Ten On Tuesday

10 Movies I Want To Watch Right Now!

What movie don't I want to watch right now? I love movies and could sit and watch them all day if it was an an acceptable way to make a living. Movies are such a wonderful escape from our own lives, aren't they?  There are places I will never go and situations I will never find myself in just waiting for me at the movies.  To have that kind of freedom available to you almost makes that expensive popcorn worth it, huh?

1. Contraband - Mark Wahlberg is my boyfriend and I will watch any movie he is in, even Plant of the Apes.

2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Absolutely loved the first one!  Robert Downey is amazing!  When I think of how he turned his life around after he almost became his character in Less Than Zero, I am so proud of him!

3. The Grey - One of my top five movies is The Edge with Alec Baldwin. This one looks like it might be similar, just with snow and wolves.

4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I read all three of these books and watched all three of the Swedish version movies. To say that I loved them would be an understatement. I hope the US and Daniel Craig doesn't fuck 'em up.

5. The Woman In Black - I love a good creepy, period piece. I also think Daniel and Emma are the only two HPer's that will go on to do many great things (sorry Rupert). Finally, any movie poster with dead-eye babies has to be good.

6. Safe House - Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.

7. The Secret World of Arrietty - My favorite book of my childhood was The Complete Adventures of the Borrowers by Mary Norton. I loved it so much I stole my copy from St. Mary's Parochial School in the eighth grade, HELL BE DAMNED!!!

8. Hunger Games - I read all three of the books in this series in the week between Christmas and New Year on my Kindle. I love Peeta.

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark - I have no idea why but every time I have the urge to sit down and do nothing this movie comes to mind. It's my happy place.....

10. Dark Shadows - I use to watch this show when I was a kid at my grandparents house, they got all the cool Canadian channels. I remember it was not very scary and I kind of thought it might be dirty because all the women had heaving bosoms. I'm interested to see how that translates to the big screen.

Now I have laundry to do.

Dinner to make for tonight and tomorrow night.

My house is dirty and needs cleaning, but I think I'll go see if Indy can find that damn lost ark...

Ten On Tuesday

10 Things To Do Inside When It's Too Cold To Go Outside

Now we are talking! My favorite things to do are inside. I love camping and kayaking and long walks in the woods, but as I get older I find that I do not like to be cold. I blame all those years I spent standing by the pizza ovens at Pontillo's, my internal temperature gauge is off. Once the cold winds and snow start I am happiest inside by the fire.

1. Knitting - Obviously this is something I enjoy year round, but my favorite knitting is done in my chair by the fire with a glass of wine and a movie.

2. Baking - I love to bake when it's hot (that weird temperature thing again) I always seem to be making 3 pies and a batch of jam when it's 90 degrees. We heat our house with wood stoves and my kitchen is in a chilly in-between zone. The best way to combat this is to have something baking in my 1945 NORGE beast of an oven.

3. Slow Cooking - The crock-pot and my cast iron dutch oven are my favorite kitchen tools. A cold day requires that one of theses be in service at all times. We love soup.

4. Purge - Hoarders is an awesome show, but I have felt uncomfortable watching it more than once because of similarities. Then a snowy day comes along and I start throwing things out.  It feels so good I know I am not a hoarder.

5. Organize - I spent yesterday taking all my yarn off the shelves, petting and smelling them and then putting it all back in an organized fashion.  What?  You smell your yarn too, admit it.....

6. Reading - I don't do as much of this as I used too, but I am getting back into it. I got a kindle for Christmas and I have read four books since. I just started a new one that seems like it will be good!

7. Movies - My love of movies has been documented in the past, especially old movies I have seen hundreds of times. There is something very comforting about watching a movie I know and can follow in my head with out even looking at it.

8. Crafts - Pintrest is killing me. My supplies are seriously depleted.

9. Laughing - My husband and daughter are two of the funniest people I know and they crack-me-the-hell-up!

10. Snuggles - We are big on snuggling here and someone might announce at any minute that they need a family snuggle. I hope that never changes....

