much and certainly I am not up to date with current offerings so, to be honest, I don't really know.  I did love the Sound of Music when it came out and Chariots of Fire was another favourite.
Maybe in the modern era, I might go for the two Paddington movies.  I like films to entertain rather than to terrify or revolt and they were very, very funny.

2.  My favourite book
It depends what mood I am in.  I love the Miss Read books and the Gervase Phinn books, both about school/rural life but I suppose my all time favourite is Katherine by Anya Seton, a romanticised retelling of the life of Katherine de Roet, mistress and then wife to John of Gaunt and who lived through great upheavals and difficulties and ended up as probably the second most important lady in the land for a time.

3.  My favourite dessert
I don't go for desserts much but I'd have to go a long way before finding anything nicer than a really good fresh fruit salad.

4.  My favourite dinner
How do you choose???  Sorry, I can't.  I love lots of different dinners.  I like spicy food.

5.  My favourite drink
Alcoholic - campari and tonic
Non-alcoholic - sparkling water with ice, mint and lemon

6.  My favourite music
Rather a wide one so it's split.

6a.  Favourite opera
Has to be Carmen, the first I ever saw live and also the first LP I was ever given (a request after I'd seen the live opera).  I think I was about nine.

6b.  Favourite musical
I've said West Side Story for 1 so I think I will go for Phantom of the Opera, not only for the music (which varies in quality, to be honest) but for the whole experience.  Fantastic.

6c.  Favourite symphony
How do you choose among all the wonderful symphonies there are out there?  If pushed, I'd say maybe Brahms' fourth symphony which I studied in depth for A level music and still love.

6d.  Favourite choral work
Has to be Haydn's 'Nelson Mass' because it was the first major work I sang in (as part of the chorus) in fourth form (year 10 nowadays).  The Kyrie was used in O level music as an example of developing sonata form (as it was known then) and when the senior choir performed the whole thing, I loved how the soloists and the choir interact with each other rather than having separate solos and choral movements.

6e.  Favourite concerto
Goodness, no idea.  I do enjoy an Albinoni oboe concert (no idea which one, sorry) and some of the flute and recorder concertos of that time are absolutely beautiful within what was a pretty rigid formal structure.

It's odd because my favourite period or style is Impressionist although none of my individual favourites are from that genre.

7.  Favourite time of day
Early morning, in the winter, sitting at my PC while the house warms up, coffee to hand, curtains open so I can see the snow fluttering down outside.  Everything is silent and peaceful and I feel cosy, safe and utterly content.

8.  Favourite colour
Blue with green a close second.
However, for clothes it is the pastel-y mauves/pinks/blues.

9.  Favourite place to be on holiday
I don't know much about overseas but the place where I have had the happiest holidays was Streele Farm in Sussex.  A lovely place.

10.  Favourite artist
Hmmmmm.  I'm not into art but I do enjoy impressionist works.



So there you go.  My favourite things.  What are yours?