I know, I know. I'm kind of hit and miss on Ten on Tuesday. More miss than hit, as it were. I might do it more often now that Chats has been moved to Wednesday. Or whenever Patrice gets to it. Unlike me, she actually has a life.
Nevertheless, this week's topic was very interesting to me. It was taken from something that has been going around Facebook. And the topic is:
Ten Books That Have Stayed With Me Long After I've Read Them (in no particular order).
1. Watership Down, by Richard Adams --this one has the singular honor of being the only book ever that I've finished reading and immediately turned back to the beginning and started over.
2. Island Of The Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
3. Julie Of The Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
4. My Side Of The Mountain, by Jean Craighead George--
5. Call It Courage, by Armstrong Sperry -- These four books about young people, running away from society and living off the land always appealed to my inner mountain man hermit. (Yeah, I know technically in Island of the Blue Dolphins, she went back to save her brother, but still...)
6. Follow My Leader, by James B. Garfield -- I learned to read Braille (with my eyes, not my fingers) because of this book, and it sparked a childhood desire to work with the visually impaired. That is a desire that has never completely left me, even though it's been supplanted by my desire to learn welding.
7. A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens -- still the greatest lover story ever written "A life that you love" That line brings tears to my eyes, even typing it here.
8. The Dragonriders Of Pern, by Anne MacCafferey-- the whole series, including the Harper Hall books
9. The Little House books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder-- I wanted to be Laura. I even wore my hair in two long, brown braids for years, just like Laura. For a while, I started calling my parents Ma and Pa. My mother didn't appreciate that and made me stop.
10. The Little Prince, by Antoine De St. Exupery -- just read it.
And because I could not stop at ten...
The Chronicles Of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Nobody's Boy, by Hector Mallot
Little Black, A Pony, by Walter Farley
The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley
Redwall, by Brian Jaques
Pretty much anything by C.W. Anderson or Marguerite Henry
You know, I could go on and on, but I've already gone past ten, so let's just leave it at that.
In other news, I did not go get my tire fixed today. The other brazer had car trouble and didn't come to work until lunch time. I worked half a day by myself. Thus, I am plum knackered. I checked my pressure when I got home, and decided it could wait one more day.
Then I went and sat in my chair and didn't move for two hours.
Showing posts with label Ten On Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ten On Tuesday. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ten On Tuesday
I got a good one this time!
I was in the shower, thinking up my own topic for Ten on Tuesday, which was going to be
Ten Things Normal People Do That I've Never Done
But when I checked my blogroll, I found that today's real topic was just as good. It is
Ten Of My Favorite Childhood TV Shows
Yeah, bud...
OK, here we go.
1. Scooby Doo -- the old ones, back when they made it obvious that the monster was just a guy wearing a mask. When they started implying that the ghosts/monstors/etc were real, it stopped being so good. Oh, and before Scrappy Doo. He was just annoying.
2. Johnny Quest-- I never missed it.
3. Planet Of The Apes-- the TV series, with Virdon and Burke, and Galen. I never missed it.
4. The Carol Burnett Show-- It was a Saturday night staple in our house. And we kids got to stay up to watch it.
5. Magnum P.I. -- OK, I was a teenager, but technically that's still childhood because I was under 18. Right?
6. The Incredible Hulk-- Please don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
7. The Six Million Dollar Man & The Bionic Woman-- We spent hours running in slow motion, making that sound effect.
8. Star Trek: The Original Series-- Yes, I used to play Star Trek as a child. I even had a little tricorder, communicator, and phaser.
9. The Waltons-- it's still a favorite.
10. Little House On The Prairie-- Laura Ingalls was my hero. I wanted to be her so badly that I wore my hair in two long, brown braids for years and years. I even tried calling my parents Ma and Pa. My mother didn't appreciate that at all.
So, there you have it. Ten of my favorite childhood shows.
Making this list was harder than I thought. I had to go back and change the topic from "My Ten" To "Ten Of My". There were so many more I could have added: Bugs Bunny, Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, The Facts of Life, Happy Days and so on.
A few years back, Cody and I were watching some old 80's shows, when out of the blue, he said, "Boy, I really missed out."
"What do you mean," I asked?
"Y'all had some good shows back then. Not like the garbage they put out today."
When a 14 year old boy says something like that, it means something.
I was in the shower, thinking up my own topic for Ten on Tuesday, which was going to be
Ten Things Normal People Do That I've Never Done
But when I checked my blogroll, I found that today's real topic was just as good. It is
Ten Of My Favorite Childhood TV Shows
Yeah, bud...
OK, here we go.
1. Scooby Doo -- the old ones, back when they made it obvious that the monster was just a guy wearing a mask. When they started implying that the ghosts/monstors/etc were real, it stopped being so good. Oh, and before Scrappy Doo. He was just annoying.
2. Johnny Quest-- I never missed it.
3. Planet Of The Apes-- the TV series, with Virdon and Burke, and Galen. I never missed it.
4. The Carol Burnett Show-- It was a Saturday night staple in our house. And we kids got to stay up to watch it.
5. Magnum P.I. -- OK, I was a teenager, but technically that's still childhood because I was under 18. Right?
6. The Incredible Hulk-- Please don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
7. The Six Million Dollar Man & The Bionic Woman-- We spent hours running in slow motion, making that sound effect.
8. Star Trek: The Original Series-- Yes, I used to play Star Trek as a child. I even had a little tricorder, communicator, and phaser.
9. The Waltons-- it's still a favorite.
10. Little House On The Prairie-- Laura Ingalls was my hero. I wanted to be her so badly that I wore my hair in two long, brown braids for years and years. I even tried calling my parents Ma and Pa. My mother didn't appreciate that at all.
So, there you have it. Ten of my favorite childhood shows.
Making this list was harder than I thought. I had to go back and change the topic from "My Ten" To "Ten Of My". There were so many more I could have added: Bugs Bunny, Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, The Facts of Life, Happy Days and so on.
A few years back, Cody and I were watching some old 80's shows, when out of the blue, he said, "Boy, I really missed out."
"What do you mean," I asked?
"Y'all had some good shows back then. Not like the garbage they put out today."
When a 14 year old boy says something like that, it means something.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Ten On Tuesday On Wednesday
Yesterday's Ten On Tuesday's topic was "Things I Love About Farmer's Markets". But, being that during growing season, I'm almost always at work on Saturday mornings (when they have the local farmer's market), I haven't been to one in ages. Because of that, I was thinking that I couldn't really do a post on that topic, since I don't really know what a farmer's market is like.
I tried and tried to think of something else interesting to post, but I figured you really didn't want to hear about getting the oil changed in my Jimmy and mopping my bathroom floor.
But today, at work-- still thinking about the farmer's markets-- I remembered going to one as a child. And I remembered my parents buying a bushel of purple hull peas. And I remembered... Then suddenly, I knew I had a topic.