Ten On Tuesday

10 Things To Do Before Christmas

1. Giftcards - I leave these to the very end because I hate them. I understand they are easy, but something about them just rubs me wrong. They never seem like enough, $25, really? But when I have to buy 5 of them at once and shell out over $100, I am annoyed.
2. Watch 13 Christmas Movies - We are woefully behind on our holiday movies. I have no excuse, other than our level of laziness must have decreased from previous years. We have a Christmas chorus concert tonight, so I am going to have to do nothing but sit on my ass all day and watch Rankin & Bass if we are gonna pull this off.
3. Stocking Stuffers - Another little thing that annoys me. After 24 Advent gifts and paying out the national debt in chocolate chips to make every melty, peanut butter treat on pintrest, sticking a shiny new penny and a clementine in that stocking seems like a good idea.
4. Knitting - I have 1.5 slippers to knit and felt. I have 5 secret knitted gifts to finish for my aunts and a hat to line and finish.....by Friday (this is where those movies come in!)
5. Christmas Cards - My cards are done and have been for weeks. They are sitting on the back sit of my car, sorted and ready for stamps. See gift cards and stocking stuffers.....annoyed.
6. Christmas Lights - All month I have wanted to go see the Christmas light show at the lake. Now we are into the last week before Christmas and I am running out of opportunities.
7. Christmas Eve - We are having people over, I guess I should have a plan....
8. Be Thankful - I desperately want a moment to sit in the glow of the tree lights and appreciate all that we have. I am too busy making it happen to enjoy it.
9. Bruggers Bagels - These bagels have been a tradition since my mom died and my dad used them to replace a big Christmas morning breakfast. Our local shop was chased out of town by Tim Horton's and their crappy bagels. My husband will have to get us some from the "big city"
10. Pickle Present - Every year we hid the pickle ornament in the tree and the kid gets an extra present if she can find it. It still must be hid and a special gift selected.

Well, I thought I was pretty caught up until I started this list. Thanks a lot, Carole.

***Update***

I HATE THE POST OFFICE. I finally psyched myself up to go in and buy $30 worth of stamps for my Christmas cards, only to be told EACH CARD required another .20 cent stamp because they were too small!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! This is why snail mail is dead. I will not be sending the "too small" cards at .64 cents each. To all of my friends and family who are waiting by their mailbox for our annual card, go inside and have a cookie and hot toddy because that shit ain't coming....

Ten On Tuesday



I am a sucker for traditions. I love them. I love the security and comfort that comes with the repetitiveness of them. Christmas traditions are the  best and we have many...

1. Christmas Music - I could, and sometimes do, listen to Christmas music 24 hours a day. I am one of those people that is super excited when they start playing them on the radio in October.

2. Christmas Movies - We have a list of our favorite movies for each holiday. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas. The Christmas one is the longest, we try to watch one a day until the 25th and then A Christmas Story marathon on TBS is usually in the background of our festivities.

3. Christmas Treats - My daughter and I make the same stuff every year. Fudge, white trash, truffles, peppermint bark, mincemeat cookies and buckeyes. This year we have been swallowed whole by pintrest and have discovered some delicious goodies that we may have to add to our list.

4. Mimosas - Christmas is a long day and I truly feel that you can't give it your best with out a mimosa for breakfast and a bloody mary for lunch. Who's with me?!

5. Christmas Pageants - We use to go to our church pageant when our girl was little. She was an angel one year, a sheep one year and one year she even got to be the Virgin Mary with her baby doll ,Jermaine Johnson, in her arms as the Baby Jesus.  Now that she is older we go to her chorus concert at school and I am always brought to tears by it.

6. Christmas Stories - I read the Little House on the Prairie books every winter. Almost every book has a Christmas celebration in it and I love to experience the joy of the holiday with Laura and her family.

7. The Bailey Girls Christmas - When I was growing up Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents house with the whole family.  These memories are still some of my very favorite .  Shortly after I got married and had our daughter my grandparents packed up and moved to Florida for the winters. My aunts get us all together each year to celebrate and moan about being left behind. I look forward to it each year.

8. Christmas Presents - I love to wrap presents. I am on a life long quest for the perfect gift label. I turn on my itunes, Christmas music of course, and wrap away in my present cave. It is one of my favorite parts of the holiday.

9. Hu-Lane Farms - My husband and I had a December wedding and we went to a small tree farm here in town to get our trees and wreaths to decorate our hall with. We have gone back every year and the sweet, elderly couple that own the farm never forget us. They always wish us a happy anniversary. We have taken our girl with us since she was bundled in a baby snowsuit to hike out into the field and help her daddy cut down a tree. Now our 6' girl smiles down on cute Mrs. D and could pat her on the head if she wanted too.

10. Christmas Morning - My husband and always get up  go downstairs first and make our daughter wait at the top of the stairs. She has to sit up there until our coffee is ready. It is pure torture. This year we have a Keurig, she is thrilled....

Ten on Tuesday

My childhood was full of music. My mother was a singer, and she would sing us awake and sing to us while we did our chores, and she loved to sing in the store (which my sister and I absolutely hated). She used to say that she wished life was like a musical and that people would just burst into song when you least expected it!
I watched tons of musicals and I think my choices really show what a child of the 70's and 80's I am...

