These are a few of my favourite things

Since mother's day I've been wrapped in a purple wool wrap, a gift from my kids, and it's become one of my favourite things. It's cardie, coat and dressing gown rolled into one. It's knee rug, head scarf, or just, in fact, scarf. Its purple is tending towards plum rather than an aubergine and it's soft enough to wrap a baby. It smelt like Tree of Life for a bit, but now it smells like eau de Rocky (my dog), so I really must wash it soon, but I just can't do without it for the few hours it would take to dry ( I sleep with it too, you see).
It is my favourite thing of the moment. But I do have others. My black shoes with red flowers on top - never fail to make me feel good and draw a comment from others. My red dress. A skirt and top I bought at markets in Sydney (black and white with red flowers), my red handbag (in fact any red handbag) my garnet drop earrings (the ones that were so symbolically lost and found), a painting on my wall I picked up in Greece, an open doorway in a flaking painted stone wall; blues and browns, age and beauty, promise and surprise. I love a silver ring that I bought at a party at my friend Jenny's house, and the pendant she gave me as a gift. I love the Country Road salad bowl, white with blue rim, a friend Cath gave me for a wedding present. I love my cracked Mexican champagne flutes I bought when I left home, along with my caramel stone dinner set (only a few pieces left now).
I love the painting over my bed, a nude, Rubanesque, that I gave to my husband for his 40th birthday but will never part with. I love a painting in the kitchen of terrace houses in early Sydney, rich autumn tones and reds.
I love my grandmother clock, made for us by my dad as a wedding gift, and the two little timepiece paintings that hang nearby, bought from Ann Von Bertouch's collectors choice.
I love a book called Small Houses, with a Japanese home I plan to build one day.
I love tea and chocolate and crispy roast potatoes with rosemary. I love the smell and taste of mandarins. I love the movie Throw Mamma From the Train, with Danny De Vito and Billy Christal.
I love Pina Coladas, but not getting caught in the rain.
And of course I love the Sound of Music and all of its raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.