Ten Things From My Childhood That I Miss
And here they are, in no particular order:
1. Shelling Peas. As I said, for several summers, my parents would buy a bushel or two of purple hull peas. Sometimes we got them from a farmer's market. Sometimes someone brought them to us. But the fun part was, when the peas arrived, we all sat around in the living room shelling them, and my dad would tell us stories of the olden days. And we thought it was great fun. Which segues nicely into
2. Picking up and shelling pecans. My mammaw had six or seven big, huge pecan trees in her yard. I mean, these things were as big as an oak tree, and every Saturday in the fall, my dad would drive us over, and we'd pick up pecans. Mammaw would give us a Welch's grape juice can with the top cut out-- cautioning us to be careful and not cut ourselves on the rim-- and we'd run out into the yard and pick up pecans. Once we had our cans full, we'd bring them into the house and pour the pecans into a paper grocery bag. Remember them? Once we had enough pecans for the day, we'd go home and sit around the living room and shell them. And my dad would tell us stories of the olden days. And we thought it was great fun. When I was grown and had a home of my own, someone gave me a big bag of pecans. I so looked forward to shelling them, but didn't get very far into the job before thinking, "this is the pits!" But somehow, my dad had made it fun. He could make anything fun...like
3. Painting the house. One summer, we got out and we scraped the house, and we painted the house, and it was so much fun out there working with Daddy. It was the highlight of my summer that year. The next summer, I was so looking forward to painting the house again. Alas, I was totally crushed when Daddy told me we didn't need to paint the house every year. Sigh. But every year we did go
4. Picking Figs. Mammaw had four or five fig trees in her yard, and every Saturday afternoon, Dad would take us over there and we would pick figs. They were so juicy and sweet right off the tree. Even my dad would eat as many as he picked. Then we would take them home, and my mother would cook them down and make fig preserves out of them. Oh, I loved those homemade fig preserves.
5. June Floods. For a long time, every year in June or July, we would get some heavy rains and the end of our street would flood. See, we had this shallow, muddy waterway across the street from my house that went by the simple name of The Gully.
Yes, this really is my childhood street. You can see the dead end and the gully at the top of the picture. My house is the third from the right on the bottom of the street. Did I mention that I love Google Earth? But I digress...
At least once a year, the gully would overflow and the dead end of our dead end street would flood. We kids thought this was great fun playing in the water down there. But, when I was about 11 or 12, the city built up the street level, and the floods ended-- at least until Hurricane Ike came through. That was some bad news, but as a kid, I loved
6. Hurricanes. I was too young to understand the danger. To me, they were exciting and different. Taping up the windows, getting the hurricane lanterns ready. Cleaning up the yard. Dad would tump over the swingsets and everything that could blow away had to somehow be stuffed into our garage. My mother would clean the bathtub really well and fill it with water, so we'd have safe drinking water if we needed it. Oh, and the power outages! I loved the power outages. We'd all sit around by lamplight and tell stories and stuff. Kind of like they did in the old days. I kind of felt like Laura in a little house in the big
7. Woods. Behind my house there was some woods--about 9 or 10 acres worth.
The top street in this picture is my street. The bottom street is Travis street. The street in the middle wasn't there. All that space between Sherrill and Travis streets was woods.
It was just about the perfect place for a kid to play. Those woods were big enough that you could feel like you were really out in the wilderness, but small enough that you couldn't get lost in them. We had camps, and trails, and tree houses, and I loved those woods. They were my safe place. Funny thing about those woods. I had to ask permission to go next door, but I could play out in those woods all day long and never tell a soul. But, my senior year in high school, someone bought that land, and put up a housing development. It broke my heart. Like having to give up
8. Halloween. Back in the day, before all this "If you observe Halloween, you're really worshiping Satan without realizing it" hoopla, Halloween was just another fun holiday. We knew we weren't worshiping the Devil. We were just having fun, and back then, we had sense enough to know the difference. To us, Halloween was a day to dress up and run around after dark. We were so seldom allowed outside after dark that I think this was the biggest appeal to me. And carving the pumpkin. And the Halloween carnival at Lorena Oats Elementary School. That was even more fun that Halloween itself. Except for the year my mother made me go through the spook house. That wasn't so much fun.
9. Made for TV movies. Yeah, they still make them, but now you have to subscribe to the right cable channels to get them. They don't have the old ABC Monday Night At The Movies any more. They made some good movies, too.
10. Galveston. My dad told me once that the only vacation he remembered his family taking was to Galveston Island. So that's where we went on our vacations. Oh, we went to San Antonio one year, and on the Great Western Tour one year (I was 4 for that one, and am kind of surprised how well I remember that trip), but mostly we went to Galveston. When I got a little older, my parents discovered that they could rent a cabin on Crystal Beach for the same cost as a hotel room in Galveston, so that's what we did from then on. But we still went to the island at least once. One of these days, when I can afford it, I'm going back.
So that's it. My list of things I miss from my childhood. Really, I could go on and on, but the list is Ten on Tuesday, not a bazillion on Tuesday. I hope you enjoyed reading my list, and I'd love to hear what some of your nostalgic memories are, too.
I tried and tried to think of something else interesting to post, but I figured you really didn't want to hear about getting the oil changed in my Jimmy and mopping my bathroom floor.
But today, at work-- still thinking about the farmer's markets-- I remembered going to one as a child. And I remembered my parents buying a bushel of purple hull peas. And I remembered... Then suddenly, I knew I had a topic.
Ten Things From My Childhood That I Miss
And here they are, in no particular order:
1. Shelling Peas. As I said, for several summers, my parents would buy a bushel or two of purple hull peas. Sometimes we got them from a farmer's market. Sometimes someone brought them to us. But the fun part was, when the peas arrived, we all sat around in the living room shelling them, and my dad would tell us stories of the olden days. And we thought it was great fun. Which segues nicely into
2. Picking up and shelling pecans. My mammaw had six or seven big, huge pecan trees in her yard. I mean, these things were as big as an oak tree, and every Saturday in the fall, my dad would drive us over, and we'd pick up pecans. Mammaw would give us a Welch's grape juice can with the top cut out-- cautioning us to be careful and not cut ourselves on the rim-- and we'd run out into the yard and pick up pecans. Once we had our cans full, we'd bring them into the house and pour the pecans into a paper grocery bag. Remember them? Once we had enough pecans for the day, we'd go home and sit around the living room and shell them. And my dad would tell us stories of the olden days. And we thought it was great fun. When I was grown and had a home of my own, someone gave me a big bag of pecans. I so looked forward to shelling them, but didn't get very far into the job before thinking, "this is the pits!" But somehow, my dad had made it fun. He could make anything fun...like
3. Painting the house. One summer, we got out and we scraped the house, and we painted the house, and it was so much fun out there working with Daddy. It was the highlight of my summer that year. The next summer, I was so looking forward to painting the house again. Alas, I was totally crushed when Daddy told me we didn't need to paint the house every year. Sigh. But every year we did go
4. Picking Figs. Mammaw had four or five fig trees in her yard, and every Saturday afternoon, Dad would take us over there and we would pick figs. They were so juicy and sweet right off the tree. Even my dad would eat as many as he picked. Then we would take them home, and my mother would cook them down and make fig preserves out of them. Oh, I loved those homemade fig preserves.
5. June Floods. For a long time, every year in June or July, we would get some heavy rains and the end of our street would flood. See, we had this shallow, muddy waterway across the street from my house that went by the simple name of The Gully.
Yes, this really is my childhood street. You can see the dead end and the gully at the top of the picture. My house is the third from the right on the bottom of the street. Did I mention that I love Google Earth? But I digress...
At least once a year, the gully would overflow and the dead end of our dead end street would flood. We kids thought this was great fun playing in the water down there. But, when I was about 11 or 12, the city built up the street level, and the floods ended-- at least until Hurricane Ike came through. That was some bad news, but as a kid, I loved
6. Hurricanes. I was too young to understand the danger. To me, they were exciting and different. Taping up the windows, getting the hurricane lanterns ready. Cleaning up the yard. Dad would tump over the swingsets and everything that could blow away had to somehow be stuffed into our garage. My mother would clean the bathtub really well and fill it with water, so we'd have safe drinking water if we needed it. Oh, and the power outages! I loved the power outages. We'd all sit around by lamplight and tell stories and stuff. Kind of like they did in the old days. I kind of felt like Laura in a little house in the big
7. Woods. Behind my house there was some woods--about 9 or 10 acres worth.
The top street in this picture is my street. The bottom street is Travis street. The street in the middle wasn't there. All that space between Sherrill and Travis streets was woods.
It was just about the perfect place for a kid to play. Those woods were big enough that you could feel like you were really out in the wilderness, but small enough that you couldn't get lost in them. We had camps, and trails, and tree houses, and I loved those woods. They were my safe place. Funny thing about those woods. I had to ask permission to go next door, but I could play out in those woods all day long and never tell a soul. But, my senior year in high school, someone bought that land, and put up a housing development. It broke my heart. Like having to give up
8. Halloween. Back in the day, before all this "If you observe Halloween, you're really worshiping Satan without realizing it" hoopla, Halloween was just another fun holiday. We knew we weren't worshiping the Devil. We were just having fun, and back then, we had sense enough to know the difference. To us, Halloween was a day to dress up and run around after dark. We were so seldom allowed outside after dark that I think this was the biggest appeal to me. And carving the pumpkin. And the Halloween carnival at Lorena Oats Elementary School. That was even more fun that Halloween itself. Except for the year my mother made me go through the spook house. That wasn't so much fun.
9. Made for TV movies. Yeah, they still make them, but now you have to subscribe to the right cable channels to get them. They don't have the old ABC Monday Night At The Movies any more. They made some good movies, too.
10. Galveston. My dad told me once that the only vacation he remembered his family taking was to Galveston Island. So that's where we went on our vacations. Oh, we went to San Antonio one year, and on the Great Western Tour one year (I was 4 for that one, and am kind of surprised how well I remember that trip), but mostly we went to Galveston. When I got a little older, my parents discovered that they could rent a cabin on Crystal Beach for the same cost as a hotel room in Galveston, so that's what we did from then on. But we still went to the island at least once. One of these days, when I can afford it, I'm going back.
So that's it. My list of things I miss from my childhood. Really, I could go on and on, but the list is Ten on Tuesday, not a bazillion on Tuesday. I hope you enjoyed reading my list, and I'd love to hear what some of your nostalgic memories are, too.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Ten On Tuesday
It has been a long, busy, tiring day-- which I will tell you all about tomorrow-- so in lieu of a real blog post, I'm going to cop out and do a Ten On Tuesday.
This week's topic is 10 Things On Your Bulletin Board. Since I don't actually have a bulletin board, I'm revising it slightly to 10 Things On My Refrigerator.
1. My to-do list, which hardly even gets looked at any more since I keep my to do list on my phone nowadays.
2. A card reminding me of my next dental checkup
3. Jesse's Dog License, which they told me was optional, but I chose to get it anyway so that if he ran away, and Animal Control picked him up again, they'd know who he belongs to.
4. Some pictures of Cody, his sisters, and some of our cousins
5. A recipe for caramel icing, and instructions on how to use ground flax seed as an egg substitute.
6. A picture of my nephew Joshua with Santa Claus when he was about 5 years old. Joshua, that is, not Santa Claus. He's much older than that.
7. A clipping out of the news paper featuring karate promotions which my State Farm agent cut out and saved for me.
8. A picture of me, Amy, and Christi when we got together in Hernando last fall. That was a fun day, and I can't wait until we do it again. And Christi, you still cheated on the yarn buying contest! And a picture of me holding a cat, taken when I was a freshman in college.
9. A magnet snowman photo frame missing an eye that Cody made in Cub Scouts
10. And last, but certainly not least, a magnet featuring the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
So that's what's on my refrigerator. Yeah, that's more than 10 things, but hey, whatever.
1. My to-do list, which hardly even gets looked at any more since I keep my to do list on my phone nowadays.
2. A card reminding me of my next dental checkup
3. Jesse's Dog License, which they told me was optional, but I chose to get it anyway so that if he ran away, and Animal Control picked him up again, they'd know who he belongs to.
4. Some pictures of Cody, his sisters, and some of our cousins
5. A recipe for caramel icing, and instructions on how to use ground flax seed as an egg substitute.
6. A picture of my nephew Joshua with Santa Claus when he was about 5 years old. Joshua, that is, not Santa Claus. He's much older than that.
7. A clipping out of the news paper featuring karate promotions which my State Farm agent cut out and saved for me.
8. A picture of me, Amy, and Christi when we got together in Hernando last fall. That was a fun day, and I can't wait until we do it again. And Christi, you still cheated on the yarn buying contest! And a picture of me holding a cat, taken when I was a freshman in college.
9. A magnet snowman photo frame missing an eye that Cody made in Cub Scouts
10. And last, but certainly not least, a magnet featuring the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
So that's what's on my refrigerator. Yeah, that's more than 10 things, but hey, whatever.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Ten On Tuesday
It's back! Finally, a Ten On Tuesday topic I think I can actually do. And what is this topic, pray tell? Well, I'll tell you.
What Are Your 10 Favorite Love Songs?
I think the hard part is going to be narrowing it down to 10. There are so many good love songs out there. One of these, I was going to post as a Music Monday yesterday, but didn't. Kinda glad, now, because I can post it here as my absolute, all-time favorite love song. And it is:
Wait, maybe I should go in reverse order. Can't make this too easy, you know...
10. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This, by Toby Keith. Unless you mean it like that. If you do, baby kiss me again.
9. Can't Help Falling In Love, by Elvis Presley. For some reason, this song always makes me think of Marion Barber, and is one of the few Elvis songs I really, really like.
8. You'll Accompany Me, by Bob Seger.
7. Carrying Your Love With Me, by George Strait
6. Faithfully, by Journey
5. Would You Lay With Me, by David Allen Coe
4. Safe In The Arms Of Love, by Martina McBride, My heart is not ready for the rocking chair, either.
3. Drift Off To Dream, by Travis Tritt. Someday, I'll find you. I really will.
2. Stay Forever, by Hal Ketchum. A little known song, by a little known artist, but one of the best ever written.
1. Everything I Do, by Brian Adams. And there it is, my favorite love song, from the most romantic movie ever. What? Robin Hood romantic? Why yes. Yes it is. In the words of Duncan, "I may be blind, but some things I can still see."
What Are Your 10 Favorite Love Songs?
I think the hard part is going to be narrowing it down to 10. There are so many good love songs out there. One of these, I was going to post as a Music Monday yesterday, but didn't. Kinda glad, now, because I can post it here as my absolute, all-time favorite love song. And it is:
Wait, maybe I should go in reverse order. Can't make this too easy, you know...
10. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This, by Toby Keith. Unless you mean it like that. If you do, baby kiss me again.
9. Can't Help Falling In Love, by Elvis Presley. For some reason, this song always makes me think of Marion Barber, and is one of the few Elvis songs I really, really like.
8. You'll Accompany Me, by Bob Seger.
7. Carrying Your Love With Me, by George Strait
6. Faithfully, by Journey
5. Would You Lay With Me, by David Allen Coe
4. Safe In The Arms Of Love, by Martina McBride, My heart is not ready for the rocking chair, either.
3. Drift Off To Dream, by Travis Tritt. Someday, I'll find you. I really will.
2. Stay Forever, by Hal Ketchum. A little known song, by a little known artist, but one of the best ever written.
1. Everything I Do, by Brian Adams. And there it is, my favorite love song, from the most romantic movie ever. What? Robin Hood romantic? Why yes. Yes it is. In the words of Duncan, "I may be blind, but some things I can still see."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Ten On Tuesday
As you know, I don't do these every week, but this topic is one I can really get in to. Yesterday was March 14, also known as Pi day. So this week's topic is
10 Favorite Types of Pie.
Note: Be aware that many of these choices come from a bygone era, before I was allergic to eggs. Time and distance still have not diminished my fondness for them, though.
10. Sweet Potato -- a staple in the South, but also one I'd never tasted until I was grown.
9. Hershey's-- one of the few commercially prepared pies I can still eat. Available from Wal-mart and Burger King.
8. Lemon Meringue/Lemon Icebox-- they say they're different, but they taste the same to me.
7. Peach--Back when I was in the Navy, I had a friend who was a Mess Management Specialist, or to put it into civilian lingo, a cook. Mike was seriously trying to --um-- woo me, and he used to bake extra peach pies for me. They were the best peach pies I ever ate. Mike, unfortunately, turned out to be a loser.
6. Cream Cheese-- One 8 oz block of cream cheese, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and put it in a graham cracker crust. Top with fruit if desired.
5. Pumpkin-- that Thanksgiving classic, still one of my favorites.
4. Squash-- my auntie used to make these, but they require white squash. It's so hard to find white squash these days.
3. Pecan-- another Southern staple. It's pronounce puh-CAHN, not PEE-can.
2. Buttermilk--this has got to be the most delicious thing ever invented. My aunt Martha and I used to fight over the last piece, back when I could still make them.
1. Cherry--but not just any cherry pie. My great Grandma Carrie Dean made the best cherry pie, and from scratch. None of that canned filling for her, no sirree. She died when I was very small, but I can still remember being in her kitchen, watching her hold up the pie pan and trim the crusts. I always begged her for the scraps, and she would tell me to wait until she was done, then she'd give them to me. To this day, I have a fondness for raw pie crust dough. Once when I was a kid, my mother bought some pre-made pie crust dough that came in little blocks that looked like sticks of butter. I stole one of them and hid it under my pillow so I could eat it.
There you have it. My 10 favorite pies, a childhood memory, and a secret.
As always, I'm open to even more suggestions.
10 Favorite Types of Pie.
Note: Be aware that many of these choices come from a bygone era, before I was allergic to eggs. Time and distance still have not diminished my fondness for them, though.
10. Sweet Potato -- a staple in the South, but also one I'd never tasted until I was grown.
9. Hershey's-- one of the few commercially prepared pies I can still eat. Available from Wal-mart and Burger King.
8. Lemon Meringue/Lemon Icebox-- they say they're different, but they taste the same to me.
7. Peach--Back when I was in the Navy, I had a friend who was a Mess Management Specialist, or to put it into civilian lingo, a cook. Mike was seriously trying to --um-- woo me, and he used to bake extra peach pies for me. They were the best peach pies I ever ate. Mike, unfortunately, turned out to be a loser.
6. Cream Cheese-- One 8 oz block of cream cheese, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and put it in a graham cracker crust. Top with fruit if desired.
5. Pumpkin-- that Thanksgiving classic, still one of my favorites.
4. Squash-- my auntie used to make these, but they require white squash. It's so hard to find white squash these days.
3. Pecan-- another Southern staple. It's pronounce puh-CAHN, not PEE-can.
2. Buttermilk--this has got to be the most delicious thing ever invented. My aunt Martha and I used to fight over the last piece, back when I could still make them.
1. Cherry--but not just any cherry pie. My great Grandma Carrie Dean made the best cherry pie, and from scratch. None of that canned filling for her, no sirree. She died when I was very small, but I can still remember being in her kitchen, watching her hold up the pie pan and trim the crusts. I always begged her for the scraps, and she would tell me to wait until she was done, then she'd give them to me. To this day, I have a fondness for raw pie crust dough. Once when I was a kid, my mother bought some pre-made pie crust dough that came in little blocks that looked like sticks of butter. I stole one of them and hid it under my pillow so I could eat it.
There you have it. My 10 favorite pies, a childhood memory, and a secret.
As always, I'm open to even more suggestions.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Ten On Tuesday
This week's topic was a tough one for me. It is
What are your 10 favorite Oscar winning movies?
Now, I know there are a gajillion Oscar categories, but I think the intent was to choose from among the Best Picture winners. What is so hard about that? Well, I'll tell you...I had to go all the way back to 2004 to find a movie I'd even seen, much less liked. So, it's likely you will see a lot of classics in this list.
Here we go:
1. Lord Of The Rings: The Return of The King-- 2004. There are those who say that this award was meant to encompass all three movies of the trilogy, and since you can't watch one without watching the other two --well, you could, but you wouldn't know what was going on-- I'd suggest that they are right. This is by far my favorite. Nothing else comes close.
2. Gladiator-- 2001. I went to buy this movie as soon as it came out, and some fool in Wal-Mart (another customer, not an employee) kept trying to shove Major Payne into my face. I had to leave the department and come back later, just to get my movie. I eventually watched Major Payne, and it didn't hold a candle to Gladiator.
3. Braveheart-- 1996 FREEDOM!!!! What more need be said?
4. Schindler's List-- 1994 A difficult movie to watch, but one I believe every adult should see.
5. Dances With Wolves--1991 A beautifully made movie about one man looking past what the politicians have told him and learning to love a people for who they truly are. Would that more of us did that today.
6. Driving Miss Daisy--1990 A totally fun story, with two of the most masterful actors of our day-- Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. My favorite line: "Yes, I got the air condition checked. I don't know why. You don't ever allow me to turn it on."
7. Out Of Africa --1986 A good show, despite having Robert Redford (whom I can't stand) and Meryl Streep (who is almost as bad). It is Farah, and Kamante that make this movie for me.
8. The Sound Of Music-- 1966. I knew many of the songs before I even knew there was a movie with them in it.
9. Ben Hur--1960 A nearly naked Charlton Heston is totally worth an Oscar. (Oh, did I just say that out loud?)
10. This was a tough one, since there are about 5 or 6 more that I could add to this list, but in the end, being somewhat of a history buff, I chose The Last Emperor --1988.
So, there you have it. My ten favorite Oscar Winning films. But wait, you say. There is something missing! One glaring omission! A movie that is supposed to be everyone's favorite!
What movie is this, you ask? Why Gone With The Wind, of course. No, it did not make my list, and there's a reason why.
I've never seen it. I've tried to watch it a couple of times, but just can't seem to make it through the whole thing. The closest I've come is Carol Burnett's version, Went With The Wind. Now, that is a truly good movie!
What are your 10 favorite Oscar winning movies?
Now, I know there are a gajillion Oscar categories, but I think the intent was to choose from among the Best Picture winners. What is so hard about that? Well, I'll tell you...I had to go all the way back to 2004 to find a movie I'd even seen, much less liked. So, it's likely you will see a lot of classics in this list.
Here we go:
1. Lord Of The Rings: The Return of The King-- 2004. There are those who say that this award was meant to encompass all three movies of the trilogy, and since you can't watch one without watching the other two --well, you could, but you wouldn't know what was going on-- I'd suggest that they are right. This is by far my favorite. Nothing else comes close.
2. Gladiator-- 2001. I went to buy this movie as soon as it came out, and some fool in Wal-Mart (another customer, not an employee) kept trying to shove Major Payne into my face. I had to leave the department and come back later, just to get my movie. I eventually watched Major Payne, and it didn't hold a candle to Gladiator.
3. Braveheart-- 1996 FREEDOM!!!! What more need be said?
4. Schindler's List-- 1994 A difficult movie to watch, but one I believe every adult should see.
5. Dances With Wolves--1991 A beautifully made movie about one man looking past what the politicians have told him and learning to love a people for who they truly are. Would that more of us did that today.
6. Driving Miss Daisy--1990 A totally fun story, with two of the most masterful actors of our day-- Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. My favorite line: "Yes, I got the air condition checked. I don't know why. You don't ever allow me to turn it on."
7. Out Of Africa --1986 A good show, despite having Robert Redford (whom I can't stand) and Meryl Streep (who is almost as bad). It is Farah, and Kamante that make this movie for me.
8. The Sound Of Music-- 1966. I knew many of the songs before I even knew there was a movie with them in it.
9. Ben Hur--1960 A nearly naked Charlton Heston is totally worth an Oscar. (Oh, did I just say that out loud?)
10. This was a tough one, since there are about 5 or 6 more that I could add to this list, but in the end, being somewhat of a history buff, I chose The Last Emperor --1988.
So, there you have it. My ten favorite Oscar Winning films. But wait, you say. There is something missing! One glaring omission! A movie that is supposed to be everyone's favorite!
What movie is this, you ask? Why Gone With The Wind, of course. No, it did not make my list, and there's a reason why.
I've never seen it. I've tried to watch it a couple of times, but just can't seem to make it through the whole thing. The closest I've come is Carol Burnett's version, Went With The Wind. Now, that is a truly good movie!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Ten on Tuesday On Wednesday
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a bit behind. Story of my life...
This week's topic is What Is On Your Night Stand. I was going to get all creative and take a photo, but you know what? It's past my bedtime, and I just don't wanna. Maybe I'll take one tomorrow and edit this post, so if you really want to see it, check back later. OK, here goes:
1. Dust. Might as well just go ahead and get this one out of the way right away. Yep, there's dust on my nightstand.
2. A lamp. Useful for reading and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It has a little nightlight in the bottom just in case I needed to get up without disturbing anyone who might eventually one day be sleeping next to me, but you can't turn the nightlight off without turning the bright light on, so it's kind of pointless. I don't think there's even a bulb in it any more.
3. A phone. A house phone, which I never answer anyway. No one calls my house phone any more except the dentist. Everyone else knows to call my cell phone. And if you don't have my cell number, I probably don't want to talk to you anyway. Or I just haven't gotten around to giving it to you. If you really want it, let me know, and I'll PM you.
4. The controller to my electric mattress pad. 'Nuff Said
5. A glow in the dark Pez dispenser. Don't ask. Even I don't know.
6. Three cough drops, and a Dr. Pepper bottle filled with water. Just in case I break into fits of coughing during the night.
7. Various lotions and hand creams. For some reason, people seem to think I need tons of lotion, because I usually get some for Christmas every year. If only I could remember to use it, it might actually do me some good.
8. Three books. They are Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Take Your Eye Off The Ball by Pat Kirwin, and The U.S. Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. My Bible is in the drawer.
9. A box of kleenex and two things of nasal spray. Since I am allergic to everything in existence, this is pretty much a given in every room of the house.
10. A letter written to me by a co-worker expressing his desire to become more than just friends. It almost broke my heart to reject him, because he is the nicest, sweetest man you'd ever meet. I just didn't share the same feelings. Still, I can't seem to bring myself to throw the note away. Every time I try, I remember how badly his hands were shaking when he gave it to me. Then I just can't do it. Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I read it again, and it brightens my day. Just a bit.
Well, that's what's on my nightstand. What's on yours?
P.S. The snake photos went over really well at work this morning. The Other Rod, not to be confused with Former Group Leader Rod, still wants me to give him one, but it ain't happenin'. Sorry, Rod. Get your own snake.
I'm keeping all of mine.
This week's topic is What Is On Your Night Stand. I was going to get all creative and take a photo, but you know what? It's past my bedtime, and I just don't wanna. Maybe I'll take one tomorrow and edit this post, so if you really want to see it, check back later. OK, here goes:
1. Dust. Might as well just go ahead and get this one out of the way right away. Yep, there's dust on my nightstand.
2. A lamp. Useful for reading and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It has a little nightlight in the bottom just in case I needed to get up without disturbing anyone who might eventually one day be sleeping next to me, but you can't turn the nightlight off without turning the bright light on, so it's kind of pointless. I don't think there's even a bulb in it any more.
3. A phone. A house phone, which I never answer anyway. No one calls my house phone any more except the dentist. Everyone else knows to call my cell phone. And if you don't have my cell number, I probably don't want to talk to you anyway. Or I just haven't gotten around to giving it to you. If you really want it, let me know, and I'll PM you.
4. The controller to my electric mattress pad. 'Nuff Said
5. A glow in the dark Pez dispenser. Don't ask. Even I don't know.
6. Three cough drops, and a Dr. Pepper bottle filled with water. Just in case I break into fits of coughing during the night.
7. Various lotions and hand creams. For some reason, people seem to think I need tons of lotion, because I usually get some for Christmas every year. If only I could remember to use it, it might actually do me some good.
8. Three books. They are Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Take Your Eye Off The Ball by Pat Kirwin, and The U.S. Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. My Bible is in the drawer.
9. A box of kleenex and two things of nasal spray. Since I am allergic to everything in existence, this is pretty much a given in every room of the house.
10. A letter written to me by a co-worker expressing his desire to become more than just friends. It almost broke my heart to reject him, because he is the nicest, sweetest man you'd ever meet. I just didn't share the same feelings. Still, I can't seem to bring myself to throw the note away. Every time I try, I remember how badly his hands were shaking when he gave it to me. Then I just can't do it. Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I read it again, and it brightens my day. Just a bit.
Well, that's what's on my nightstand. What's on yours?
P.S. The snake photos went over really well at work this morning. The Other Rod, not to be confused with Former Group Leader Rod, still wants me to give him one, but it ain't happenin'. Sorry, Rod. Get your own snake.
I'm keeping all of mine.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Ten On Tuesday
Today was our town's annual Christmas parade. This year, however, I'll spare you my annual rant. If you really want to know what I think, you can read my previous rant. My opinion hasn't changed much since then. This year, they started the parade at 3:30. I had to go straight from work to the parade route, and I know a lot of people missed it. You know, like people who have to work. Anyway, that's why there were no photos. I didn't even have time to run home and get my camera. Or my jacket. Yes, I froze. But you can see the band videos at the provided link. They always play the same songs every year.
This week's Ten On Tuesday topic is one that is near and dear to my heart. And what is said topic, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. This week's topic is --drumroll please--
Yes, I love Christmas. And I love Christmas movies. And I'm wondering about now how I am going to limit it to 10. But I'll give her a go.
10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever --Hey! Unto you a child is born!
9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town/Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer-- Yes, the stop motion animation is out dated, and maybe they could computer animate those shows a whole lot better, but the kitch is part of the charm. I never miss these. (I know these are two shows, but I had to cheat to get them both into my list.)
8. How The Grinch Stole Christmas-- Maybe Christmas, perhaps, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
7. The Nativity Story-- A lot of the details are fictionalized, but it doesn't directly contradict anything that is in the Bible.
6. The House Without A Christmas Tree -- a TV classic from my childhood. I was sooo thrilled when they finally released it on video a few years ago.
5. It's A Wonderful Life-- A true classic, no words are necessary.
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol-- Yes, I love the muppets. I took a lot of flack for it in high school, but I love them still. I love this version because they bring in Gonzo to play Charles Dickens, so we get to hear some of that wonderful prose from the book.
3. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey -- A fairly new movie, it became one of my favorites the first time I watched it.
2. A Christmas Carol-- There are so many good ones, but my favorite is the Patrick Stewart version. Patrick Stewart is simply brilliant as Scrooge, and this movie explores some of the parts the others leave out.
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas-- That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
OK, yeah. That was hard. There are soooo many other shows I could have listed here. The Homecoming, Frosty the Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street-- I could go on and on. But I think these are the ones I would want on that desert island with me. Feel free to share your own list in the comments.
Now, I think I'll go watch the Grinch before bedtime.
One last note, apropos of nothing... Rod was kind of dressed up today. Not really dressy-- it is a factory after all-- but nice. He looked good. When I first saw him this morning, I sort of did a double take and an involuntary "Wow" escaped my lips. I didn't know he had it in him.
This week's Ten On Tuesday topic is one that is near and dear to my heart. And what is said topic, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. This week's topic is --drumroll please--
What are your top 10 Christmas shows?
Yes, I love Christmas. And I love Christmas movies. And I'm wondering about now how I am going to limit it to 10. But I'll give her a go.
10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever --Hey! Unto you a child is born!
9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town/Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer-- Yes, the stop motion animation is out dated, and maybe they could computer animate those shows a whole lot better, but the kitch is part of the charm. I never miss these. (I know these are two shows, but I had to cheat to get them both into my list.)
8. How The Grinch Stole Christmas-- Maybe Christmas, perhaps, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
7. The Nativity Story-- A lot of the details are fictionalized, but it doesn't directly contradict anything that is in the Bible.
6. The House Without A Christmas Tree -- a TV classic from my childhood. I was sooo thrilled when they finally released it on video a few years ago.
5. It's A Wonderful Life-- A true classic, no words are necessary.
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol-- Yes, I love the muppets. I took a lot of flack for it in high school, but I love them still. I love this version because they bring in Gonzo to play Charles Dickens, so we get to hear some of that wonderful prose from the book.
3. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey -- A fairly new movie, it became one of my favorites the first time I watched it.
2. A Christmas Carol-- There are so many good ones, but my favorite is the Patrick Stewart version. Patrick Stewart is simply brilliant as Scrooge, and this movie explores some of the parts the others leave out.
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas-- That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
OK, yeah. That was hard. There are soooo many other shows I could have listed here. The Homecoming, Frosty the Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street-- I could go on and on. But I think these are the ones I would want on that desert island with me. Feel free to share your own list in the comments.
Now, I think I'll go watch the Grinch before bedtime.
One last note, apropos of nothing... Rod was kind of dressed up today. Not really dressy-- it is a factory after all-- but nice. He looked good. When I first saw him this morning, I sort of did a double take and an involuntary "Wow" escaped my lips. I didn't know he had it in him.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Ten On Tuesday
I mentioned before that I don't do these lists every week. Sometimes the topic is one I just can't get in to. However, this week's list is very pertinent.
So I decided to give her a go.
Ten Things You Love About Thanksgiving.
1. Turkey--turkeyturkeyturkeyturkeyturkey, I love turkey! From the smell of it cooking to the last bit of turkey noodle soup, I love every bit of it. This year the plant gave us a 20 pounder. I have no idea what I'm going to do with that much turkey. I'm definitely going to have to be more diligent about freezing the leftovers right away. I let them go too long last year, and had to throw a lot of meat away. Gotta get the freezer cleaned out, too, so I'll have room for it.
2. Oh yeah, the rest of the food as well. Things I only make at Thanksgiving and Christmas-- sweet potato delight, strawberry jello salad, pumpkin pie. That kind of stuff. I even love getting out my cookbooks and making the shopping list.
3. The Parade-- yes I love the parade. I never miss it. And I must confess, I still cry when Santa enters Harald Square.
4. Football-- It's like two extra Saturdays/Sundays in a row! The Dallas Cowboys, then the Texas/Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving Day. Then there's more games on Friday, because it's Thanksgiving weekend, you know. Then your regular Saturday and Sunday games.
5. Watching Miracle on 34th Street-- It's become one of my traditions, because the movie starts on Thanksgiving Day and ends on Christmas Day. It seems the perfect segue between the two holiday seasons.
6. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving-- A classic. And Mayflower, a made for TV movie about the pilgrims voyage across the Atlantic. It doesn't really cover the first Thanksgiving, but still seems appropriate. Sadly, there seems to be a dearth of good Thanksgiving movies out there.
7. The unique American history and tradition of our Thanksgiving holiday. Remembering the hardships the Pilgrims faced, and that they lost half their number that first winter. Yet, they persevered and founded a new nation.
8. Being off work. The only problem with that is, the longer I'm off, the less I want to go back.
9. Decorations-- I put out fall/Thanksgiving decorations in the middle of October. The day after Thanksgiving, when the rest of the world is battling the madhouse that is Black Friday, I take my fall decorations down and put my Christmas ones up. After New Year's Day, those come down and my house remains pretty much unadorned until the next October.
10. Family-- What with everyone grown up and scattered all over creation, it's harder and harder to get together with family. But it's still the most important part.
Today, I am thankful for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that I don't have to go to work!
So I decided to give her a go.
Ten Things You Love About Thanksgiving.
1. Turkey--turkeyturkeyturkeyturkeyturkey, I love turkey! From the smell of it cooking to the last bit of turkey noodle soup, I love every bit of it. This year the plant gave us a 20 pounder. I have no idea what I'm going to do with that much turkey. I'm definitely going to have to be more diligent about freezing the leftovers right away. I let them go too long last year, and had to throw a lot of meat away. Gotta get the freezer cleaned out, too, so I'll have room for it.
2. Oh yeah, the rest of the food as well. Things I only make at Thanksgiving and Christmas-- sweet potato delight, strawberry jello salad, pumpkin pie. That kind of stuff. I even love getting out my cookbooks and making the shopping list.
3. The Parade-- yes I love the parade. I never miss it. And I must confess, I still cry when Santa enters Harald Square.
4. Football-- It's like two extra Saturdays/Sundays in a row! The Dallas Cowboys, then the Texas/Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving Day. Then there's more games on Friday, because it's Thanksgiving weekend, you know. Then your regular Saturday and Sunday games.
5. Watching Miracle on 34th Street-- It's become one of my traditions, because the movie starts on Thanksgiving Day and ends on Christmas Day. It seems the perfect segue between the two holiday seasons.
6. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving-- A classic. And Mayflower, a made for TV movie about the pilgrims voyage across the Atlantic. It doesn't really cover the first Thanksgiving, but still seems appropriate. Sadly, there seems to be a dearth of good Thanksgiving movies out there.
7. The unique American history and tradition of our Thanksgiving holiday. Remembering the hardships the Pilgrims faced, and that they lost half their number that first winter. Yet, they persevered and founded a new nation.
8. Being off work. The only problem with that is, the longer I'm off, the less I want to go back.
9. Decorations-- I put out fall/Thanksgiving decorations in the middle of October. The day after Thanksgiving, when the rest of the world is battling the madhouse that is Black Friday, I take my fall decorations down and put my Christmas ones up. After New Year's Day, those come down and my house remains pretty much unadorned until the next October.
10. Family-- What with everyone grown up and scattered all over creation, it's harder and harder to get together with family. But it's still the most important part.
Today, I am thankful for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that I don't have to go to work!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ten On Tuesday
This week's topic (because for the moment, I seem to have nothing better to blog about) is What Is In Your Freezer.
If I had posted this about 10 minutes ago, I could have said Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, but alas it is no more...
So here goes, 10 things that are in my freezer:
1. Star shaped ice cubes. Plus some standard rectangular ones, too.
2. Two Banquet pot pies. Mmmm, I love pot pie.
3. Smart Ones pasta with ricotta and spinach. I've never tried this, but it sounded good.
4. Several servings of leftover chili.
5. Beef sausage, which I've been saving for gumbo. Which I will make as soon as it's cold enough.
6. Fish sticks. Yes, minced. I like minced.
7. A frozen can of corn. It makes a great therapy for plantar faciitis. Just roll the can under your foot. It acts as both a massager and an anti inflammatory thing. Ice pack. Whatever.
8. Mushrooms, just waiting to be fried
9. Vacuum sealed sausage ball mix. I'm the only one that ever eats them anyway.
10. Dead mice. These are for the snakes. They are sealed in plastic bags. It's OK, really.
And that's just a sampling of a few things that are in my freezer. I'll bet if I really dig, I can find some quite interesting things, but no, we won't go there.
Thank you.
That is all.
If I had posted this about 10 minutes ago, I could have said Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, but alas it is no more...
So here goes, 10 things that are in my freezer:
1. Star shaped ice cubes. Plus some standard rectangular ones, too.
2. Two Banquet pot pies. Mmmm, I love pot pie.
3. Smart Ones pasta with ricotta and spinach. I've never tried this, but it sounded good.
4. Several servings of leftover chili.
5. Beef sausage, which I've been saving for gumbo. Which I will make as soon as it's cold enough.
6. Fish sticks. Yes, minced. I like minced.
7. A frozen can of corn. It makes a great therapy for plantar faciitis. Just roll the can under your foot. It acts as both a massager and an anti inflammatory thing. Ice pack. Whatever.
8. Mushrooms, just waiting to be fried
9. Vacuum sealed sausage ball mix. I'm the only one that ever eats them anyway.
10. Dead mice. These are for the snakes. They are sealed in plastic bags. It's OK, really.
And that's just a sampling of a few things that are in my freezer. I'll bet if I really dig, I can find some quite interesting things, but no, we won't go there.
Thank you.
That is all.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Ten On Tuesday
I don't always participate in Ten on Tuesday, but this week's topic is one that is near and dear to my heart: Fall. I love Fall. It is my favorite season of the year, and here are 10 reasons why:
1. First and foremost, fall brings sweet, blessed relief from the brutal heat and humidity that summer in the deep South brings. I love that first cool day, the first one I can get through without sweat pouring off of my body, and my clothes sticking to me. Sweet, sweet relief...
2. Opening the windows. I love opening the windows and letting the crisp fall air clear the stale mustiness out of the house. Fresh air, even if my allergist recommends against it.
3. The colors of fall--the reds, yellows, browns. The fall flowers, the leaves turning. We won't get much of that this year, being as it's been so very dry. Mostly, they'll just turn brown and fall off the trees.
4. Fall decorations--starting with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and morphing on into Christmas. I love seeing people's yards decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows, and hay bales. Speaking of, I love seeing the round hay bales out in the fields, too.
5. Scuffling through piles of leaves. Crunchy leaves are Nature's version of bubble wrap. Next time you're in a funk, try it. It works.
6. Turning on the heater for the first time. Now, if I had a fireplace, I'd probably have listed the first fire. But since I don't, I have to settle for the heater. There is just something comforting about having the heater running.
7. The first frost. Especially when it happens on a day when I don't have to get up and go anywhere.
8. Hot chocolate, hot tea, hot cider -- Yeah, you can drink these all year round, but they are just better in the fall.
9. Flannel shirts, flannel pants, flannel sheets--flannel is just so warm and cozy and snuggly.
10. Football.
Nuff said.
.
1. First and foremost, fall brings sweet, blessed relief from the brutal heat and humidity that summer in the deep South brings. I love that first cool day, the first one I can get through without sweat pouring off of my body, and my clothes sticking to me. Sweet, sweet relief...
2. Opening the windows. I love opening the windows and letting the crisp fall air clear the stale mustiness out of the house. Fresh air, even if my allergist recommends against it.
3. The colors of fall--the reds, yellows, browns. The fall flowers, the leaves turning. We won't get much of that this year, being as it's been so very dry. Mostly, they'll just turn brown and fall off the trees.
4. Fall decorations--starting with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and morphing on into Christmas. I love seeing people's yards decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows, and hay bales. Speaking of, I love seeing the round hay bales out in the fields, too.
5. Scuffling through piles of leaves. Crunchy leaves are Nature's version of bubble wrap. Next time you're in a funk, try it. It works.
6. Turning on the heater for the first time. Now, if I had a fireplace, I'd probably have listed the first fire. But since I don't, I have to settle for the heater. There is just something comforting about having the heater running.
7. The first frost. Especially when it happens on a day when I don't have to get up and go anywhere.
8. Hot chocolate, hot tea, hot cider -- Yeah, you can drink these all year round, but they are just better in the fall.
9. Flannel shirts, flannel pants, flannel sheets--flannel is just so warm and cozy and snuggly.
10. Football.
Nuff said.
.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Ten On Tuesday
This week's Ten on Tuesday is 10 ways to have a happy birthday. Since it's been years since I've really celebrated my birthday in any sort of way, I'm going to have to kind of be creative with this one.
1. Go to work. I know this isn't celebrating, per se, but we don't get days off for our birthdays. Not unless I request a vacation day. Say, there's an idea. Then I won't have to listen to everyone say, "Why didn't you tell us?" The answer to that is, because you would have bought me a cake I couldn't eat, then got offended that I didn't eat it. Which segues nicely into #2.
2. Bake myself a cake. I usually have to make my own anyway, because of my egg allergy. This year, I don't know if I'll do myself a football cake, or a Texas shaped cake. But I've got time to decide. My birthday isn't until November.
3. Buy myself a present. I've always done this too. Sometimes, I hand Cody money and tell him what to go get, but just as many times, I don't. This year, I've already bought my birthday present. I've ordered myself a Dez Bryant jersey, and I got the premier style. It's a better quality, but a bit more expensive.
4. Make myself some shrimp and sausage gumbo. This is becoming a tradition. Anyone want to come for dinner? Wait, that would require vacuuming. Scratch that...
5. I will say, "Yes, I really am 46. Well, thank you for thinking I don't look that old, but I really am. Do you want to see my driver's license?" exactly 387 times. Or maybe 391. It all depends.
6. My birthday is on a Thursday this year, so I'll be watching Bones. It's always nice to spend any day with Seely Booth. It's even better when it's your birthday.
7. My birthday is also a national holiday, so I won't be getting mail. Bummer. But that just means I'll get twice as much the next day. So joy!
8. My birthday is on Veteran's Day, so I'll wear my dog tags, post something meaningful about veterans, and give a hat tip to all the veterans out there.
9. I will knit, and listen to my podcast, Talkin Cowboys. As always.
10. I'm running out of ideas...Like I said, I haven't really celebrated my birthday in a long time. Even when I was a kid, I didn't have parties. My mother would bake a cake, and my grandparents would come over, but that's about it. It was always a tradition that whoever's birthday it was got to lick the bowl. One year, my mother made me go take a bath, and when I got out, I discovered that she'd given my bowl to my brother. I was heartbroken! It was supposed to be my bowl!
Maybe that's why birthdays tend to go un-noticed around here.
1. Go to work. I know this isn't celebrating, per se, but we don't get days off for our birthdays. Not unless I request a vacation day. Say, there's an idea. Then I won't have to listen to everyone say, "Why didn't you tell us?" The answer to that is, because you would have bought me a cake I couldn't eat, then got offended that I didn't eat it. Which segues nicely into #2.
2. Bake myself a cake. I usually have to make my own anyway, because of my egg allergy. This year, I don't know if I'll do myself a football cake, or a Texas shaped cake. But I've got time to decide. My birthday isn't until November.
3. Buy myself a present. I've always done this too. Sometimes, I hand Cody money and tell him what to go get, but just as many times, I don't. This year, I've already bought my birthday present. I've ordered myself a Dez Bryant jersey, and I got the premier style. It's a better quality, but a bit more expensive.
4. Make myself some shrimp and sausage gumbo. This is becoming a tradition. Anyone want to come for dinner? Wait, that would require vacuuming. Scratch that...
5. I will say, "Yes, I really am 46. Well, thank you for thinking I don't look that old, but I really am. Do you want to see my driver's license?" exactly 387 times. Or maybe 391. It all depends.
6. My birthday is on a Thursday this year, so I'll be watching Bones. It's always nice to spend any day with Seely Booth. It's even better when it's your birthday.
7. My birthday is also a national holiday, so I won't be getting mail. Bummer. But that just means I'll get twice as much the next day. So joy!
8. My birthday is on Veteran's Day, so I'll wear my dog tags, post something meaningful about veterans, and give a hat tip to all the veterans out there.
9. I will knit, and listen to my podcast, Talkin Cowboys. As always.
10. I'm running out of ideas...Like I said, I haven't really celebrated my birthday in a long time. Even when I was a kid, I didn't have parties. My mother would bake a cake, and my grandparents would come over, but that's about it. It was always a tradition that whoever's birthday it was got to lick the bowl. One year, my mother made me go take a bath, and when I got out, I discovered that she'd given my bowl to my brother. I was heartbroken! It was supposed to be my bowl!
Maybe that's why birthdays tend to go un-noticed around here.
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