Put It Behind, Look Forward

The power of Ten on Tuesday! I hadn't planned to write lists today, mainly because I wasn't sure I could think of five good things about the summer, but reading other posts has motivated me. So, here are the five best things I did this summer and the five things I'm looking forward to this fall.

1. Worked in the garden. Yes, work was the key word as it took a lot of planting, weeding, watering, picking, and processing, but we ate string beans, tomatoes, chard, turnips, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers all summer. My freezer is full of string beans, tomato sauce, and shredded zucchini; there are pickles and salsa in the refrigerator, and we're still picking tomatoes and string beans daily. 
2. Read. Lots of books for Summer Book Bingo, and began to look for a book group that might be a good fit.
3. Planted some flowers I really love. My flower gardens have been a combination of plants that were here when we moved, transplants from friends and family, and a mish-mosh of other things. For some reason, many of my hostas died a slow death last winter, but I took the opportunity to plant lots of bleeding hearts in their place. Even though it was their first year, many of them bloomed profusely. I also planted lots of columbines that I raised from seed and they have flourished from the loving care (and careful watering) that I have lavished on them.
4. Knit on the porch. We are fortunate enough to have a lovely front porch, so I tried to make sure that I spent more time knitting out there, at least before the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes got to me.
5. Finished a baby blanket! This was kind of a big deal for me, as I'm not the speediest knitter, but I got it done a full month before the baby is due. Bonus: I even got it packed, braved the post office, and it has been received in New Mexico.

1. Having the whole family together in Fort Collins! We're all visiting Ryan for a long weekend for his birthday in October and I am looking forward to this more than anything!
2. That fall hint of cool crispness in the air. I am not a fan of summer heat and humidity and am so looking forward to delightful blue skies instead of hazy gray and not sweating profusely when I'm outside.
3. More reading. There are two books I'm anxiously awaiting - Born to Run and Today Will be Different. I'm impatiently counting the days.
4. Thanksgiving. This is my favorite holiday but it will be very different this year. Neither one of my sons will be here, and because of medical issues, I'm not sure exactly who will be gathered around the table. I love the food, I really love the leftovers, and am looking forward to thinking of ways to make it special, even if it's a big departure from our usual traditions.
5. Settling. Yes, I stole this one from Kym, but as soon as I read her lists, I knew she had put a name to what I've been feeling. I'm currently trying to settle into my life as it IS and not always wishing things were different. It's going to be a long process, but acceptance of the way things are and not always railing against them is beginning to make a difference in my life, bit by bit.

What were your summer highlights and what are you anticipating this fall? It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Ten on Tuesday

Uh-oh. I'm wondering where Carole got today's Ten On Tuesday prompt - 10 Songs About Where You Live. I couldn't think of even one off the top of my head, but with Google and a lot of help from friends, I did come up with a few.

1. "Flemington" by Danny Federici. Danny was the keyboard player for the E Street Band before he sadly passed away in 2008. He's kind of a big deal around here and did a solo album entitled Flemington with a title track of the same name in 1996.
2. "Flemington" - Tom Day. I had never heard this song, but I quite like it. I think Tom's Flemington is in Australia, not NJ, but I thank him anyway.
3. "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)" - The Four Seasons. I was lucky enough to find two songs named for the town I live in, but then had to branch out state-wide. This one was in the Broadway show Jersey Boys.
4. "Jersey Girl" - Tom Waits. Tom wrote the song and sings it best.
5. "Diamond Street Church Choir"- The Gaslight Anthem. This song is an ode to the New Brunswick (think Rutgers) bar where they played their first show. 
6. "Jersey Bounce" - Ella Fitzgerald. Because we need something besides rock on this list.
7. "Who Says You Can't Go Home" - Jon Bon Jovi. New Jersey's second most famous rocker, he's singing about coming home to NJ. 
8. "Trapped" - Bruce Springsteen. I got to number 8 before I listed New Jersey's most famous musician. I'm always surprised by how many people don't know this song, but it's my favorite by Bruce. There have been times I feel trapped in NJ (when I'm longing to be in Colorado), but it's simply a great song.
9. “Governor Chris Christie’s Fort Lee, New Jersey Traffic Jam” - Jimmy Fallon and Bruce Springsteen. In September of 2013 our esteemed governor was embroiled in a scandal that involved closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge, the busiest motor vehicle bridge in the world. This resulted in three days of epic gridlock, recounted in this brilliant parody:
   Sprung from cages on Highway 9, we got three lanes closed, so Jersey get your ass in line
   Whoa, maybe this Bridgegate was just payback, it's a bitchslap to the state Democrats
10.  Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. - Bruce Springsteen. His first album is one of his best, and with a title like that I couldn't pick just one song. It's hard to believe that this album wasn't a big hit in 1973, but now no list of songs about where I live would be complete without him.

I was afraid my list would be all Bruce, but I'm glad Carole presented this opportunity to branch out a bit and recognize that there is a lot of music about where I live. I'm looking forward to some interesting lists and interesting listens today!

