My Favorite Things

Oprah has a lot of favorites, doesn’t she? The media darling has favorite books, favorite diets, and favorite experts. She’s a trend-setter, not because she has perfect taste, but because she has an enormous and exceedingly loyal fan base. Her magazine even has a regular feature called “The O List” that chronicles her favorite material objects, the ones her readers want to buy because they are Oprah-approved. 

Well, I don’t claim to be a trendsetter nor do I number my fans in the millions, but that won’t stop me from publishing my own inventory of favorite things. Let’s call it “The M List.” 

First, some criteria. To qualify for my list, a thing has to be beautiful or useful (preferably both), or just plain amusing. Cheap or free is good, too, although I’ll try to avoid Maria von Trapp items like raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens.

For what it’s worth, here are my very favorite things, as of December 2008 (I tend to be fickle).

1. My Subaru Forester. Now that gas prices are down, I can once again appreciate my car’s superior visibility, perfect size and gizmos that do just what I need and no more. I’ll keep it until it falls apart, hopefully around the same time I do.
2. Our gas fireplace, the one with the remote control and thermostat. Nothing says “cozy” like lounging on the couch, pushing a button and having instant ambience (not to mention, warmth). It’s the greatest invention since gravity.
3. Dog clothes. So shoot me. I find a pooch in a designer outfit an instant crack-up. If it has a matching purse, I’m rolling on the floor. Maybe I need to get some grandchildren.
4. Fingerless mittens. I knit up a few pairs of these last winter and I will never be without them. I can keep my hands warm and still type–ta da!
5. Origami cranes. These fall into the “beautiful but useless” category. I just think they are ingenious and someday I’ll learn how to make one.
6. Sarcastic remarks. Some readers find me sarcastic. Go figure. I have one thing to say about that: you should hear what I DON’T say. My current favorite is, “Does your train of thought have a caboose?” I only say this to Keeper, in jest.
7. Crocs. I am so in love with my Crocs (which I own in pink, brown, khaki, black, and red) that I refuse to go anyplace that is not Croc-friendly. Thus, you will not see me at the opera anytime soon.
8. Project Runway. This reality show has cat fights galore, and that’s just the men.
9. Leather goods. If you see somebody at a department store surreptitiously sniffing the wallets, that’s me. No, I don’t have a fetish. I just love the feel and smell of fine leather goods. I’m always falling in love with a bag or a briefcase or an agenda cover. It would be a lot cheaper (and nicer to cows) if I had a thing for vinyl.
10.  Babies’ heads. I sniff these too, every chance i get. There’s nothing that smells as sweet, as fresh, or as innocent as a baby’s head right after his bath. OK, so it’s a little “whiskers on kittens” but it’s really intoxicating. Try it. You might want to get the parents’ permission first.

That’s it, folks – “The M List” for 2008. What are some of your favorite things?