Answers: Favorites

Thanks to all who asked so many interesting questions! I've had lots of fun answering them.  Here's my first batch of answers--on my favorite things.

Linda asked: What is your favourite season...and why?

My favorite seasons are spring, summer and fall. Basically I'm happy as long as I'm warm and there are clear roads, blooming flowers, singing birds and green grass.

Cheryl asked: Who is your favorite singing group?
The Carson Family Singers: that's the only singing group I'm invited to sing with!
The Johnson Strings, the Piano Guys, Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash and Andy Williams are all pretty good though. Usually I only listen to music if someone else turns it on, but I do have my own playlist for emergencies! And yes, I apparently do like movie music.

Linda asked: What is/are your favourite television channels/networks?

There's only one show I regularly watch on television: American Ninja Warrior. I did watch the Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge as well this year. But I find all my other news, movies, and shows online. I particularly enjoy the Studio C Youtube channel. 

Linda asked: Besides the state you live in, what is your favourite state in the U.S.?
I don't really have a favorite state besides Iowa. I love it here, and haven't spent enough time anywhere else in the recent past to develop an affinity for another state. I will say that I have fond memories of Kansas, but don't think I'd like to live there.

Martha asked: What is your least favourite smell?

Living skunks and decaying mice are up there on the list.

Linda asked: Do you have any favourite flower(s)? If so, which one(s)?

I love the pink cone flowers (echinacea) I grow in my garden every year. Pansies are another favorite going back to the days when I pressed flowers. Roses are pretty nice too, but I don't like to grow them, just photograph them. (And as a child, I ate them. Lately I've resisted the urge.)

Martha asked: What is your favourite family tradition?
Thanksgiving dinner. I also liked our tradition of having a cake and party every time each one of my siblings and I finished a book of the Bible on our first time reading it through. That meant each one of us had 66 parties when we were five and six years old. Since there are four of us, that was a total of 264 parties. My parents know how to make life fun!

Martha  asked: If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Is Thanksgiving dinner "a" food? I think I could eat that year round without dying of malnutrition.

Linda asked: Do you prefer tea or coffee?
Neither. I'm a devoted water drinker. I think tea tastes better than coffee, so I'll choose tea. I still have this beautiful tea cup from Alena handy! But if I have to occasionally drink coffee to stay awake (maybe a couple times a year), I do.

Ashley asked: What books do you like reading the most? What are your top 10 favorite books?

The Bible is my #1 favorite. The Law by Frederic Bastiat is #2. I don't know what the other eight favorites would be for a top 10 list--so here's a random list of some books I enjoyed: 

The Road to Serfdom by Hayek

Omnipotent Government  by Ludwig Von Mises

Economic Sophisms by Frederic Bastiat

The Holy War by John Bunyan

Paris Underground by Etta Schriber

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Memoirs of the Second World War (Abridged) by Winston Churchill.

Chess books by Jeremy Silman, such as the Complete Endgame Course and Reassess Your Chess.

Gloria asked: What do you love best about blogging?
I love the camaraderie of fellow bloggers, but I also really enjoy the convenience of a great place to document some of my memories--and where I can easily look up facts, my opinions, and recipes when I need them.

Ashley asked: What are your favorite blogs to read?
To be honest, I probably visit Martha's blogs, Miniaturopolis and  Plowing Through Life the most. I don't always comment, but sometimes I just like to stop by for a quick smile.
When it comes to favorite blogs though, there are too many good ones to list!

Linda : What is your favourite story or verse in the Bible?

One favorite is the story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in the town of Bethany. My other favorite is the story of Deborah because she was a strong woman who was unafraid to judge Israel and work with God to liberate her people.

Favorite verses come from Psalm 23, Psalm 91, John 11, and John 14-17.

Ashley: Who's your favorite character in the Bible? 

Deborah.

Ashley: What's your favorite book of the Bible and why? 

The Gospel of John is filled with comforting words that remind us of the love and peace only Jesus can give.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me." --John 15:4