Stepping Away from the Edge

Mamma Mia!

What better topic . . . following Mother's Day . . . than to remember our Ten Favorite TV Moms!

I have a bit of a beef with the whole TV Moms thing.  Because . . . I think TV Moms get short shrift, generally.  They always seem to be in the background.  Lurking.  Unsatisfied.  Herding their kids.  Or sorting things out for their kids.  Doing Mom-Things.  Occasionally showing their wisdom.  But, mostly . . . just being kind of . . . well . . . character-less.

And we KNOW that's not the case!

So.  With that in mind, here are my favorite, long-suffering TV Moms:

 

1. Edith Bunker.  Her ditz-i-ness was really just a ruse -- for the wisdom and common sense deep within her soul!  (All in the Family)
2. Shirley Partridge.  I always wished MY Mom would buy a school bus and outfit it for travelling about the country -- where my sister and I could sing and dance ourselves to super-stardom!  (The Partridge Family)
3. Carol Brady.  She was so . . . groovy. (The Brady Bunch)
4. Roseanne.  So REAL.  Such a breath of fresh air (at least for the first season).  (Roseanne)
5. Ann Romano.  Such a scandal -- a divorced mom!  Raising two cool daughters.  (One Day at a Time)
6. Kitty Forman.  She had to put up with a lot there . . . deep in the 70s.  (That 70s Show)
7. Claire Dunphy.  Such a modern mom.  And so like many real moms I know . . . right now!  (Modern Family)
8. Morticia Addams.  Oh, yeah.  Wouldn't she be QUITE the mom!  (The Addams Family)
9. Lois (did they HAVE a last name?).  Stubborn and feisty, she was a strong Mom in the midst of constant mayhem and a totally stupid husband!  (Malcom in the Middle)
10. Clare Huxtable.  She always kept her cool -- and looked great, too!  (The Cosby Show)

How about YOU?  Who is your favorite TV Mom?

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Right Now . . . March 2013

So after a tough month, weather-wise (snow in March is never welcome, y'know?), it appears that March is . . . going out like a lamb!  Fine by me!

Here's what's happening in my life  . . . RIGHT NOW.

Watching . . . I'm re-watching Season 5 of Mad Men on Netflix right now in preparation for Season 6 (which begins on April 7).  I love to watch little Sally Draper . . . who is roughly the same age in the show as I was in real-time.  I'm always telling Tom . . . "I had those exact sheets!"  "I had those very shoes!"  "I had a locket just like that."  (He humors me.)  (And, of course.  There is Don.)  I'm also planning to check out Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece Theater this Sunday night.

Reading . . . There are so many excellent books out there!  My to-read list is growing ever longer, and I lament my lack of reading time.  Right now, I'm enjoying Frances and Bernard immensely (this is an epistolary novel - letters - based on the correspondence of real-life authors Flannery O'Connell and Robert Lowell), and I'm also reading David Copperfield, my favorite Dickens of all time.  (Frances and Bernard is very short, and should be a quick read.  I, however, am savoring it slowly.  The writing is such a delight!)

Knitting . . . I'm doing an informal "knit-a-long" with some of my Kalamazoo knitting pals.  We're each making ChicKnit's Elisbeth cardigan (short sleeve version).  I'm actually a couple more repeats into the knit than the photo (above) shows.  It's a bit of a slog, I'll admit.  But I'm having fun with the cables.  I'm also knitting a spring-color version of this shawl.  And trying not to get too carried away with not-wool inspiration from this or this.

Listening to . . . Buena Vista Social Club.  They just make it feel like the sun is shining . . .and you're enjoying a gin and tonic . . . on the patio.

 

Thinking about . . . Priorities.  Setting them.  Having them.  Living them.  Life is full of options.

Dreading . . . Some dental work toward the end of April.  Ugh.  But not really much else right now.  (I'm in a good place this spring.)

