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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Let Me Count the Ways. . .

"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either."

---  Elizabeth Zimmermann in Knitting Without Tears

Today, Carole asks us Why We Knit. . .

There are the obvious reasons:

1.  Color

2.  Texture

3.  Form

And there are the technical reasons:

4.  The magic of blocked lace

5.  The wonder of turning the heel

6.  The challenge of mastery

Then, there are the more artful reasons:

7.  Personal expression

8.  Creating useful or beautiful things

9.  Sharing with a community

But when it comes right down to it, I knit . . .

10.  Because it settles me. 

Stitch after stitch after stitch.  There is power in knitting. 

Calming.  Healing.  Thinking.  Planning.

Just like Elizabeth says.

How about YOU?  Why do you knit?

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May Day! May Day!

Tomorrow . . . we flip the calendar.  And . . . it's May!  I love May.  Such a lovely, somewhat predictable month.  Late spring at it's absolute finest.

This week, for Ten on Tuesday, Carole asks us . . . what we're looking forward to in May . . .

1. Deadlines whooshing by!  I tend to have a lot of work deadlines in May, so I'm always looking forward to their end.  All those little details tied up.  Neat and tidy.
2. Celebrations!  My Dad's birthday.  Mother's Day.  An end to another semester for Brian.  There is much to celebrate in May.
3. Blooms!  I love watching the flowers in my garden come to life!  Trillium.  Lilac.  Quince.  Rhododendron.  Iris.  Bring it!
4. Bringing my ponds back to life!  I love getting my little ponds back in operation once the threat of freeze is over (mid-May here in my corner of Michigan).  Nothing beats the sound of moving water in the landscape!  Can't wait.
5. Setting up the lawn furniture!  When the days start being nicer on a consistent basis, it's time to bring out the lawn furniture and my pergola swing.  Nothing beats sitting out in the sunshine on a warm May afternoon.
6. Nursery road trips!  All of my favorite nurseries and garden shops open in late April and early May.  It's time for those weekend pilgrimages to begin. . . once the calendar turns to May.
7. Planting my containers!  Although I'm always itching to begin earlier, I need to wait to play with my containers until later in May.  We can still get frost here in Southwest Michigan in mid-May. . . so it's best to wait.
8. Putting in the screens!  I love having my windows open to the breezes and fresh air. 
9. Heading Up North . . . where it's time to put in the docks and the boat!  Tom already has the cabin open for the season, but we won't put in the docks and and move the pontoon in to the water until Memorial Day weekend.
10. Vacation!  This year, I'm heading out for a week in San Francisco with my sister . . . and we're leaving right at the end of May.  Can't wait!

How about YOU?  What are you looking forward to in May?

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Danger Zone!

Today . . . we have One Dangerous Topic.

Sweaters.

My greatest knitting weakness.

And, this week, Carole has us talking . . . Sweaters. 

Ten of 'em, in fact.

 

I decided to approach this week's list this way:  I'm going to list my ten favorite sweaters -- as of today.  (Because this list could easily change tomorrow.)

Here goes:

1. Beeline.  (That Heidi Kirrmaier?  She's killin' me with her sweaters.  Really.  Killin' me.)
2. Vertex.  (It's one of Julie Weisenberger's designs - from Brooklyn Tweed Wool People Volumn 4.)
3. Enso.  (I'm really not sure what it is about this one, but I want to have it in my closet.)
4. Machu Picchu.  (Carol Sunday.  I'm sort of over the fair-isle-yoke thing.  Except for this one.  This one?  Must knit.)
5. Asamoya.  (Kirsten Johnstone.  So. Freakin'. Cool.)
6. Market Jacket.  (Tanis Gray.  From November Knits.)
7. Rocky Road.  (Heidi Kirrmaier.  Again.  See?  Killin' me.)
8. Boardwalk.  (Heidi Kirrmaier.  She's definitely got my number.)
9. Kiss of North.  (Clever.  And versatile.)
10. Pueblo Stole.  (Yeah.  I know it's not a sweater, technically.  But I love it.  And I think I'd wear it LIKE a sweater.  So there.)

And what's so dangerous about this list?

Why . . . I'll be thinking about what to knit next . . . all day long!

How about YOU?  What are some of your favorite sweater patterns?  (Today, anyway. . . )

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Pack Lightly, but Carry a Lip Balm

Ahhhhh.  There's nothing quite like a little vacation!

(Where I was . . . two years ago right now!)

As Carole is busy packing for her upcoming vacation, let's think about what we bring with us when we travel. 

Over the years, I have learned to pack lightly when I go on vacation -- especially when I'm flying.  But there are certain things I just can't do without!  Here's my list . . . Ten Things I Always Bring On Vacation:

1. "Paperwork" (my Passport, travel documents, confirmation numbers, phone numbers, etc.)
2. My collection of "devices" (my phone, my tiny little nano iPod, and my iPad)
3. My camera (and related equipment)
4. Chargers for equipment (above) and adaptors (if necessary)
5. My meds (can't live without 'em!)
6. Lip balm (of course!) . . . and probably some mascara
7. Things to read (which, for the most part, are now stored on my iPad, but still)
8. Travel books and maps for my destination (which also may be stored on my iPad these days)
9. A portable knitting project (for the flight)
10. Imodium (always)

How about YOU?  What do you always take with you on vacation?

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A Barrel of Laughs

I love to laugh, and I think I have a pretty good sense of humor.  In fact, here in our family, we (ahem) joke that "humor is our family value."  We laugh about the good things.  We make light of heavy situations.  We laugh about things that happen to us -- even when the things aren't funny.   We laugh at ourselves.  We laugh with each other.

Erin is a natural storyteller.

Brian is a master of sound effects and impressions.

Tom remembers every joke he's ever heard.  (Even really, really, really long ones.)

Me?  I can't remember a punch line to save my soul!

So.  I can't really take part in this week's Ten on Tuesday topic . . . 10 Favorite Jokes.  It's not that I don't like jokes.  (I do.)  It's just that I can't remember them once I've heard them!

So, instead of jokes . . . I'll give you three (sort of) funny things:

First, a photo.  (Another woodland creature in my garden.)

Second, a story.

When Brian was in first grade, Tom and I went in for a Parent-Teacher Conference.  Brian's first grade teacher was very young - bright and energetic, but very . . . serious.  Not much in the way of a sense of humor.  And Brian?  He was a rather Dennis-the-Menace kind of first grader . . . and always looking for a laugh.  This teacher (Miss S) looked at us acoss the table, very concerned, and explained that Brian often shared off-color jokes with the class. 

Uh oh, we thought. 
Cat's out of the bag, we thought.

Tom, putting on his Concerned Parent face, asked, "Can you give us an example?"

Miss S, a bit sheepish and with a blush, relayed that he had told this joke to the class recently:
Q:  What did the fish say when he hit a cement wall?
A:  Dam!

It was all Tom and I could do to keep from bursting out laughing.  (In fact, we may have.)  After a brief pause -- while Miss S collected herself and Tom and I glanced at each other -- Tom looked at Miss S and, in all seriousness asked her. . . "And how was his delivery?"

Third, the ONLY joke I can ever remember.

Q:  What did the grape say when the elephant sat on it?
A:  Nothing.  He just let out a little wiiiiiine!

How about YOU?  Know any good jokes?

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If I Had a Million Dollars. . .

As soon as I read Carole's email about this week's Ten on Tuesday topic. . . this song just flew into my head. . .

 

I never buy lottery tickets.

But Tom does.

Only when the jackpot is pie-in-the-sky high, though.

And then he usually buys $20 worth of tickets.

And we talk about what we would do if we won.

Here's our list. . . Ten Things We'd Do If We Won the Big Powerball Jackpot:

1. Quit our jobs.  (Hands down.  We would walk away.)
2. Pay off our mortgage.  (Which is, truth be told, almost paid off anyway.)
3. Take an extended luxury trip to New Zealand.  (Like. . . right now.)
4. Set up trust funds for our kids.  With strings.  (Sorry guys.  We think life shouldn't be TOO easy.)
5. Start a private foundation.  (Because there would be a whole lot left, at this point.)
6. Start our own microbrewery.  (Wouldn't that be perfect?)
7. Hire Brian and Erin and Keith to run it.  (And wouldn't that be fun?)
8. Travel.
9. Travel more.
10. Travel even more.

