These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

My favorite things in the whole world (besides my friends, family and loved ones, of course!)

1. Reading and books. I could spend days laying on my couch reading amazing stories! Here is a 30 second stream of some of my favorite books/authors. Dune. Lord of the Rings. Ursula Le Guin (Second Hand of Darkness). Stephanie Plum. Faulkner. Ernest Hemingway. PD James. Diana Gabaldon. Jean Auel. Italo Calvino. Anne Maccaffery. Ian Falconer (Olivia). Harry Potter. Martha Grimes. JD Robb. Julain May.... Times up, but you get an idea, right? http://www.goodreads.com
2. Cooking/Eating. I'm not sure which came first, they go together in so many ways! I can tell you that while I enjoy eating great food at restaurants, delis, cafes, what really makes me happy is cooking, eating and sharing relaxing moments with friends and family. www.foodtv.com
3. Travel, driving, seeing new places, meeting interesting people. I love unplanned travel. Go to a destination, rent a car ( or a bicycle) and just see what or whom you can find.
4. Learning new things. I love to take classes, to challenge myself so that I really feel I have come through the fire! http://www.nbpts.org/ www.arizona.edu

Right now, I am struggling with the fact that one of these things, the learning new things item, has become so central that I cannot enjoy my other favorite things. But I am trying to balance ....