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten on Tuesday topic for today is Ten Things You Did This Weekend. This should be an easy one since we had a long holiday weekend to do at least 10 list-worthy things and plenty of advance notice so we could be sure to take plenty of photos.

1. Kicked off the weekend with a cold beer, knitting, and watching a thunderstorm from the porch. This might not sound like much but it was a great way to relax and shift into weekend mode after a busy week. We desperately need the rain, but I did resist dancing in the downpour.
2. Went to my great-nephew's first birthday party. He had a fever of 103°, so we only saw him for a few minutes before his extended nap, but I had a nice time getting to better know some people I don't see very often.
3. Made lots of potato salad. I used more than 15 lbs. of potatoes to take potato salad to my niece's, and made it again on Sunday for us with the few remaining potatoes.
4. Cast on for a baby blanket. (Thanks, Patty!)
5. Kept up with my AKK SKAL plans. I'll be finishing my Hitchhiker soon so I can then turn some other WIPs into FOs.
6. Did some yard work. Weeding, pruning, cursing Japanese beetles ...
7. Watched some fireworks. I only had to take about 146 pictures to get one even remotely semi-decent one. Clearly my phone camera is not the right tool for this job.
8. Had a delightful culinary conversation with Ryan. He initially called to complain about the administrative glitches that have prevented him from getting paid on his grant this summer. This would be an issue for almost anyone, but it's a near-crisis if a graduate student has no income for six weeks. He's working to resolve the situation, and once he had the opportunity to vent, he started telling me about what he been cooking lately (in the interest of thrift). Some of sounded pretty darn delicious, and he convinced me that potato salad would be better with some ground mustard and bacon salt. He was right!
9. Started two wonderful books. One Man's Owl and The House of Owls are both excellent so far.
10. Mentally prepared myself for the upcoming week. It's a week filled with scary medical stuff for my father and me. I've got knitting, books, and fortitude.

So, what did you do this weekend?

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten On Tuesday topic for today is 10 Things To Do While Listening to an Audiobook, and I feel like I am eminently qualified to make a list for this one. I started listening to audiobooks way back in high school, borrowing cassette tapes and then CDs from the library. I discovered Audible in 2009, and over the past seven years most of my reading has gradually become listening to audiobooks. I still read things on my Kindle occasionally and every once in a while I even look at an actual real, live dead-tree book, but it's mainly because I can multitask that I listen to audiobooks. So here's what I do while listening:

1. Knit  - The primary reason I started listening was so I wouldn't have to choose between knitting and reading. Knitting and listening - perfect together!
2. Walk - I can achieve those 10,000 steps much more easily if I listen while I walk.
3. Housework - Listening makes an odious task less so.
4. Yard work - Weeding, pruning, and mowing don't seem like drudgery if I'm engrossed in a book.
5. Grocery shop - This is a chore I despise, but a book in my ears makes it better.
6. Sit in the airport - Since we have to be at the airport so early to get through security and make it to the gate on time, I make sure I always have a good book on my ipod to while away the time spent waiting.
7. Fly - Flying isn't my favorite thing, but if I'm absorbed in an audiobook then I forget all about the lack of legroom and that I'm hurtling through the atmosphere in an aluminum tube.
8. Drive - Most of my driving is short trips around town, but if I'm embarking on a longer road trip there is always a good book plugged into the auxiliary port in the car. 
9. Swing on the porch swing - Sometimes it's nice to sit on the porch swing and simply enjoy the sounds of the birds singing and the breeze blowing. We live on a street with plenty of traffic, so there are times that it's also nice to drown out the sounds of cars, noisy trucks, and other people's questionable taste in music. Enjoying an audiobook on the porch swing is perfect for those times.
10. Drown out snoring - Someone I sleep with has been known to snore quite loudly; at times it's loud enough to wake me up. I've learned over the years that my earbuds and an audiobook are often enough to put me back to sleep and keep me from getting too aggravated with the snorer.

My Audible page tells me that I have 428 titles in my library (Ryan and I share the account, so they're not all mine :-) , and I've tagged almost half of my "read" books as audio on goodreads. Not every book lends itself to becoming an audiobook, but there are also many that are enriched even further by being read by an exceptional narrator. I'm looking forward to reading ToT lists today to see what else I can do while immersed in an audiobook!

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten on Tuesday topic for today is 10 Things On This Summer's Bucket List. I do have two confessions to make; first, summer is not my favorite season because around here it usually means heat and humidity, two of my least favorite things. Our old house has a whole-house attic fan, which works just fine as long as there is cool air outside for the fan to pull in to cool the house. This is not often the case in NJ in July and August. Secondly, I'm a bit of a failure at actually doing things on a bucket list. I've made lists before, but haven't been completely successful at carrying them out. Maybe I'll do better if I make a reasonable list and post it publicly.