How about YOU?  What would YOU do . . . if you won the PowerBall Lottery?

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This week's topic also reminded me of a great, lottery movie:  Waking Ned Devine.  It's quite delightful, and definitely worth a watch!

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Heavy Load: A Ten on Tuesday Riff

Today . . . there is a song screaming in my head.

Here.  I'll share.

 

Because today is a Hard Day.  And I need a little George Harrison to keep me on track.

Give me hope.

Help me cope.

Ten Random Things on My Mind . . .

1. My computer. . . my beloved, precious iMac . . . is going in for a replacement hard drive.  (Part of an Apple Recall.)  Today.*
2. This makes me nervous. 
3. Really nervous.
4. Because, well.  I depend on my computer.  I need my computer.  (I'll just say it. . . )  I love my computer.
5. And, really, there isn't anything wrong with my iMac.  No indication of any kind of hard drive malfunction at all.  But the deadline for replacement is drawing near.
6. So I need to do it.
7. Just in case.
8. Brian (who is home for Spring Break) has been helping me get through my Separation Anxiety.  He reminded me that  it's much better to replace the hard drive . . . while the current hard drive is functional (and, thus, a back-up in itself).  It would be worse (oh so much worse) if my hard drive crashed.  (I can't bear the thought.)
9. So.  To Grand Rapids and the Apple store we go. 
10. It's a heavy load. . .

 

*I have no idea how long I'll be without my computer.  Maybe a day or two; maybe a week or more.  They wouldn't say at the Apple Store (although I'm pretty sure they have a good idea).  Also, no Apple Store in Kalamazoo, so there is a distance hassle as well.  I still have a Windows laptop that I use for work, so I won't lose total touch.  But. . . if you don't hear from me for awhile, you'll know why!

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Green Light

This weekend we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  The Wearin' o' the Green.  Guinness.  Shamrocks.  Leprechauns.  All that.

What better time. . . to think about our Favorite Green Things!

So.  Let's begin.  Hit it, Al.

 

1. Yeah.  Al Green.  Let's Stay Together.  Great song.
2. Wicked.  My favorite green musical!
3. Foliage.  As a gardener, I rarely meet a green I do not love.
4. Green tea.  Especially from my sweet green teapot.
5. Key Lime Pie.  Quite possibly my most favorite dessert.
6. Fresh Herbs.  Parsley.  Sage.  Rosemary.  And thyme.
7. Fried Green Tomatoes.  The food.  The book.  AND the movie.
8. Christmas Trees.  Deck the Halls.
9. Critters.  Frogs, turtles, the Praying Mantis. . . and lightning bugs!
10. Money.  Yep.  It's what makes the world go around.

How about YOU?  What's your favorite Green Thing?

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Oh, March. How Do I Love Thee?

March is a very fickle month. 

The weather is a total crap shoot.  Could be winter-like; could be summer-like.  It is an ugly time of year (in Michigan, anyway).  Dirty snow piles; pot holes; rusted-off mufflers on the side of the road; dead everything.  Too much basketball.

And yet . . .

I'm always delighted when it's March!

How come . . . you ask?  Well, here are 10 Reasons I'm Happy It's March:

1. The very word . . . MARCH . . . is full of movement.  Forward movement!
2. More daylight.  I just feel so much more productive when there is more light in my day.
3. Melting.  All around, the snow piles are melting.  (And even if when it snows again, it won't stick around for long.)
4. Earthy smells.  When the snow starts to melt, the air smells so good.
5. Emerging things.  Daffodils.  Crocus.  Hellebores.  (Can't wait!)
6. Walking on dry pavement.  (The ice layer is beginning to recede.)
7. Bird joy!  It's everywhere, suddenly.
8. Gardening conferences and workshops.  There are so many to choose from in March!
9. Spring cleaning.  I actually like sifting through and sorting out the heavy "detritus" of winter . . . to make room for a fresh, new season.
10. My birthday!  Some things never change -- and I've always looked forward to my birthday. . . waaaay out there. . . at the very end of March.

How about you?  Why are YOU happy it's March?

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