1. A Star Is Born  - Any Barbara Streisand movie really could be here, this one just stands out as a good memory. I remember my mother and one of her sisters compairing hairstyles with Babs, anytime they hated theirs that is.

2. Grease - My uncle and I went to see this so many times when it came out I think we single handedly raised the movie's gross.

3. Sound of Music - This was one of those movies that only came on TV once a year. I would always look forward to it!  We would go to my grandparents house and watch it and my grandma would make popcorn and homemade pizza. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was also one of those once a year TV treats that I always waited for!

4. Coal Miner's Daughter - My sister and I knew all the words to every song. To this day we repeat dialog from this movie to each other if the moment requires it. I always preferred Sissy Spacek's voice to Loretta's, even though she is the queen of country music.

5. Sweet Dreams - Exactly the same as above. I have both of these soundtracks on my iPod and I just watched this movie, again, about a week ago.

6. Disney Movies - I love any and all singing Disney movies. Mary Poppins was a particular favorite of my tiny baby girl. We would watch, rewind, watch, rewind, watch, rewind..... My particular favorites are Make Mine Music & Melody Time.  They were short cartoon stories and all music.

7. The Wizard of Oz - So many things could be said about this movie, but they already have been.  Recently a man came into work and asked for it. He told me he and his wife had never seen it before and therefore their children hadn't either. I was amazed!



8.  Camelot - I love the songs, and the story has always been one that I was interested in. I had a crush on Richard Harris too and would watch this over and over and pretend he was swooning over me and not Guienevere.

9. My Fair Lady - This is another one where the songs were the main attraction. I have these on my iPod and love sing them. 

10. White Christmas - My favorite holiday movie is It's a Wonderful Life, but sadly Jimmy Stewart doesn't sing. This is the best musical holiday movie and it just isn't Christmas with out it.



Well, that's my list and now I am off to sing my way through the laundry and pretend life is a musical!

10 Things For Which You Are Thankful

1. My husband. The day I decided to marry this man was a good day indeed. We have had our hard times, but they have only proven to us that we belong together and that nothing is as good as laughing and loving.
2. My friends. I have awesome friends that make me laugh and cry and love me. We have so much fun together that it is almost indecent.
3. My family. Somehow two messed up people were given the most perfect gift of a child. I am blessed.
4. My home. I love my house, I love it's broken down parts and making them whole again. I love being tucked up in it, with my two favorite people. I love having people over to share it with us.
5. My sister.  I wish I could spend more time with her. When I think of all the years living together in the same house that we wasted plotting each others death I am sad, because now that I am not 15 I realize just how awesome she is.
6. My dog. No one loves you like your dog. I have been lucky enough to have had two of the best dogs ever.
7. My knitting. I can't tell you how many times sitting and calmly knitting has stopped me from killing someone.
8. My mother. The nineteen short years that I had her, she taught me the skills I needed to have the  life I have now.
9. My wine. See knitting.
10. My Kelly. Sometimes you find a friend that you have always needed, but didn't know until you found her.

Ten on Tuesday

Today's list is top ten funny bumper stickers....who has bumper stickers?!

I rarely see a good, old fashioned bumper sticker on a car anymore. It's always those oval ones with the initials of where you have been. My daughter and I will sit behind a car with one of those and try to figure out what RXI means. I am ashamed to say we have followed a car or two until we figure it out.

I did see a good one one day when I was waiting in front of our local middle school. A piece of crap, broken down jalopy had a big purple bumper sticker on it that said. "I like it in the ass." I am sure that middle schooler was so excited to have his mom (or dad) pick him up in that car! I wonder if it's true or are they just being funny?

I myself have one bumper sticker, "Proud Parent of a High Honor Student."  and it's no joke!!!

Ten On Tuesday

I love summer and the beach!! We don't go that often, but I do love the sand and the salt and even the seagulls dive bombing us for a morsel of food!

I wouldn't take my iPod to the beach, since I am sure it would get wet or sanding or broken some how, but if I did I would want to listen to my favorite beach songs.

Unfortunately, I don't really know how to work my iPod, therefore I do not have a play list of beach songs, I am a shuffle girl. So, IF I took my ipod and IF I knew how to work it this would be my shuffle list of Top 10 Favorite Beach Songs...