1. Rekindle the feeling of summer reading when I was a kid. I'm trying to do this with Book Bingo, and have spent much of my reading time on the porch. So far, so good!
2. Plant more perennials. I planted bleeding hearts and some columbines I started from seed this spring, but I have some space in the garden flower beds for some other things.
3. Eat more summer fruit. I love pies, crumbles, and buckles, but I'm going to make a real effort to just enjoy fruit in its natural state, not baked with sugar. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, watermelons ... yum!
4. Find some great pasta/potato/side dish salad recipes. Dinner in the summer is very often something grilled, a pasta (or potato) salad, and a vegetable. I'm lacking for new, unique, and tasty salad side dishes, but I made this one last night and it was a winner.
5. Eat a Creamsicle® (or two). This delicious frozen treat says summer to me. I haven't had one in years, but I think it's time to quit denying myself.
6. Drink a Creamsicle (or two). This might need a little tweaking, but I bet I'm up to the challenge.
7. Watch the 4th of July fireworks from the backyard. Our town's fireworks are only a block away, so viewing is fun from a chair in the backyard. No parking problems and I can also enjoy a nice glass of wine at the same time.
8. Watch the Perseids Meteor Shower from the backyard. Same chair, with a nice mug of tea since the best viewing will be early morning Aug. 11-13.
9. Tie-dye some shirts. John loves tie-died shirts and his birthday is in August, so this would be fun and gain me some good-wife points at the same time.
10. Go to some of the Main Street Car Shows. Our town has car shows every other week during the summer, and all we have to do is walk a block to Main Street to take a look. Cars aren't usually my thing, but John enjoys them, and it's fun to do something together. I may put some wine in my water bottle and see if this enriches the experience. 

I'm looking forward to reading other lists and stealing an idea or two. It's time to start some summer enjoyment!

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is 10 Things You Are Curious About. This is a good one, as I like to think of myself as a curious person, so let's see what I can come up with.

 

1. Why is my mind cluttered with the lyrics of "Disco Duck" but I can't remember where I parked my car at the grocery store?
2. What is the purpose of dreams and where do the things we dream about come from? (Can you tell I've had some wild dreams lately?)
3. What happens after we die?
4. How do people become addicted to cigarettes? I wonder about this, not in a judgmental way, but because I've coughed, gagged, and choked my way through the four cigarettes I've tried in my life, and I wonder how people overcome that awfulness to even get to a point where they enjoy smoking and become addicted to nicotine.
5. How and why do music and scents evoke such powerful emotions and memories?
6. Why was my usually very staid and proper neighbor wandering the streets on Saturday afternoon, dressed all in black and drinking from a red Solo cup?
7. Why are people (I include myself here) so reticent to change their minds, even when presented with compelling evidence that they should do so?
8. Why have I been obsessively thinking about apricots and raspberries together since I read about Carole's pie yesterday? 
9. I'm wondering how this will taste for dessert tonight!
10. I'm curious about Muhammad Ali after reading Kat's personal Ali story. I know very little about him aside from his boxing, but will be looking for a good biography to find out more. His pronouncement of "A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life,” makes him even more intriguing to me.

I'm also wondering what other interesting tidbits will be on ToT lists today. What are you curious about?

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten on Tuesday topic for today is 10 Ways to Help a New Mom. We've had a few babies born in our family during the past year, and we're expecting another one later in October, but we are all scattered throughout the country so I wasn't close enough to help directly. Here is some of the help I received (and greatly appreciated!) or would have loved as a new mom myself.

1. Bring meals - My mother-in-law brought us food for the first two weeks after both of my children were born. It wasn't every day, but it was absolutely wonderful to know that there were casseroles, stuffed shells, and meatloaf in the refrigerator if I couldn't manage dinner on my own. (Like those days that I could barely brush my teeth or take a shower.)
2. Hold the baby - So the new mom can brush her teeth and take a shower. 
3. Offer help with laundry, washing dishes, or vacuuming - My mother came over a few times to take care of some of the laundry. I was determined to use cloth diapers, so the help was terrific.
4. Take the older kid(s) off her hands for a while - A nap for mom while the baby sleeps is much easier if you've taken the older kids to the library for a bit.
5. Run some errands - Do some quick grocery shopping, stop by the dreaded post office, or pick up the dry cleaning. Any of these would benefit the new mother's whole family.
6.  Ask the new mom what you can do to help - She may suggest some things that you wouldn't have thought of, and it's always nice to have your help actually be helpful.
7. Text when you're at the drug store, Target, or Costco - "I'm at Walgreens right now. What do you need?"
8. Gift the new mother with something soothing and pampering just for her - Lavender shower gel, good hand cream, cocoa butter, or maybe some really delicious chocolates and tea could help deal with some of the sleep deprivation.
9. Help with seasonal jobs - Depending on the time of year that the baby is born, you could mow the lawn, rake leaves, shovel snow, bake Christmas cookies, or wrap some gifts. 
10. Knit - This one has to be planned ahead, but I can't leave it off the list. I think all babies (and new moms) deserve at least one hand knit item. 

