Ten on Tuesday:  10 Things On My Summer Bucket List

With Gin's birth, I've been reminded of the herb garden I put in the summer that I got pregnant with Maddy. She was born in April and for the next six or seven years, I watched it transform/revert to a "wildflower" garden — which is how I sometimes like to think of my weeds — and I didn't even have a job outside of home for five of those years!

My friend Birdsong commented the other day that some of her hobbies have suffered since she became a grandmother, and I certainly agree. Though I wouldn't change a single thing; I know how fortunate I am to have those kids close enough that I am actively involved in their lives.

And, Robby, I have taken your comment on this post completely to heart: I would also say you get a total pass on however much you do or don't knit for your grandkids. It's great if you do, but you give them the much more valuable gift of your time, having a sense of being part of a larger family and more people who love them just because they exist. If every kid got only those things, our world would be a kinder place.

I would love to knit more and dye more (both fabric & yarn) this summer, sew and stitch and quilt more, read more, cook more, clean more… um, WHAT? No! Scratch that, I definitely don't want to clean more! Time is precious.

This summer, I want to:

1 – Play with Junah

2 — Cuddle with Gin

3 — Get a BINGO!

4 — Sew a dress for Gin (and maybe one for me)

5 – Take a day trip to Door County

6 — Stitch on my Magdalena A-line Tunic

7 — Finish Romi's 2016 "Mystery" Shawl

8 — Finish Kirsten's 2016 Mystery KAL Shawl (while it's still a mystery!)

9 — Finish Ina's LOLA Sweater in time for late-summer/fall layering

10 — Go to the zoo! There's a nice, small zoo not far from us, and Jün is the perfect age! This would be fun to do along with my nephews, too.

What's on your summer bucket list?

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Favorite Desserts

1. Chocolate Cake! German, Devil's Food, Hersheys…
2. Carrot Cake! Annie makes THE BEST!
3. Cheesecake! Plain is best.
4. Chocolate Chip Cookies! Mmmm.
5. Creme Brulee! Sweet, crusty goodness.
6. Lemon Meringue Pie! So fresh.
7. La Bete Noir! So good.
8. Hot Fudge Sundae! Simple pleasures.
9. Chocolate Pudding! Yum, favorite since childhood.
10. Tiramisu! "If you're worried about eating raw eggs, choose another dessert." -Ina Garten

Here's some sweetness that won't give you cavities!

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Albums that I Love

These are among the albums that come to mind when nothing else is cutting it. They're comfortable, familiar, meaningful, and/or transportational — in that they "take me" to a time or place where I find happiness or contentment, or just wanna ROCK OUT.

1 – Twin Sons of Different Mothers – Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg

2 – Buckingham Nicks – Lindsay Buckingham & Stevie Nicks

3 – Flirtin' With Disaster – Molly Hatchet

4 – Tea for the Tillerman – Cat Stevens

5 – Damn The Torpedoes – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

6 – Jesus Christ Superstar (or Jesus Christ Superstar) (they're different!)

7 – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles

8 – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel

9 – Songbird – Eva Cassidy

10 – Stardust – Willie Nelson

What's on your turntable?

Ten on Tuesday:  10 Things I Love To Do Outside

1 – Hanging laundry on the line. My die-hard brother-in-law does it year-round, but I just can't… it's one of my favorite things in the world, though.

2 – Ride my bike. I've been slackin' the past few years. Aiming higher…

3 – Soak up the sun/daydream/watch my back yard world go by from the porch/deck/pergola.

4 – Eat & drink on the porch/deck/pergola.

6 – Knit & sew on the porch/deck/pergola.

6 – Read on the porch/deck/pergola.

7 – Take a walk.

8 – Do a little gardening/yard work now and then.

9 – Dyeing/Stenciling. At this point, much of that work is better accomplished outside where there's more room (and less stuff to be careful about accidentally dyeing).

10 – Putzing. There's no better place to putz than outside on a warm sunny day. It's like heaven.