Humming . . . Songs about sunshine.  Good Day Sunshine.  You are the Sunshine of My Life.  Walking in Sunshine.  But this is the one that is stuck in my head (enjoy it old school and original). . .

 

Planning . . . Gardens!  I have Big Ideas right now.  Some of them have been in-the-making for a couple of years.  This year . . . It Is Time.  (Get your diggin' shoes on, Tom!)

 

Celebrating . . . So very many things.  My birthday is tomorrow.  Jenny's leash restriction is over.  I'll be picking up my Mac later today.  Sunshine and mid-50s in the forecast.  (I'm ignoring the snow that is also in the forecast.)  

Drinking . . . Oberon.  (The Bell's Oberon release date is always like a birthday present to me!)

Itching to . . . Dig.  Not wear a coat.  Get a pedicure.  Wear my flip-flops.  Sit outside in the sunshine.

Needing to . . . Finish my taxes. I have started.  And, like they say. . . Once begun, half done.  So I must be at least half done by now!

Organizing . . .  The prime organization task on my to-do list is one I actually look forward to:  Switching out my winter clothes for my lighter spring and summer fare.  Can't wait!  (And check out the little notepads I found at Target for my written organizational tasks.  Love them!)

Inspired by . . . Surprises that are cropping up in my life.  Just little things. . . that really ARE surprising, when you stop and think about it.

Delighted by. . . Sort of wish I hadn't found these.  Because. . . YUM!

How about YOU?  What's going on for YOU . . . right now?

In Living Color

I grew up in that Golden Age of television . . . back when there were only 3 channels, and programming ended at midnight (with the Star Spangled Banner).  I watched the original showings of Gilligan's Island and The Addams Family and Beverly Hillbillies.  I remember when we were one of the first families on the block to get a color TV . . . and I remember that not all programs were IN color, even when we had a color TV!

I eagerly awaited my favorite television programs each week!  My favorites, as a child, included:

1.  The Brady Bunch -- Marcia was my role model; I wanted to BE Marcia!

2.  Here Come the Brides -- Bobby Sherman was my first crush!

3.  The Partridge Family -- . . . and David Cassidy was my second crush!

4.  Family Affair -- Uncle Bill was just so exotic to me . . . such a swinger!

5.  Dark Shadows -- My friends and I used to race home to watch this one after school each day; my poor sister was scared to death!

6.  Hawaii Five-O -- My whole family gathered to watch this show each week; we all loved it!  Book 'm, Dan-O!

7.  Marcus Welby, MD -- I thought young James Brolin was awfully adorable, yet really dumb a lot of the times.

8.  All in the Family -- This show was so controversial when I was a kid -- but it certainly got me thinking about social issues of the day and probably helped me form more ideas about how-things-ought-be than anything else I was exposed to at the time.

9.  The Carol Burnett Show -- I always loved the funny skits on this show!

10. The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- I wanted a cool apartment just like Mary's when I grew up!

What were YOUR favorite tv shows when you were a child?

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Dead Head

Remember this?

 

I loved this show when I was a kid.  It was just so . . . goofy.  As a 6-year-old, it made me laugh to see how abnormal the Addams Family was.  They weren't frightening to me . . . mysterious and spooky, maybe, but heavy on the "ooky" (which I took to mean . . . alternative!).  And that made me laugh.

I especially loved Morticia.  I remember thinking it was so funny that she cut OFF the flower blooms before putting the stems in a vase -- or that she preferred dead flowers to live flowers.  That was just so . . . silly . . . to me!

But now, as an adult and as a gardener, I see her point.

Although I prefer bursting blooms and gorgeous blossoms in my garden, at this time of year - when everything is dying back - I also find beauty in spent flowers.

Drooping blooms.

Frozen petals.

Shrivelled and shrinking.

Dull and dreary.

Finished.

Altogether "ooky" . . . that's for sure.  But beautiful, in their own way.  Maybe Morticia was on to something there!