It takes some time for a new mom (and baby) to adjust to the big changes in their lives, even if the mother has done it before. With a little help, they can ease gently into their new life together.

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is a timely one for me -- 10 Ways to Welcome Someone New To Your Neighborhood. Our next door neighbors are selling their house, so we will be welcoming a new family to the neighborhood in the near future. After seeing the parade of prospective buyers looking at the house over the past several weeks I suggested to my neighbor that I should have approval of any buyers before the final papers get signed, but for some reason he didn't seem to like that idea. So, I guess I will just have to try some of these welcoming ideas.

1. Introduce yourself (with some fresh-baked cookies) after the new neighbors have had a chance to settle in.
2. Take them some food -- something that they can heat and eat if they haven't yet unpacked the kitchen or freeze for later. Lasagna, ziti, or casseroles have been big hits on our block. 
3. Consider delivering the lasagna or casserole along with disposable plates, napkins, and utensils.
4. Bake a welcome cake. This is a good one. 
5. If you're not a cake baker, maybe muffins or some cinnamon rolls might be a good idea. I welcomed one of our neighbors with zucchini bread and now she demands it every year (in a friendly, neighborly way, of course).
6. Gift them with a nice pot of cheery flowers, something to make the front porch look welcoming.
7.  Prepare a list of useful neighborhood information -- emergency numbers, trash and recycling collection days, the good pizza places, coffee place, closest grocery store, doctors, dentists, libraries, the good mechanic ...
8. Don't forget to include your own contact information along with pertinent neighborhood details.
9. A bottle of wine is almost always a good idea to help deal with the stress of moving and unpacking.
10. Let your new neighbors know that you're available if they want or need help (waiting for the cable guy or phone company, accepting UPS packages, etc.) but don't be a pest. 

I live in a neighborhood where we wave hello, chat a bit when we're shoveling or mowing, and occasionally enjoy a beer together on the front porch, but we don't intrude on each others' privacy.  Being a good neighbor can help make your neighborhood a peaceful and friendly place, and who wouldn't want to live there!

Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten On Tuesday prompt is 10 Favorite Foods Your Mom Used To Make. My mother didn't enjoy cooking very much, but she did prepare dinner for the four of us almost every night. She was happy to hand off some of the food preparation to my sister and I when she got a job, and I appreciate her infinite patience when I called her at work to ask for instructions on how to make meatloaf. Even though cooking wasn't her favorite thing, childhood foods that Mom used to make have a special place in my heart.

1. Chef Boyardee Pizza - This was a kit with crust mix, sauce, and "cheese" topping that came in a box. I remember that the crust was difficult to stretch out and it probably wasn't the world's best-tasting pizza, but my mom, sister, and I made these together, so the camaraderie was part of it.
2. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese - The classic stuff in the blue box with the bright orange powder was a childhood staple. The only time I didn't like it was when Mom put sliced-up hotdogs in it. Hotdogs should be served alongside macaroni and cheese, never in it. 
3. Tomato soup - My father traveled a lot and when he was gone, my sister and I alternated choosing what to have for dinner. I almost always picked delicious Campbell's tomato soup; my sister chose bean with bacon (yuck!)
4. Grilled Cheese - You have to have grilled cheese with tomato soup, and my mother's grilled cheese were the best. .
5. BLCT Sandwiches - This was the ultimate choice when my father was away - bacon, lettuce, cheese, and tomato sandwiches, served on Wonder Bread, of course. I didn't know the classic came without cheese until I was a teenager.
6. Fish sticks - Call me crazy, but I liked them. Maybe it was the tartar sauce.
7. Spaghetti - In our house this was plain spaghetti with Ragu and Kraft grated parmesan in the green container, but sometimes not fancy is good.
8. Meatloaf - This was the one meal that my mother prepared without a recipe, and I do it the same way. Your choice of ground meat, a couple eggs, some ketchup, and whatever else you feel like throwing in.
9. Magic Carpet Cookies - My mother might not have enjoyed the drudgery of day-to-day dinner preparation, but she was the queen of Christmas cookies. She made dozens and dozens, storing them in huge Charlie Chip cans. (Imagine my surprise when I searched for a link and found the company is actually Charles Chips! We always called the delivery guy that came once a week Charlie Chip.)  My favorites were Magic Carpet Cookies and Mom made them for me every year. It wasn't until I grew up, inherited her recipe box, and made them myself that I appreciated what fiddly, pain-in-the-butt cookies they were to make. 
10. Martha's Company Casserole - This was honestly not one of my favorites, but it's indelibly linked with my mother. I have no idea who Martha was, and I've only made this twice in the past 35 years, but the second time was just last Saturday because John requested it. The spots and stains on the recipe card have to mean something!

I grew up in the 60s, so it's probably not fair to judge these foods by today's standards. My grandmother always said that everything tastes better when someone makes it just for you, and I think that is certainly true with all these favorites that Mom made for us.

What are your Mom-made favorites? I'm looking forward to some childhood deliciousness and maybe even a few new recipes!

