I love, love, love these ten favorites posts. Don’t you love the way you feel writing them?

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2. Storms — thunderstorm or blizzard, what could be more exhilarating?

3. The way my 2-yr old niece’s face lights up and how she says my name when she arrives for a visit.

4. Water. I’m a Pisces who feels most at home around water. Doesn’t matter if it’s ocean or lake, so long as I’m near one or the other — a good thing, too, considering my city has four good-sized lakes, a river and a few meandering streams as well.

5. Spring flowers. First came the daffodils, miraculously surriving a late-season snow. Then there were the magnolias and crabapples, whose blossoms faded all too soon. Now the lilacs are finally in bloom. Ahhh…

6. Autumn. The crisp, cool taste of the air, the crunch of leaves under foot, the vibrant colors, the very smell of it.

7. A pile of new suspense books waitning to be read.

8. Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. Need I say more??

9. Cemeteries. Okay, some may think that morbid, but I love the history and sense of connectedness found in a cemetery. The oldest one here was laid out as a park with winding paths and plenty of shade trees under which locals once picnicked, and there is an awesome “living spirits” tour every autumn. I love letting my mind wander loose there, with pen or camera in hand.

10. Crafting for others. Whether counted cross-stitch or stamping cards, I love creating a special card or hand-made gift for the people around me.

2. My daughter’s fearlessness. She’s a natural-born performer, full of life and exuberance and has the most spectacular eyelashes nature ever put on a child.

3. My dog sitting so close to my chair I can’t push it back.

4. Alejandro Fernández’s CD Entre Tus Brazos. He has a voice that’s smoke and rich red wine and his songs just make me want to either dance around the room or curl up beneath a blanket in a darkened room.

5. Creme brulée.

6. Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino

7. The pair of dark red strappy sandals I splurged on. No real need for them, they were just pretty.

8. Count me on the thunderstorm lovers–I do all my best writing during dark, rainy overcast days.

9. Driving on a long, unbroken stretch of road, music of choice blaring, sun coming through the sunroof.

10. The music palm trees make when there’s a steady breeze blowing through the fronds.

2. My DH’s brain. I love it. He’s brillant and sexy and funny. Can’t beat that.

3. My peonies, back and front yards. White and pink. A scent like nothing else.

4. My cats, Tom and Ed.

5. The photo of me taken in the ladies restroom of the Ritz Carlton at a NINC conference. My friend, Susan, cut out a GODIVA label, tore in two: GO DIVA, and glued it on the photo.

6. Thunderstorms. Nature as entertainment, oh yeah!

7. Anita Shreve. I’m on an Anita Shreve kick lately.

8. Having done my exercises. Okay, not real into the doing, but I love the having done.

9. Seagrams VO Gold, which they never have in bars.

10. My mom. She is the sweetest woman on earth. When I lived in Hollywood, I used to take her to comedy clubs on open mike night. She would laugh at anything. The comedians would always end up giving her a round of applause for being the best audience member ever.