Word Power

I have long been a fan of Kate Atkinson's novels, but I was a little bit leary of the new PBS Masterpiece Mystery series, Case Histories, which is based on the first three of her "Jackson Brodie" books.  I'm generally disappointed when books I love are made into movies.  Especially when I have a strong image in mind for the characters, or when the stories are more emotionally complicated than action-packed.

Like. . . Kate Atkinson's novels. 

Or . . . like the Jackson Brodie in my mind.

But then I saw this.

 

And decided to give the series a try.  Because the actor Jason Issacs (who was apparently Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies) matches up with the Jackson Brodie in my mind ... just fine.   (Just fine, indeed!)

Anyway, I watched Episode 1 last night on my iPad.  It was very good, actually.  I'll definitely watch the rest of the series. 

And, speaking of books, I just need to say that Nina Sankovitch's Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is fabulous.  Simply fabulous! 

It is a reader's memoir, relaying the discoveries of Nina's own "year of magical reading" and demonstrating the sheer power of words to heal and comfort and ground us.  Very worth a read -- especially if you like books.  (And, trust me, you'll boost your own personal reading queue by. . . oh, about 365 book titles or so!)

And one more thing.

Can any of you explain what I'm missing with Joyce Carol Oates?

I've just read another book by Joyce Carol Oates.  (My fourth.)  I know that she is considered a "must-read" author.   She's prolific (having written over 50 novels!).  She's won many literary awards -- and been nominated for even more.  She's always mentioned as a "favorite" to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.  And she's "discovered" and encouraged many young and up-and-coming authors (like Jonathan Safran Foer).

But.  I don't get it.  I just . . . don't like her books.

There's just something about her style that doesn't resonate with me.  And her characters?  Well. . . I never seem to connect with any of them.   In the book I finished last night (American Appetites), I actually did a little celebratory dance when one of the characters died mid-way through the book. . . because then I wouldn't have to listen to her whine anymore!

It's that bad.

So.  What am I missing here?  (Help me.)

But no worries.  There are plenty of other books to read! 

Word power!

 

 

Friday Round Up: Hurried Edition

Where does the time go?  Friday afternoon already.  How can that be? 

Lots going on . . .

Brian is involved in The Pull this weekend at Hope College.

Saturday is Light the Night (it's not too late to make a donation if you're so inclined!).

Next week is Banned Books Week.

The new season of Dexter begins Sunday night.

And Jenny wants to play.

Looks like a busy weekend!  Have a good one. . .

Money for Nothing OR TV on My Terms

Stay tuned!  Don't touch that dial!  That's right, this week's Ten on Tuesday topic is . . . Things to Do Instead of Watching TV.  I think we need a soundtrack. . .

Now.  I don't watch all that much television.  Oh, sure.  I have my thing for Don Draper Mad Men.

 

And I'm really looking forward to the next Project Runway season (this Thursday, folks!).

 

And, yeah, those Glee kids have totally stolen my heart.

 

But.  I tend to watch television on MY terms.  The tv is never just turned on for "background noise."  Tom and I rarely just turn on the tv and surf.  (I can't make this claim for Brian, however.  He's a bored 18-year-old on summer vacation.  He heads into the man-cave that is my family room and watches plenty of crap that is, unfortunately, targeted to his demographic.)  Anyway.  I don't watch tv news, I don't watch sports (except hockey sometimes), I don't watch daytime shows, I don't watch talk shows, I don't watch commercial television (sorry Don Draper).  I do, though, watch DVDs of tv shows; I watch episodes on my computer; I use my DVR and record things to watch later (without commercials).  So I can't claim a tv-free existence -- but I can claim to watch tv the way I want to watch it.

What do I suggest for things to do BESIDES watching tv?  Well. . .

1. Knit (although you can do this while watching tv, too. . .)
2. Read
3. Go outside and take a walk
4. Play in the garden
5. Do a workout; get moving
6. Cook dinner for your family
7. Talk
8. Enjoy a glass of wine on the patio
9. Play with your dog
10. Set your DVR or order from Netflix or visit your local library . . . so you can watch what you want. . . when you want to watch it. . .later.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast!