1. Toxic by Britney Spears (hopefully this is not an accurate representation of the water quality)
2. Wet the Bed by Chris Brown (the ocean is the worlds toilet)
3. Love Is All Around by Joan Jett (the beach is full of half naked people, so someone is getting some love I'm sure)
4. Marry You by Bruno Mars (see above)
5. Golden Years by David Bowie (a little sunburn turns golden with time)
6. There He Goes by Loretta Lynn ( In reference to the very old man in a Speedo, because every beach has one)
7. Firework by Katy Perry (fireworks on the beach is summer personified)
8. Life Your Life by T.I. ( Rihanna is the best part of this one)
9. My Adidas by Run DMC (personally, I prefer flip-flops for beach wear)
10. Oompa Loompa by The Oompa Loompa's (If you look like an Oompa Loompa it's time to pack up and leave the beach)

Now I want to get my suit on and go to the beach!! It's going to be 90 today, who's in ?

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Snacks

1. [Dill Pickles] My grandmother used to (and still does) can the most fantastic dill pickles every summer. We spent a lot of time at my grandparents house when I was growing up, just hanging out and watching TV. My sister and I would go down cellar and get a quart jar of pickles and systematically eat every single one.
2. [Doritos] I have an unhealthy obsession with these delicious treats. My mother suffered from this as well. She would eat them until she got a headache. I don’t get the headache, but I could easily eat the whole bag.
3. [Cheese] I love all kinds of cheese, hard, soft and spreadable. I love cheese on crackers and cheese on fruit, cheese on pie and cheese on cheese. I love it cold or hot and melted and gooey…... I
4. [Chocolate] My favorite chocolate to have is just a small piece to pop in my mouth after a meal. I love to finish something savory off with a little sweet. DOVE dark chocolate singles is my current favorite.
5. [Yogurt] Chobani Greek yogurt is delicious. A little bowl with some peaches, cinnamon, honey and a small sprinkle of granola is like a delicious peach cobbler...mmmmmmmm
6. [Hummus] Homemade is the best with carrots and pita chips.
7. [Turkey Pepperoni] Hormel makes great TP. It’s not greasy and 17 of them is a single serving for 1 point. They are so good!
8. [Popcorn] This is another great memory from my childhood and time spent at my grandparents house. My grandma had a special bowl for popcorn and I have spent years trying to find one just like it.
9. [Cookies] Just out of the oven oatmeal cookies can not possible be beat.
10. [Saltine Crackers] After school my sister and I would get a sleeve of crackers and a jar of Ragu tomato sauce. Dip the crackers in the sauce and enjoy! My Aunt Molly taught us this and we thought it was the best thing we had ever had!

Ten On Tuesday

10 Reasons to Use the Public Library
 
I am very excited about this topic. I have worked at my local public library for 10 years! It has been my very favorite job and I have had many, ice cream scooper, pizza maker, bank teller and county employee, but library assistant has been the best!
 

1. Your public library has 1000's of resources available for free! In this economy the more fun things you can find to do with your family for free the better!
2. Not only can you come check out a good book, but you can get a newly released DVD, an audio book, a Playaway, a video game, tax forms, copies, faxes, notary public, concerts, family movie night, a free book for you NOOK, story time for the little ones so many things.
3. The people at the library are the best, their main goal is to find you something good to read, what a great job!
4. When you walk in the door, you are transported, to a quieter place, a calmer place, a place where all that laundry waiting to be done...just doesn't matter.
5. You can sit and read the paper, any paper, even The New York Times if that is what you want.
6. It's the only place you can walk into and say, "I found the weirdest looking frog in my backyard! Can you tell me what it is?" and they will tell you.
7. When you want to spoil your little ones, but just don't have that extra money this week. You can take them to the library, cuddle up in a beanbag and read them a story. They will think you are the moon and the stars ♥
8. You can use the Internet or a wifi connection, for free.
9. You can research you family history and find out you might be related to a king or a murderer.
10. You can learn a new language, get help with your homework or just find the next best thing for you to read!

Make sure you go visit your library and maybe you will see me!

10 Reasons To Be Glad It's Spring

1. I have reached my limit in winter weight gain. I need Spring and long, light evenings out in the yard instead of in my chair with my knitting.
2. Camping! I have been booking campsites for the summer since January...I can't wait much longer.
3. Vegetable gardening is in my mind and I am anxious to plant my early spring lettuce and other delicious greens.
4. Summer, because it's coming you know...
5. Hot dogs on the grill, with pickles and chips.
6. Mowing, I love to mow the lawn with my iPod in my ears and singing as loud as I can (to the delight of my neighbors)
7. Long walks around the block after dinner ♥
8. Easter dinner by the creek with friends.
9. My beautiful baby's fourteenth birthday.
10. Another long season of sun is coming!!!