Ten on Tuesday - DEAR Time

Today's Ten On Tuesday prompt is a special one in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday and Drop Everything and Read Day: 10 Books That Made YOU Want to Drop Everything and Read. Happy 100th Birthday, Beverly Cleary! Ralph S. Mouse was a big favorite in our house, and may be part of the reason Justin rides a motorcycle today.

Back when I worked in elementary and middle school libraries, the librarians and I loved DEAR time. Even though we were surrounded by books and students reading, we never actually got to read at work unless it was a school-wide DEAR time, usually on Dr. Seuss' birthday (Read Across America Day, March 2), and often for only 15 minutes. That isn't nearly long enough!

This is almost always the kind of reading experience that I'm hoping for, books so good that I want to drop everything else and read, and here are some books that made me want to do just that:

1. The Harry Potter series - I'm not sure I would feel the same way now if I reread them, but at the time, I could hardly stand the wait for the next book. Once Ryan started reading them, we had to pre-order two copies because there was no way we were going to share one. I remember both of us tearing open the Amazon boxes and reading on the porch to the exclusion of everything else.
2. My Name is Lucy Barton - This is a recent read, but I could relate to the character of Lucy on so many levels that I just didn't want to put the book down.
3. Anne of Green Gables - I loved this book as a girl, and have been happy to see that it has stood up to several rereads over the years. 
4. The Shipping News - I know two people that did not find this book as incredible as I did, but they are both wonderful so I'm willing to overlook this one little thing. :-) It's one of my absolute, all-time favorites.
5. The Children Act - I read this book more than a year ago and I still find myself thinking about Fiona Maye.
6. Home Cooking and More Home Cooking - Not exactly cookbooks, Laurie Colwin's essays on home cooking and preparing food for those we love are brilliant and beautiful.
7. How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking - It might seem a bit strange to find nonfiction on this list, but Jordan Ellenberg writes so compellingly about how math figures largely into our world that I did drop everything to read it.
8. Still Alice - This book about early-onset Alzheimer's disease told from the patient's point of view is heart-breaking yet still joyful in its own way. I still think about Alice seven years after I read the book.
9. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson's memoir about growing up in the '50s is both hilarious and poignant. I think listening to the audiobook, read by the author himself, makes this near-perfect.
10. A Short History of Nearly Everything - This is one of the first audiobooks I listened to, and I found it so funny, interesting, educational, and just plain good that I barely noticed it was almost 18 hours long. This book is exactly what the title proclaims and well worth reading.

I can't wait to read all the other lists today; something tells me I may be adding lots of books to my to-be-read list.

Ten on Tuesday

I don't think I've ever looked forward to reading others' Ten on Tuesday lists quite as much as I am today. The topic, 10 Things You Do To Calm Down, is one that I can definitely use, and I hope to gather ideas that I can put into practice. I don't think of myself as a very angry person, so when I need to calm down it's most often due to worry and anxiety. It feels like I've been worrying about things more than usual for the past year and a half; most often about a family member's health or safety, but there is also my own health, money, when will the axle on my Subaru break again, what do I want to do in this next stage of my life, have I been/am I now a good mother, am I eating enough fruits and vegetables, global warming, the rise of pseudoscience, am I worrying too much ...

I know that worrying isn't useful or productive, and can even be a bit of a wallowing self-indulgence, so here are some of the things I do to calm down.

1. Knit - There have been plenty of studies showing the calming effects of knitting, and I think we've all experienced how very effective this is.
2. Shop for yarn - I have to be careful not to overdo it, but often times even browsing The Loopy Ewe online is a calming experience. Calm Downing is the most recent addition to my wish list!
   
3. Walk - Getting out into the fresh air, walking away from worry and towards peace is a very good thing.
4. Breathe - Simply taking some deep breaths and concentrating on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide can be soothing.
5. Meditate - This is a relatively new practice for me and I'm still trying to find what works best, but focusing on my breath, observing thoughts without judgement, and letting them go is a good beginning.
6. Drink tea - There is a good reason that hot, sweet tea figures largely in British novels. The simple act of making tea and feeling that warmth entering your system is restorative and restful.
7. Read - Reading allows me to enter another world, one away from my own concerns. A nonfiction book about meditation or a great novel can transport me.
8. Get outside of myself - When I need to calm down, it's very helpful to direct my attention and energy towards others. Bake zucchini bread for a friend, change the batteries in the smoke detectors for an elderly neighbor, donate blood, or do some volunteer shelving at the library -- all of these have helped me to calm down and put things in perspective.
9. Music - Whether it's calming Zoe Keating on cello or something more raucous to "dance it out", music has charms to soothe the savage breast.
   
10. Balloon or the box - If I recognize that what I'm worrying about is something I need to let go of, I'll picture placing that worry in a balloon and watch it peacefully drift away into a lovely blue sky. Sometimes anxiety is about an issue I need to deal with, so I imagine placing that into a box to deal with it when I'm better able to. That helps with calming down, which in turn helps with actually resolving the issue.

So, what are your favorite ways to calm down? I'd love to hear what works for you!

Ten on Tuesday - Get Out There!

With warmer weather approaching in fits and starts, today's Ten on Tuesday prompt is
10 Things You Love To Do Outside. The rain is coming down in buckets and 30 mph winds are blowing the rain sideways as I write this, but I bet I can still think of some good outside things. Just not things I want to do in the rain; I might melt. :-)

View from the porch on a nicer day. Please ignore the parked car and electric lines.

1. Work in the garden. It doesn't look like much at this time of year, but I have started seeds indoors and soon enough I'll (hopefully) be planting the tomatoes, beans, snow peas, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and more in the garden.
2. Putter around in the flower beds. I've got various beds around the house with ivy, clematis, roses, hydrangeas, etc. My favorite thing to do is just appreciate the flowers growing there, but to get to that point they require plenty of attention at this time of year. Removing leaves, pruning, weeding, mulching, moving plants, replacing dead ones -- I enjoy most of it and have spent lots of time doing it over the last few weeks.
3. Sit on the porch. Once it's warm enough, this is the perfect place for drinking my morning tea, reading, and knitting.
4. Watch birds. I've got quite a few bird feeders and I love to watch the birds that visit them.  
5. Try to identify bird calls. This is a new one for me and came about when I started reading The Genius of Birds. I've always enjoyed listening to birdsong, but trying to identify single birds by their calls is going to require some real listening and practice.
6. Eat. Once it warms up, we almost always eat dinner outside at the picnic table, especially if I've made something on the grill.
7. Take a walk. John and I walk almost every evening, and it's a delightful way to watch the seasons gradually changing. 
8. Hike. This is different than just taking a walk. I walk in New Jersey, but when I'm visiting Ryan in Colorado, I call it hiking. That's because it's usually a bit more strenuous, involves climbing a lot more elevation, and watching out for rattlesnakes.
9. Mow the lawn. In our division of labor, this job is mine, and I do love it. There is something about doing a necessary chore and getting exercise at the same time that just makes me feel good. I also love that mowing is a job that has an end point (at least for a week or so), you can see the results of your work, and I feel perfectly justified in rewarding myself with a nice cold beer when I finish on a hot and humid August day.
10. Play "the wood chucking game". This is really Kubb, a Swedish lawn game, but we've always called it wood chucking. It's incredibly fun, especially if the players are of varying ages and abilities, and you play while drinking some good beer. 

What do you love to do outside?

Ten on Tuesday - Comforting

The Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is one that is very near and dear to my heart,
10 Favorite Comfort Foods. When I'm feeling in need of comfort, food (and drink) is one of the first things I turn to to soothe my soul. I may even play fast and loose and include drinks in my list.

1. The first one has to be macaroni and cheese. Homemade with gouda, smoked mozzarella, and sharp cheddar, then baked with breadcrumbs on top is my ideal, but even Velveeta boxed shells and cheese will do in a pinch. The Kraft stuff of my childhood (orange powdered cheese?) just doesn't do it for me. 
2. Grilled cheese sandwich, with or without tomato soup.
3. Chicken noodle soup, with extra noodles, please.
4. Mashed potatoes, extra butter, please.
5. Soft egg on buttered toast. This is really a poached egg, but since we called them soft eggs when I was growing up, that's what comforts me.
6. Corn fritters. These are best when made by my grandmother and eaten with my sister and cousins while we have a contest to see who can eat the most.
7. Biscuits, warm with melting butter.
8. Snickerdoodles. I don't know Mrs. Sigg, but her Snickerdoodles are the best.
9. Scrapple. In case you're not familiar with this, it's essentially mush made with pork scraps and cornmeal, then fried to delicious crispiness. I haven't had it in decades, but I grew up in eastern PA where it was common, and now I want some. 
10. Hot tea. Obviously not a food, but very comforting in almost any form. English, peppermint, chai -- a mug of hot tea provides immediate comfort to the body and soul.

A small caveat -- many of these are better if someone else prepares them for you
(with love), but they are all comforting even if you have to get out the cast iron skillet and fry your own scrapple.

What are your favorite comfort foods?

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is an interesting one, 10 Favorite Things You Have That Are Made Out of Wood. I can think of a few off the top of my head, but let's see if I can manage to come up with ten.

1.  Our kitchen table - it's old and has some burn marks and scars, but it's one of my favorite things because of all the family dinners that have been served there, all the homework that was done there, all the coloring and games that happened after homework was done, and the many, many good memories it holds.

2.  The desk in the corner that John refinished - I wrote about my desk a few years ago.

3.  My cutting board - We have a woodworker friend, and 26 years ago he gave John an extra hunk of oak that he didn't need. I claimed it as a cutting board and have used it ever since. It's not pretty or fancy at all, but I'm not afraid to cut bushels of tomatoes on it and scrub it well.

4.  My rolling pin - John wondered what I wanted one year for Christmas, and I asked for a rolling pin. I wanted one that was one piece, without bearings because I was tired of digging dried dough out of the cracks in my old one. He made one that was even better than I had imagined, just the right heft and weight for rolling out crescent roll dough and pie crusts.

5.  My salt bowl - My brother-in-law heats their house with wood and when he is fueling the wood stove he often comes across pieces of wood that tell him he should not toss them into the fire, but should use his woodworking skills to release the item hidden within. He saw a bowl and spoon in this piece of wood and I was the lucky recipient. He meant it to be a salt bowl, to hold sea salt, but I can't bear to put salt into its satiny smoothness.

6.  Trä spridare (wooden spreader) - My mother loved investigating our genealogy, and found Swedish relatives on my father's side. When they visited the United States, they gifted us with beautifully useful wooden spreaders, perfect for spreading butter on fresh-baked bread and toast.

7.  The crochet hook that John made for me - He started out making a pen, but somehow it turned into a crochet hook, very smooth and comfortable to hold.

8.  The spinning wheel on the front porch - This is my great-grandmother's great wheel. Parts are missing, and I don't have room for it inside, but it has a home on my front porch. If I have to give someone directions, I always say "it's the house with the spinning wheel" and they know just where I'm talking about.

9.  Sewing cabinet - We bought our house from an older woman who was going into a nursing home. While this was a bit sad, she left behind several items that she couldn't take with her, encouraging us to use them with happiness. This sewing cabinet was one of those items, and I think of her every time I look for thread and needles.

10.  My rocking chair - Another piece of furniture that we got with the house, this one holds many happy memories of reading bedtime stories and rocking the boys to sleep.

Thanks, Carole (and Dale!), for providing me with a reason to look around my house, really see, and appreciate many of the handmade wooden items I'm lucky to have and use. Wood is good!

Ten on Tuesday - Time Warp

If ever there was a song about Time, for me it's "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I was in college during the heyday of TRHPS, and spent quite a bit of time gathering rice, newspapers, water pistols, toilet paper, and toast, heading to the nearest theater at midnight, and doing the Time Warp down front. Catchy tune, good times!

So you might have guessed that the Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is 10 Things You Would Do With An Extra Hour in the Day. My list will not include doing the the Time Warp.

1. Sleep
2. Knit
3. Read
4. Finish taxes
5. Try needle felting
6. Take a longer walk
7. Make a better dinner
8. Drink another cup of tea
9. Write more and better blog posts
10. Watch another episode of House of Cards

I will be doing a few of these things this week (finishing taxes and watching House of Cards), and I know that if I make an honest effort to stop wasting time, I could do all of them. Expect a report next week on how I did!

What would you do with an extra hour in your day? 

Ten on Tuesday

The Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is to list 10 of Your Favorite Things Right Now. While I don't have raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens on my list, there are plenty of other things I'm favoring right now.

1.  Current knitting - deliciously, wonderfully soft fingerless mitts in Blue Sky Alpacas Royal. This yarn may spoil me for all others.

2.  Double point needle holders - I got tired of losing stitches off the ends of my double points when I put the project in my bag, so I found these on etsy. I ordered the cute bunnies above from thenomeknitter, and the really cool Tardis argyle one below came from pokdej.

3.  Future knitting - I've been looking at this yarn since I bought it at The Loopy Ewe in October  last year. I think I've finally figured out what to do with it (maybe a modified, shallower Hitchhiker) and am looking forward to knitting these great colors.

4.  Emerging hyacinths - Soon!

5.  My jasmine is blooming! - My mother and I both enjoyed growing things, and this 15-year-old jasmine plant is from our last plant shopping trip together. It's getting woody, leggy, and sparse, but I was quite happy to see even a lone flower blossom in February.

6.  Half-price blooming orchids - Our grocery store usually discounts these little orchids after a holiday, so I was thrilled to find these Valentine's leftovers for only $5 each.

7.  Celestial Seasonings Dirty Chai - I almost did a little dance in the grocery store aisle when I spotted this. No, it's not quite as good as the dirty chai from Alley Cat in Fort Collins or Ragged Edge in Gettysburg, but our lone coffee shop makes really bad chai, so this is much better than having none.

8.  Starburst Jelly Beans - Yet another treat from the grocery store this week!

9.  Warming temperatures - Yup, 50 degrees at 10:42 am.

10.  And because it's 50 degrees, I get to enjoy another one of my favorite things, hanging laundry outside!

I'm looking forward to reading others' lists, and I hope you all 

have a great week ahead, full of lots of favorites!

Ten on Tuesday - Groundhog Day!

The Ten On Tuesday prompt for today is in honor of Groundhog Day (both the movie and the "holiday") - 10 Moments/Events/Days In Your Life You'd Like To Repeat.
I have plenty!

 

1.   My wedding day. This isn't because I want to put on the dress (although I do wish I still fit into it!) and walk down the aisle again. It's because we were lucky enough to have almost every single one of our family members, friends, and loved ones gathered together in one place to celebrate with us. So many of those people are gone now, and if I could repeat that day, I'd hug them all a little tighter and tell them all how much I love them.

