You know when it comes to Ten on Tuesday that I’m all about keeping it positive. And I think today’s topic is a positive one even though it could be construed differently. Have I made you curious? The topic comes from Joanne at Rhythm of Needles and it’s 10 Things You Wish You Liked.

no worries, I definitely like peonies!

1. Exercising. This is still my goal, to like exercising. It helps knowing that even people who exercise regularly don’t necessarily like it.
2. Making salad. I love to eat salad and I know I’d eat a lot more of it if I liked making it. Honestly, though I abhor making a salad.
3. Crocheting. I keep trying and thinking that if I did it more I’d learn to like it but it hasn’t happened yet.
4. Hiking. I have friends who go on these cool hikes and it sounds great. And then I get out there and I get winded and sweaty and I hate it. I do like the part of hiking that involves having a picnic, though.
5. Cleaning. I could save a lot of money if I didn’t hire someone else to do this.
6. Winter. It’s no secret that I love spring and summer and all that goes along with those seasons. I wish I could like winter, though, so that I wouldn’t be so miserable when it’s here.
7. Meditating. It’s supposed to be really great to clear you mind and just be but I have such a hard time with this. I think about all the things I should be doing instead.
8. Math. I do what I have to do for work (budgets, spreadsheets, statistics)  but I sure don’t enjoy it.
9. Reading the paper. I know it’s a great way to keep up on local news but I hate the smell of the ink and I hate getting it on my hands. I find the whole thing just annoying. Thank goodness for Facebook and online newspapers.
10. Stacking firewood. I put this on here for Dale because I knew HE really wishes I liked doing this. Heh.

If you’re writing a Ten on Tuesday post be sure to add your link below!

Spring is here and there’s so much to do! There’s yard work and house work and so much more and that’s why this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Items On Your Spring To-Do List. And just let me say right up front that a lot of these things are actually on Dale’s to-do list and I’m just putting them up here to remind him of what he needs to do. I’m pretty sure that’s not a surprise to most of you.

Mason has nothing on his to-do list except eat, sleep and play. 

1. Wash the windows. This one is actually mine and I plan on doing it this Friday if the weather permits. Our house is close to a main road and boy do our windows get filthy over the winter.
2. Plant some new perennials. Our town’s Garden Club plant sale is this Saturday and I plan on going and picking up a few things for the perennial bed.
3. Buy annuals and plant them. That’s also on the list for this Saturday.
4. RSVP to all the graduation and birthday party invites. ‘Tis the season!
5. Put the Adirondack chairs out on the deck. It’s time!
6. Replace the broken board on the deck.
7. Clean the gutters.
8. Paint the trim on the windows facing the street.
9. Paint the picnic table.
10. Have a fire in the fire pit. Not everything on a to-do list has to be work, you know!

We could all use a laugh now and again and today’s topic is all about laughs. It was suggested by Kristi and we’re talking about our 10 Favorite Comedy Movies. I’m chuckling already just thinking about some of these!

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. From bring out your dead to it’s a flesh wound to we fart in your general direction, this one is simply the best.
2. Young Frankenstein. It’s my go-to funny movie, the perfect thing when I need a pick me up. It’s silly and campy and I love it.
3. The Big Lebowski. Can you believe I had never seen this until a couple of years ago? A guy at a bar in Boston told Dale that he looked just like The Dude and then we had to see it. It’s awesome.
4. Some Like It Hot. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe – need I say more?
5. The Producers. You really can’t go wrong with Mel Brooks. Springtime for Hitler in Germany . . .
6. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Even all these years later, I simply cannot resist it when it’s on.
7. This Is Spinal Tap. The scene with the little Stonehenge gets me every time.
8. Best In Show. It’s another Christopher Guest classic and honestly, nobody does satire better than him.
9. The Sting. Sometimes subtle comedy can be the best comedy of all.
10. National Lampoon’s Vacation. You wouldn’t think a cross country drive full of disaster could be funny .  . . and yet!

Today’s Ten on Tuesday topic comes from Kym and it’s a fun one: 10 Items Pinned to your Bulletin Board. I don’t think it’s a subject that needs any further introduction but I should tell you two things. One, I have an bulletin board in my office but I don’t have one at home so this will be almost all work stuff. Two, my office bulletin board has exactly 10 things on it. Pretty convenient, eh? Here we go, starting at the top left and moving clockwise around the board:

1. A memo from 2006 listing the town custodian’s contact information. I don’t think it’s particularly accurate anymore but at least some of it is.
2. A bumper sticker that says My Other Vehicle is a Spinning Wheel. I think I got this at NH Sheep & Wool many years ago. I like to just put it right out there that I’m a spinner.
3. A bumper sticker that says Don’t come knockin’ if your socks ain’t rockin’ from the very first Rockin’ Sock Club that Blue Moon Fiber Art had.  Just like with #2, I like to put it right out there that I’m a knitter. I have got some curious questions about this one, though.
4. The Carver Public Schools calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. It’s how I keep track of Dale, frankly.
5. The weekly staff schedule for the library. It’s how I keep track of everyone else.
6. Blank time sheets for the library staff. I think there must be more of these somewhere else in the library because no one ever takes mine and makes copies.
7. A memo regarding Open Enrollment for town employees. My weekly contribution is increasing 8% for the next fiscal year. It not cheap but it’s better than not having insurance at all, that’s for sure.
8. A telephone list for the library staff and other town employees. I’ve got just about everybody in my phone these days but I do still refer to this now and again since it contains the information I need to use when someone accidentally sets off the alarm at the library and I have to call the alarm company.
9. Monthly time sheets for our volunteers. We’ve got some great ones and I use these sheets to track how many hours they work.
10. A National Parks 25th anniversary passport sticker. It’s the most recent thing I there since I just got it when we were on vacation in Virginia. It adds a bit of color and I just didn’t know what else to do with it.

You all know that reentry can be a bitch, although I have to admit that mine has been relatively smooth this time – at least so far. In any case, there can be some bumps along the road when a vacation ends and that’s why this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Good Things About Coming Home from a Vacation.

1. Reuniting with the pets. I miss Mason a lot when we go away and I worry about how lonesome I know he gets. It’s nice to have him to cuddle with again.
2. My own bathroom. It may not be as fancy as some that we saw and I don’t have a whirlpool tub but I do have my own hair dryer and my own shampoo and soap and I much prefer that to any other.
3. It’s cheaper to be home. Traveling is expensive!
4. My own kitchen. There are snacks when I want them, drinks when I want them, and all the other comforts of my own kitchen.
5. Seeing how much the garden grew while I was away. This isn’t true at all times of year but it really struck me this morning how much my flowers grew last week. And the lilacs are about to bloom, too!
6. Telling stories about your trip. Sharing all the things you did and places you went with your family and friends is a great way to relive your vacation once you’re home.
7. Leaving the camera at home. I tell you, after having lugged that camera all over Virginia, it was so nice to not lug it around with me on Monday.
8. Less driving. I love my new car and really enjoyed taking her on this long road trip but by Saturday I was so done with being in the car. It’s nice to only have to drive to work and back now.
9. Catching up on favorite TV shows. We’ve got Glee and The View, Army Wives and Modern Family, all ready to be watched and that makes me happy.
10. Being with the one you love. The best thing about going on vacation with Dale is that the vacation never really ends. He makes every day feel special, whether we are home or away, and that makes coming home a very good thing indeed.

Easter Flowers from my sweet sister-in-law, Mary. Right now they are brightening my windowsill but soon they will be planted outside.

Next week is school vacation week so I’ll be taking a blog break to hang out with Dale. See you on the 23rd!

It’s Passover this week and I know that presents dietary challenges for my Jewish friends. The other day my friend Kathy commented that her first full day of Passover was made possible by the Incredible Edible Egg. And that’s why this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Favorite Ways to Prepare Eggs.

1. Hard boiled. A hard boiled egg is the perfect portable snack.
2. Scrambled. With ketchup, please.
3. Poached. I don’t have much luck poaching eggs at home so I order this way almost every time I go out to breakfast.
4. Omelettes. I like mine with fresh broccoli and American cheese.
5. Fried. Sometimes I like mine over easy and sometimes I like mine over medium but I never like mine sunny side up. Blech.
6. Egg salad. A little salt, a lot of pepper, some celery and a small dab of mayo. I like it best on toasted whole wheat bread.
7. Deviled. These are always popular at our house, I even made some on Easter because Hannah asked for them.
8. Scotch Eggs. I have never actually made these but I’d like to try them some day.
9. Pickled. The first time Dale offered me a pickled egg I wrinkled my nose and wouldn’t try it. And then I took the plunge and discovered a wonderful treat. I make them myself and they are so good!
10. Quiche. I love it best with mushrooms and Swiss cheese.

Both Easter and Passover are this coming weekend and I know for many of us that means planning and preparing a big family dinner. While the main course is usually some sort of roast (in my case it will be a baked ham and an oven roasted turkey breast) the side dishes can be a challenge. And that’s what prompted this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic: 10 Favorite Side Dishes to Serve at a Family Dinner. As I said in my email to the Ten on Tuesday bunch, what do you serve with your main course that everyone loves?

1.  Parmesan Mashed Potatoes. I think I only make these on Easter because they are not suited to be served with gravy and there’s no gravy at my house on Easter. It’s almost like a mashed potato casserole and it includes eggs and Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and they can be made ahead of time. I think that’s the best part of all.
2. Carrots and Parsnips. I steam them and mash then together with butter, salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Delicious and pretty, too.
3. Martha Stewart’s Green Bean Casserole. I’m making my sister-in-law, Mary, make this for Easter. I absolutely love it and it’s so much better than the one made with cream of mushroom soup!
4. Macaroni and Cheese. It goes great with ham.
5. Au Gratin Potatoes. I’m actually torn between these and the Parmesan Mashed Potatoes. Hmmmm.
6. Peas and Onions. They are bright and colorful. My only issue is they get cold so quickly.
7. Glazed Carrots. This sounds like a big deal but it’s just steamed carrots that are tossed with butter and a bit of brown sugar. If I’m feeling extra festive I throw in a handful of raisins, too.
8. Asparagus. This can be tricky if you have a lot of people coming – it has to be cooked at the last minute and, like those peas, it gets cold very quickly. For a small gathering, though, I think it’s a must, especially for Easter.
9. Corn Muffins. Mary makes these for me, too, and everyone gobbles them up.
10. Jello Salad. Okay, I don’t actually make this anymore but my mom always made this green one for Easter and I loved it. She made individual molds of it and served each one on a little plate with a lettuce leaf and a dollop of sour cream. It was so good!

This week’s topic is one I don’t have a lot of experience with but a reader requested it specifically and I’m not about to turn her down. The topic is 10 Tips for Moving and I just haven’t moved a lot in my life. I lived in the same house I grew up in until I got married although I did move in and out of a dorm every year during college – but I kind of don’t think those moves count. I briefly lived in an apartment when I was first married, then we lived with my parents, and then we bought a house. I lived there until I married Dale so I guess, when I add this all up, I’ve only moved 4 times in my whole life. Nevertheless, I’ve got some things to say.

1. Collect boxes. The library often has excellent boxes and unless they have someone on staff who is moving (it happens more than you’d think) they will probably let you have them.
2. Go through your stuff and get rid of the things you don’t need, want or use anymore. There’s no point moving that mixer that you haven’t used in years, or that sweater that you haven’t worn in ages. Have a yard sale and make some money to buy new stuff once you’re settling in your new place!
3. Begin as early as possible. I’d pack up the out of season stuff and things you know you won’t need immediately.
4. Create an area to store the stuff that’s already packed. Obviously if you’re going to start packing boxes then you need a place to put them that’s not going to drive you crazy because you’re falling over it all the time.
5. Pack boxes by room. All the bathroom stuff together, all the kitchen stuff together, etc.
6. Make a list of everything that’s in a box and put it right inside the box so when you open the cover it’s right there and you can know immediately what’s inside without going through everything.
7. Label the outsides of boxes according to room. Whether you’re using movers or doing it yourself this will help to get things where they belong when you do actually move.
8. Make a list of all the address changes and billing changes you need to make. Cable, phone, newspaper, post office, all that stuff has to be updated.
9. Plan menus that will use up the food in your freezer and cupboards. If you’re moving a long distance you can’t take perishables with you and besides, who wants to pack and unpack umpteen cans of soup?
10. Finally, prepare one box of things you will need right away – bathroom supplies, medications, a change of clothing, some basic tools, and carry that box with you so that you are not without your essentials. In my case this would include hairspray.

Hey, you know, that was easier than I thought it would be! Your mileage may vary, of course, but I bet you all will have great moving tips, too.

We don’t often have musical themed posts for Ten on Tuesday and I’m not sure why since I love music. Anyway, this week’s theme comes from Kristi and we’re writing about 10 Songs That Put You In A Great Mood.

1. Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves. I can’t help but smile and sing along.
2. One Particular Harbour, Jimmy Buffett. This one gets turned up really really loud every time I listen to it.
3. Yellow Submarine, The Beatles. The idea of living in a yellow submarine with all my friends sounds great to me.
4. If I Had $1,000,000, Bearnaked Ladies. Singing along with them makes me happy.
5. A Beautiful Day, India Arie. This one really puts things in perspective – it’s always a beautiful day, isn’t it?
6. Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey. Hold onto that feeling . . .
7. D ‘yer Maker, Led Zeppelin. This one works for me and it turns out it’s a scientific fact, too.
8. Little Bitty Pretty One, Thurston Harris. It must be all that humming. And also that it makes me think of the movie Matilda and how much Hannah loved watching that when she was 5 years old.
9. I’m a Bitch, Alanis Morissette. Somehow admitting that I’m a bitch makes me feel less like one. Or something.
10. Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac.