Recently I was singing “Raindrops on Roses, and Whiskers on Kittens, Bright Copper Kettles, and Warm Woolen Mittens…” My 10-year-old granddaughter, without looking up from her artwork, asked “Why are you singing an Ariana Grande song?” If you have followed my blog you know that my favorite source of entertainment and laughter is this fabulous child.

First of all, I didn’t know Generation Z owned Ariana Grande and that I wasn’t supposed to be singing her music. And second, and most importantly, IT’S NOT HER SONG!” Grande has a song entitled “7 Rings” which is set to the same Rodgers’ tune as “My Favorite Things,” and she sings a version of the MFT song with Hammerstein’s lyrics. Not sure which Breezy has heard. Probably both.

I didn’t bust out laughing as I would have liked to; I simply explained that it was a song from a 1965 musical and was sung by Julie Andrews. I think it went in one ear and out the other.

When I was a kid, my father would put long playing records on the hifi in the hallway outside the bedroom I shared with two sisters. We would listen to Grande Canyon Suite, the Nutcracker, and among others, the Sound of Music. And so we would indeed nod off to the sounds of music.

As such, “My Favorite Things” has deep meaning to me. I love it.

When my mother turned 87, I created a scrapbook of “87 things to celebrate.” Among them I listed every item from “My Favorite Things.” There are 14 of them. And they are all well worth celebrating.

“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 favorite things…”

I still listen to the music of my childhood and my coming of age. I entered junior high in 1970 and graduated college in 1980. I am a product of the 70’s.

There is a lot written in scholarly literature about why people continue to like the music of their earlier years throughout their lives. If you’re interested in the social construct of music, you can read about it. I don’t really care why. I just like it.

And so I listen to SXM radio’s The Bridge and belt out the lyrics to songs from the 70’s.

When I’m singing a song such as, “it’s a Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it rain and fire in the sky, friends around the campfire and everybody’s high, Rocky Mountain high…” Breezy will ask, “you know that song?”

Yeah, I know that song, I think to myself, as my brain drum up all sorts of memories related to each song I sing.

Breezy tells everyone “my Gigi sings all the time.” I’m happy to be known for that.

“Singing old lyrics, and Time spent with Breezy, Painting and crafting and Laughing so easy, Waiting for Packages Amazon brings, These are a few of my favorite things…”

May you be surrounded by your favorite things. God bless you throughout the end of 2020 and into the much anticipated new year.

dmzh