2.   The day Ryan was born. Yes, lots of pain, but it was all forgotten once I held my first son. I remember it well, but it was such a miracle that it would be wonderful to repeat.

3.   Of course, the day Justin was born. It was just as miraculous to hold my second son that I would do it all again.

4.   The day Ryan and Justin set up their squirrel trap in the pear tree. John traveled a lot when the kids were little so I often felt like a single mother for weeks at a time. I was exhausted one spring day and just sat on a blanket outside watching the kids have fun, too tired to object to their crazy plans. Their idea was to attach carrots to fishing poles, paint their arms with mud they had mixed up to camouflage themselves, climb the tree, and reel in the squirrels when they took the carrot bait. They kept coming up with laughable ideas that were fun for all of us all afternoon. It was simply a great day.

5.   The day I graduated from graduate school. There was a lot of family angst associated with this event, but I distinctly remember thinking "Now I'm a grownup." I'm not sure that was true, but it was a good feeling.

6.   The time we went to Glacier Park. The whole park was beautiful, but I was simply awe-struck by the color of the streams and lakes, a really astounding blue. A ranger told me it was due to glacial flour, small pieces of rock ground by glaciers that were reflecting light. I often wish for yarn in that color, but it can really only be seen in glacial waters.

7.   When we went to Grand Teton National Park. We took my favorite family photo at Oxbow Bend. I love the snow-capped Tetons with Mount Moran in the background and the family in the foreground.

8.   Any day that I've been in Fort Collins. Since I only see Ryan once or twice a year and he lives in Fort Collins, that makes it even better. It's a wonderful place, one that I always enjoy and feel at home in. I would be happy to repeat the days we visited The Loopy Ewe, hiked at Reservoir Ridge and Horsetooth Reservoir, enjoyed delicious cheese at The Welsh Rabbit, or toured the brewery at New Belgium.

9.  The day this photo was taken. It was Ryan's college graduation and Justin and Ryan had gone to breakfast together while John and I packed up Ryan's room. A college photographer took the photo, but I didn't even hear about its existence until a few weeks later. I looked through the college's Flickr albums for a month or two and finally found it. My favorite photo of the two of them was well worth the wait and search, as it reminds me of so much about that proud day and my two wonderful sons.

 
10.  The time I learned that I could think for myself. This wasn't one specific day, but over a period of time in high school that involved some mean girls, I gradually learned that I could think for myself, do what I know is right, and be my own person. I wouldn't relive high school for a million dollars, but that realization was priceless (that's why I'm smirking at graduation!)

I've been lucky enough to have a pretty good life so far with many happy moments
 I'd like to relive. What are the times of your life you'd like to repeat?

Ten on Tuesday - Welcome to Historic Flemington

I hadn't planned a Ten on Tuesday post for today because I honestly couldn't think of Ten Interesting Things About My Community off the top of my head. After reading Carole's post and consulting Wikipedia, I may have some ideas. My community is Flemington, located in central New Jersey.

1.   We're a small borough (1.077 square miles) of about 4500 people, and the County Seat of Hunterdon County.

2.   As the County Seat, this means we have two courthouses, the old one that could not be made ADA-compliant, and the new Justice Center. Naming it the Justice Center means that at least two people per week stop in front of my house and ask where the courthouse is.

3.   The old courthouse was the site of the Lindbergh trial in 1935 where Bruno Richard Hauptmann was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Charles Lindbergh's son.

4.   Flemington was settled in the 1770s, formed as a town in 1870, and incorporated in 1910. The early settling means that seemingly almost everything (65% of the borough) is on the National Register of Historic Places.

5.   Since we're rife with history, that means we have to consult the Flemington Historic Hysterical Preservation Commission before we do any external work on the house. When we wanted to replace our leaking 150-year-old slate roof, we had to have our new shingles approved.

6.   The only famous person I know of that is from Flemington is Danny Federici, keyboard player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

7.   Flemington was home to Fulper Pottery, then Stangl Pottery. The restored building now houses an indoor farmer's market, a restaurant, and our only coffee shop.

8.   We're also the site of the Flemington Egg Auction, the country’s first, and, at one time, the largest, cooperative egg auction. It operated here from 1932 until the 1970s. It's a beautiful building with lots of carved wood inside and a castle-like exterior. It now houses offices.

9.   We have the highest property taxes in the country. Lucky us!
10. We have three traffic circles in town. They may be roundabouts or rotaries in other parts of the country, but we call them circles in New Jersey. When we first moved here I used to plan ways to get around to completely avoid them. They can be quite confusing, but once you get used to them they're really not so bad. Just keep moving!

From the NJ Driver's Manual. With no set rules and a plea for common sense to prevail, what could go wrong? :-)

I'm looking forward to reading all the other interesting things that Ten on Tuesday

 participants have in their own communities!