I have so many favorite categories, I could write a book on them, but this newspaper might have a little difficulty fitting them in, so I’ll mention only a few.
Movies. Ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve been a movie buff. If I were limited to name only my top two favorites, I’d choose The Wizard of Oz and Singin’ In The Rain.
• In The Wizard, watching Dorothy and her three pals dance and prance down that yellow brick road was beyond delightful, and Margaret Hamilton really nailed it as the witch.
• In Singin’, the dance routines were really clever, and Gene Kelly’s umbrella as a partner was certainly unique. Rounding out the fun was Jean Hagen’s squeaky voice, which added a spice of humor. And, in one of the most unusual dubbing scenes in movie history, Jean Hagen sang for Debbie Reynolds who sang for Jean Hagen. Wow!
Honorable mentions: 12 Angry Men, Lawrence of Arabia, Christine, My Cousin Vinnie, WarGames, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gone With the Wind. In Wind, I fell madly in love with Vivian Leigh, whose incomparable talent was matched by her ravishing beauty.
Cars. Again, I’ll name my top two, both of which were convertibles manufactured by General Motors: the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.
• The ’57 Bel Air sported an innovative design, featuring a twin-bullet grille and raised tail fins adorned with aluminum quarter panels. It was a bold departure from the ’56 Chevy.
• The ’59 Cadillac “Eldy” was like a yacht on wheels. It was long and sleek, and sported the highest tail fins of all production cars, fins that appeared to reach the heavens! I owned a Series 62 four-door hardtop, and the ride was like floating on air. I wish I still owned it.
Some other faves: 1989 Mazda MX6 GT coupe, 1948 Tucker (a real beauty with innovative design features), 2019 Chevy Corvette, 1993 Honda Prelude, and the 1963 Mercury Monterey four-door hardtop with the inward sloping power rear window. Again, I owned one, and I wish it was parked in my garage. C’est la vie!
Ice-cream flavors. All of them!
Sightseeing.
• When I first saw my favorite choice, my heart nearly stopped and my jaw nearly dropped to my belly button. And I was breathless! Just how was this geological phenomenon possible? The mighty Colorado River! Where was I? The Grand Canyon! Arizona’s crown jewel and a paradise for shutterbugs. I couldn’t believe the immensity of this gorge’s red and tan rock formations. It’s difficult to describe this surrealistic place. You have to be there! You’ll be swept off your feet when you reach the rim and your camera will be clicking away at warp speed!
• My second choice is almost a tie with my first, and it’s only 178 miles away. When you tour this place, you’ll think you’re on another planet. John Ford directed John Wayne in several movies at this site. Where are you? It’s Monument Valley, owned and operated by the Navajo Tribe. Spires and buttes rise up all over the place, looking like a moonscape.
Honorable mentions: Niagara Falls (been there, done that), the mansions on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, R.I., (been there and done that, too), and the Museum of Naval Aviation on board the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.
Hobbies. (I’ve listed my favorite last.)
Honorable mentions: painting with oils and acrylics, drawing with pencils, colored pencils, crayons, and conte crayons. Creative writing, some factual, but mostly fictional. Doing puzzles on the Internet.
• Number one? Playing bridge with my fellow Glenners. I look forward with eagerness to Monday and Thursday evenings at the club to ply my skill with my bridge mates. All of the guys and dolls in this group are super! They are my family! How is it possible to be so fortunate?
