List #5 Reasons I love Our Neighborhood

1. I’ve at least exchanged names with several of our neighbors because they hang outside on their front porches (like we do!)

Our family hanging out on the front porch!

2. Instead of regular hoodlums, we have rogue knitters.  They hit the library poles hard.  And look at that tree!

Rogue Knitter handiwork

3. I live within walking distance of said library.

4. I am surrounded by beautiful old, historic homes.

Can you believe I only live a block away from this?

5. My street is a combination of homeowners, renters, and apartment complex dwellers.  What an interesting mix!

6. We have block parties!

7. I’m within walking distance of a great little cafe.

8. We have huge trees.

9. The homeless men in our neighborhood do not collect cans in shopping carts.  They collect them in jogging strollers. (I should ask them where they got theirs.)

10. We have a fabulous elementary, middle and high school.  And yes, this is DISD.

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List # 4 Sunday Morning Rituals

1. Waking up to the early alarm and deciding, in bed, will it be early or late service?
2. Listening to my Fave Church Music playlist
3. Dancing to my favorite song of the bunch, “Christ is Risen,” by Matt Maher
4. Both of us asking each other if we’ve written the check for that week’s contribution (it takes both of us to remember)
5. Barely getting out of the house on time
6. Listening to the Peter Gunn theme on our way to church in the car
7. One of us exclaiming, “We’re on a mission from God” in an awful Chicago/Dan Akroyd accent
8. Listening to “Soul Man”
9. Then “She Caught the Katy”
10. Thinking about when one of our future children rides to church with another family after a sleepover and asks, “Why don’t you guys listen to Peter Gunn on the way to church?”
11. Walking to the very front, even though we’re always at least 5 minutes late, cause that’s just how we roll.

List #3: Things I have given up

In all this talk about giving up TV, I’ve decided to list some of the things I’ve already given up:

1. chocolate
2. caffeine
3. reading a book just because it is a “classic”
4. most of my VHS tapes (even Tommy Boy and Funny Girl, some of my favorites)
5. several books to Half Price Books (although this was to make room for more books)
6. the idea that my house will ever be really clean again due to one uber-slobbery dog.
7. watching a movie just because it is “arty” and “cool” (Sorry, Fellini)
8. the idea that I will ever fit into my clothes from high school again, even though Ted’s wardrobe is currently made up of such clothes.
9. worrying about what other people think.
10. wearing sandals in the summer (orthotics and sandals don’t mix)

What have you given up?

List #2: TV shows I would miss

In my last post, I contemplated giving up watching TV long term.  I mentioned some shows that I would miss, but I thought of several more.  Perhaps this will help me make my decision:

1. Project Runway
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. Bones
4. Downton Abbey (and other Masterpiece Mystery/Classic shows)
5. 30 Rock
6. The Oprah Winfrey Show (though her show will be gone soon)
7. Reruns of Arrested Development, Seinfeld, and Friends

Not really that many.  Maybe I can do without them.

List #1: Signs of Spring

I’m stealing the idea of posting lists from my friend Katie, but anyone who knows me, knows that I love lists.  Part of my vows to my husband, Ted, was a list.  When I was younger, I kept a list of all the AFI 100 top movies I had seen.  I still have the yellowed, folded newspaper with each movie I’ve seen circled.  I keep a list of all the books I have read, want to read, and am currently reading (and now I can do it in a fancy, high-tech way).  My own mother gave me a strange look when I asked her if she had a list of all the books I read as a child (she didn’t and I had to make do with my own memory).  I will even put something on a to-do list that I have already done, just so I can have another thing to list.

So, with the start of spring, here is my very first list of the year:  Signs of Spring

1. Birds chirping out my window
2. Long lines of cars on Garland road, all waiting to snatch a parking spot at the Arboretum.
3. The Hank-dog, sleeping on his back, paws to the sky.
4. Ted and I making fun of the Hank-dog because he thinks 70 degree weather is unbearably hot.
5. Fans switched to on.
6. Getting off work at 7pm, and able to see the sun go down.
7. Farmers Market runs.
8. Fresh fruit smoothies in the Vitamix!
9. Capri pants
10. Ending the day with a good book, relaxing on our porch swing.