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    ‘My Favorite Things’ is a song written by the incredible duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein for “The Sound of Music”. I’m sure there are many covers of this tune, on countless Christmas albums, though Julie Andrews did a spectacular job for the movie. It is Kenny Rogers’ voice that started singing to me a few weeks ago, as I was thinking about all the wonderful things I have in my life. That spark, of course, led to writing this parody. I hope you all have a Christmas where you can shine a bright light (or two) on all of the ‘favorite things’ in your lives.

Breakfast with Grandpa on crisp Sunday mornings
Friends that drop by without giving a warning
Full-feathered chickens with black speckled wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Freshly baked bread smothered with freezer jelly
Wood stoves and whole cloves and laughs from your belly
Full jars that seal with the loudest of pings
These are a few of my favorite things

Kids in warm snowpants with rosy red faces
Snowballs that fly from the darndest of places
Well-worn tea kettle that when hot it sings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the cow kicks
When the wind stings
When I’m feeling mad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

Cows that deliver without my assistance
Weeds that pull easy without much resistance
Sandy-haired puppies the joy that it brings
These are a few of my favorite things

Busy bird feeders and thick homemade noodles
Cursive handwriting and little kid doodles
Peony petals where dewdrops can cling
These are a few of my favorite things

Fresh laundered blankets with Gramma quilt patches
Pen gates that shut without jiggling latches
Finding a bird’s nest made up with old strings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the cow kicks
When the wind stings
When I’m feeling mad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
    Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (3), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.

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