Brown paper packages tied up with strings

Well, not exactly, but when Julie Andrews mentioned them in The Sound of Music as she sang about
"favorite things," I knew exactly what she meant. There are no strings attached to the brown paper (cardboad) packages these days, but I still get just as excited to see them.

I splurged recently on a book club order, then, a few days later, ordered a couple of CDs from Amazon.com. Both packages came at the same time.

It was such fun to browse the actual books, not just their catalog descriptons, and to anticipate the pleasure they'll bring me this summer. I read every night at bedtime and take the settings and characters with me into my dreams. (If you have difficulty reading the titles, you can click on the picture to see it in a larger size.)

I don't buy many CDs. Through experience, I've learned that most of them have one or two great songs and a lot of others I wish I hadn't paid for. Of the two I ordered this time, one is a dud, and the other is amazing. It's been my driving music for the past two days, and I could listen to it over and over.

In fact, I'm gonna go listen to it again, because I have a list of errands to run today. I'll be back later to post something a little more substantive, but in the meantime, if you have a minute, check out Joe Cocker's Greatest Love Songs. Be sure to scroll down and listen to a few samples. If you're like me, you'll find yourself wishing you were slow dancing with somebody.