We have a very long drive ahead of us, and I need my navigator to be rested and relaxed.” Momma takes the near-empty bag, then tilts it and pours the broken remains into her open mouth. I take a handful and hold the bag toward her. I lean forward and grab the open bag of potato chips from the step below mine. She rocks to one side, gently nudging me with her elbow. I lower my chin to my knees and frown at the sight of her fluffy pink bathrobe poking through the top of the bag. Momma crosses the porch and squats next to me. An overstuffed black garbage bag flies over my head and lands on the walkway in front of me. and how, after today, I might not ever feel again. And that’s exactly how I feel at home in Curly Creek. The beginning and the end are my favorite parts because that’s when Dorothy is surrounded by everyone who loves her most. Who wouldn’t want to go to sleep and wake up somewhere over the rainbow?

Most people can’t wait for Dorothy to get whisked away from boring, gray Kansas and wake up surrounded by flowers and lollipops. My two favorite parts of the movie are the only parts in black and white. With so many memorable parts to choose from, it’s practically impossible to pick just one favorite.

And when she finally makes it to Oz with her new group of friends and they all get head-to-toe makeovers. And when the merry munchkins and Glinda the Good Witch of the North welcome her over the rainbow and present her with sparkly ruby red slippers.

Because The Wizard of Oz has so many great moments-like when Dorothy first opens the door of her tornado-tossed house to a bright and colorful new world. I know it’s kind of impossible to have more than one favorite of anything, but I think sometimes, like in the case of the best movie ever made, it’s okay to make an exception. I have two favorite parts in The Wizard of Oz.

Tricia rayburn