All the Cool Kids

. . . are doing it!  Here's mine. . .

 

If you want to play with this really fun webtool, just click here and try it for yourself!

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The other hot topic around the blog world today is. . . the Ten on Tuesday: Television Edition.  That one is tough for me. . . because I don't watch much television.  But when I do, I tune in to these shows:

1 -- Mad Men

2 -- Project Runway

3 -- Dexter

4 -- House

5 -- 30 Rock

Hmmmmm.  I guess I only have Five this Tuesday!

Another Friday RoundUp

I had fun with my Friday RoundUp last week, so I'm doing it again. . .

On the Needles

Not much knitting news this week.  I'm plugging away on my Psychic Heart Mittens.  One is done.  One is not.  Blocking is sorely needed.

 

I really don't like the yellow.  It looks like it will play so nicely with the other colors. . . just sitting there in the skein.  Once it gets out in the open, though.  Yikes!  So bright!  It screams at the other colors!  I also discovered that I'm not really liking the "Latvian" shape of the the top of the mitten (which you can't see in this photo) -- but it comes to a point.  I much prefer a rounded shape on my mittens.  These mittens will be. . . fine. . . when they're finished.  They need a good blocking, and they do look better on my hand than just laying there.  All in all, it's been good to get back into color work -- and I've learned some important color lessons.

Because these mittens are futzy (although the pattern is easy to memorize), I have a simple project going for tv-watching and phone-talking. 

 

Yet another Noro-stripe-scarf (without the Noro).  Apparently, I will never tire of watching the colors change and blend together.  

I also took some time to sit back with a cup of tea and some new knitting magazines yesterday.  Knitting magazines seem to be totally hit or miss with me.  Either I hate every design, or I like a bunch of them.  I don't know why that is. . . but I rarely just like one design!  Yesterday, I was completely charmed by these---

The top sweater is in knitsimple (Winter 09/10), and the bottom one is in Verena Knitting (Winter 2010).  This one, though, (also from Verena) is the one that's really calling to me ---

 

The collar, though???  What is it doing?  I really can't tell from the photo or the schematic in the directions.  I would need to see the collar before ever committing to making this!

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In the Ears

Here's what I'm listening to right now.

 

I love Louise Erdrich's work.  I'm not sure how I missed reading this one when it first came out, but I did.  I'm listening now, though.  I'm listening while I do my household chores. . . while I walk the dog. . .  while I knit. . .while Brian tries to talk to me.  How did I manage before my favorite-of-all-combinations -- iPod and Audible -- came to be?

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My Favorite Things

When I was a little girl, I loved The Sound of Music.  I knew every song by heart.  Although it wasn't my favorite song from the movie, I always liked the concept behind "My Favorite Things."  Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. . . bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. . . brown paper packages tied up with string. . .  What I always liked about the song was that the "favorite things" were such minor, little things.  I think, as an 8-year-old, I was totally taken with the notion that things didn't need to be "fancy" or "big" to be "favorite."  I've always found that comforting.

And, I'm always discovering my own "favorite things."  Simple little things that make me smile.  Things like . . .my new teapot!

 

It's just the most perfect little teapot!  It's bright and cheerful, AND it brews two cups of tea -- with a little infuser insert (so it's really simple to use loose leaf tea).

 

Definitely one of my new "favorite things!"

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Make it Work!

I used to be a big Project Runway fan.  It was a perfect show for me --- I like fashion; I like to sew.  I was always impressed by the things the designers could produce from odd and limited materials over such a short, pressure-filled time period.  I thought it was completely fun.  Until last season, that is, which was a total snooze-fest.

Well.  So glad I decided to give it one more try and watch the new season.  Last night, the designers had to make their models "look good in a potato sack!"  They went from this. . .

 

To this. . .

So far, WAY more entertaining!

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  And, Some Mind Candy

Have a great weekend -- full of ice cream or any other treats you may desire!