Quadsville

My apologies if this month’s photo contest theme has a ditty from “The Sound of Music” perpetually running through your head. Hopefully, it’s also sparked a few thoughts in the spirit of Thanksgiving as you think about a few of your favorite things.
Oddly enough, raindrops on roses actually do delight my 8-year-old daughter. She recently plucked one of the last blossoms of the season from her rose bush and keeps sprinkling water on it to give it that dewey look in its vase on the kitchen table.
Here’s a start on my list of favorite things, along with a photo to hopefully inspire your entries into the photo contest.

A few of my favorite things
-- Playing CatchPhrase with my family during holiday gatherings.
-- Driving across the Government Bridge on a foggy morning.
-- Walking with my friends in the St. Patrick Society Grand Parade.
-- Preparing and enjoying a meal with my other half.
-- Laughing at the antics of my self-described “funny genius” daughter.
-- Riding my bike along the Mississippi River.
--  My mom’s baked beans and apple dumplings.
--  Sunday brunches with my best girlfriends.
-- Breathing in the scent of autumn on an October hike through the woods.

Here’s my “funny genius” making me laugh by pretending she’s on the bunny slope with a few of her favorite things. She adores penguins, so she was quite excited to see this tiny tree dressed up as a skiing penguin at the Festival of Trees. She’s also wearing a traditional Austrian dress I brought back for her from Vienna last year. She begs to be allowed to wear it on every special occasion.

There are many more things I could add, but I’ll stop there.
The deadline for entries in the contest is Monday and the winners receive Quad-City Mallards tickets.
So enter the contest or just share your list of favorite things below. And may you and yours have a happy Thanksgiving.