"My Favourite Things" for No Place Like Home

A real home is a shelter from the storms of life, a place in which to relax, a place of peace and rest. ~ Dr. Clifford R. Anderson

Welcome to No Place Like Home! I decided to do something different today.

Most of us probably have Christmas music on by now. I often have a melody going through my head. This one I have been singing a lot lately so I thought I would take a few lines from the song and relate them to my life.

I think we all remember the movie, The Sound of Music. It is a classic which is based on the true story of the Trapp Family singers that took place in Austria long ago. 

My Favourite Things
Raindrops on roses
And whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favourite things

Cream-coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells
And schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favourite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favourite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so bad - Rodgers and Hammerstein 1959

When I think of certain lines in that song like, "And whiskers on kittens," I think of my youngest son's two adopted cats. They were kittens when he first adopted them, now full grown. I have never met them because he lives in the States and I am not able to travel at this time. So, the only time I see them is when they are on FaceTime and in pictures. I do love kitties!

Merlin, we think, is part Russian Blue and he was found wandering the streets for quite a while. Poor kitty! Who knows why he was on the streets? Someone had found him and brought him into the Humane Society. He had a broken hip, from being hit by a car most likely, so when my son adopted him, he was in a brace and needed special care until he healed. He is fine now and is very good company. 

This one with the angelic face is Minerva and she is a tabby. She is one smart cat! She was also adopted from the Humane Society and was younger than Merlin when she was adopted. She can open doors and drawers and closets. They have their hands full with her! When they had their home built, they had round door knobs installed on doors instead of handles because she could figure out how to open them. I actually have a video of her opening a closet with bi-fold doors. 

Our pets are a part of the family and these two kitties are no exception. Here is the fireplace in their new home with the stockings hung. The kitties each have their own stocking with an M on it.

When I hear the line, "...and warm woollen mittens," I think of the mittens my mother used to knit for my boys when they were growing up. The mittens always had a string attached to them so they wouldn't lose the mittens. Every year, she knit them each a pair until, one by one, they would receive mittens without the string. It was a little sad for me because the mittens without the string meant they were old enough to wear the mittens and take care of them without losing them. One by one, my boys were growing up. Yes, I'm a sentimental mom. Sadly, my mother passed away this past August so it will be our first Christmas without her. But those mittens are a lovely memory.

I found these on the Internet. They are the closest I could find to the blue and white variegated ones my mother used to knit.

My hubby, on a whim the other day, brought home some apple strudel which made for another line in the song, "...Crisp apple strudel." It was very good, by the way. I've never made it myself.

"Doorbells and sleigh bells," remind me of the bells that hang on my door knobs all year long. Yes, there is a story here. 

My oldest son would make an excellent cat burglar. Actually he and his youngest brother would because they are both very quiet when they need to be. My oldest boy never used the doorbell after he moved out. He used to sneak into the house and "surprise" me. He nearly scared the wits out of me on too many occasions. I told him several times to stop sneaking in and surprising me because I'm not getting any younger. Well, like most of my family, he couldn't help himself because they all thrive on pulling jokes on one another. He used his key to enter and then proceeded to sneak up on me. So, one day I decided to fix him. I hung bells on the door knobs so now he can no longer sneak in. I always hear him come in. Sometimes mom has to outsmart her young. The bells are quite the conversation piece when we have company! Especially in the summertime when Christmas is a distant memory.

Last, but not least, is the line, "Silver-white winters that melt into Springs, These are a few of my favourite things."

This is a scene I photographed at Victoria Park here in Charlottetown. Sort of reminds me of Narnia. 

Out the window, you can see one of our shrubs is covered in snow after a two day storm we had on the weekend. I'm always happy when the last of the snow melts in the springtime. 

What are some of your favourite things? 

A few of my favourite things are simple really; listening to music, walks on the beach, hearing the birds sing, Christmas of course, and having family around me. I also enjoy the smell of fresh baking from the oven. This time of year there is a lot of spice in the air. So fragrant! Oh, and fudge. I love a good piece of homemade fudge this time of year. My kitchen is the heart of the home and truly, there is no place like home, is there?

I am delighted to have you join me today. If you have something to share, simply let me know in a comment and I will add your blog to the list of participants. I will be happy to come and visit you.

Please share any of the following: Cooking and baking, recipes, antiquing, artwork, ceramics, crafts, crocheting/knitting, quilting/sewing, collections, floral arranging, home decor, homemaking tips, hospitality, refinishing furniture, tea time, tablescapes, thrift shopping etc....Maybe there's a new baby in the family or you have a new fur baby you would like to introduce us to. They are welcome too! 

Anything and everything which makes your HOME more enjoyable to come HOME to, for your family, your friends, and yourself. 

Lord, this humble house we'd keep 
Sweet with play and calm with sleep. 
Help us so that we may give 
Beauty to the lives we live. 
Let Thy love and let Thy grace 
Shine upon our dwelling place. - Edgar A. Guest

My Party Participants:

Tea in the Valley
Creekside Cottage

The Legacy of Home
Thelma's Days
This Beautiful Life
Kitty's Kozy Kitchen
Just a Little Southern Hospitality
Across My Kitchen Table
Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen 
A Debbie-Dabble Christmas



Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi