Ten on Tuesday

As I sit down to write this, I'm thinking "WOW, is it really still Tuesday?" This has been one heck of a marathon day. We're in the thick of summer activities and that combined with just moving means I'm constantly doing something. It feels good to SIT for a minute between bedtimes and kick back for a few. I thought I'd participate in this weeks Ten on Tuesday, hosted by Carole.

The topic this week is: 10 Things You Like About Where You Live.

I love that I'm back in New England. I lived in Massachusetts for a while and then Connecticut when I married my husband and we had our firstborn boy. I've actually lived most of my adult life in New England and it truly feels like where I'm supposed to be now... finally. Whenever we're returning from long road trips to visit family, when we hit New England I feel like we're home even though we aren't quite. I'm pretty familiar with the entire region.

Maine has always been 'a part of the plan' for my husband and me. I'm glad that we stuck it out through the first rocky year of living here after moving away from our wonderful life in Iowa and that we're settling in once and for all. Time is starting to slow down just a little bit and we're settling in for the long haul. We're thrilled to be able to raise our boys here.

Here is my contribution to Ten on Tuesday... and some reasons why we love it here so much...

1. The clean air.... right in my neck of the woods it's particularly pine-y. We live in the foothills of the White Mountains. It's especially dense woods and the air is so clean here. It's also a prime recreation area so we always can smell the hint of a campfire. In the winter it's woodstoves. The air is just so clean here. I also love it because my son's allergies have significantly decreased since we moved to Maine.

2. The quiet. It doesn't take long to be 'in the middle of no where' in Maine. Traffic is minimal... even our small town (which is actually three neighboring towns) has three stop lights. It's a bustling town but 'traffic' is all relative. Drive out of town a little bit and you pretty much have the road to yourself. Plus, we're at least 45 minutes from the nearest interstate so there's no traffic noise. Actually, here at our new house we're far off the road and don't have any traffic. The only traffic we do hear is on the lake... boats, ski-doos, laughter. It's good traffic.

3. The lakes. Natural lakes. Crystal clear, abutting dense deep woods and granite cliffs. They're just so beautiful. There are so many small lakes around here -- I think on our last drive around the area we counted seven but there are so many more.

4. Being close to the ocean. We live about 90 minutes from our absolute favorite beach. We go as often as possible. Every time we do, we all just bubble up with glee.

5. Community. Out here in our small town, folks are VERY close-knit and while that has been a challenge to break in to, people are starting to warm up to us and welcoming us in to their community. We're happy to be a part of such a rich family environment.

6. Outdoor recreation. I love that no matter what time of year, people are outside having fun here. Outside recreation is the main focus at all times out here. We just LOVE that.

7. The ability to just be. People generally don't care what you're up to. They don't meddle, they just sort of let you be and expect to be left alone. I respect that.

8. The wildlife.... the birds, the loons, the moose, the occasional black bear, the porcupines, the howling coyotes, the family of wild turkeys. I love watching it all.

9. LOCAL FOOD!!! The local food market is not a fashionable, trendy thing here. Small farms are alive and thriving here... it's so wonderful to always have a bounty of local produce, dairy, meats, eggs, breads, seafood, younameit right here all the time. I don't take it for granted and try to buy as much local food as possible. The farmer's markets are great but there are a ton of farm stands so we generally just go to the farms themselves for our food. We're building relationships with the folks who are providing our food and I just love that!

10. I feel that New England is the knitting capital of the world. The knitting community is so rich here. So commonplace even. So many people knit that it's not even a big deal. But we're just absolutely spoiled having the best fiber festivals, local mills, farms, and very special yarn stores to visit. But not only that but major suppliers for the rest of the USA are based here in New England. This region is also rich with talented designers as well. It's overwhelming to me to feel like I'm at the center of the hobby that I love so much.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Places to Shop

1. Shaws - the more I spend there, the more I save on gas.... and with their discount card, I still save big bucks on groceries. The other day I saved 60 cents per gallon on a full tank of gas. It adds up.

2. Whole Foods - I don't get my big groceries there, but I always stop by if I'm around. I always pick up mangoes and whatever unique produce catches my eye. Recently I picked up some pansies that they had out front... they are my absolute favorite annuals this year and they smell amazing. They also have fantastic brick oven pizza and bakery cookies.

3. Halcyon Yarn - The local yarn superstore. It stocks lots of basic wools which are my favorite. Plus, it's BIG and stroller friendly. bonus! Also, the staff is huge, knowledgeable and very friendly -- and not just in a courteous way.

4. Speaking of friendly, I love shopping at Purl Diva so I can visit with Ellen, who most of the time is the person I actually converse the most with face to face other than my immediate family. I always kind of leave feeling embarrassed because I tend to rattle on to her about every detail of my life. She's like a bartender... keeps feeding the fine fibers and counsels as well. But seriously, Purl Diva has such a warm, intimate feel and it's literally bursting at the seams with the most wonderful yarns.

5. EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) - The best outdoor gear store around. Plus, their stuff is guaranteed for life. The zipper on Eric's EMS gore-tex coat had broken and we recently took it back there to have it repaired and even a decade later they hold true to their promise and fixed it for free. If it's not repairable -- they replace it. Plus, they repaired the sternum strap on our Kelty Kids backpack for free! Such awesomeness.

6. Target - It was just sort of the standard discount store in Iowa, but here they're few and far between. There is one in the Portland metro but I prefer to go a little farther north to the one in Topsham. There are no Super Targets out here, either.

7. LL Bean - the store. We live about 20 minutes from Freeport which is where LL Bean is based. They have a HUGE flagship store that is open 24/7. Their stuff is also guaranteed which is nice. I have always shopped by mail order... then the internet... with LL Bean and am thrilled to live so close. I love that I can go there at 2AM and shop if I want to (not that I do, but I could). Plus, they're really involved in the community and always are having events which is nice.

8. any thrift store I can find... for obvious reasons!

9. Pineland Farms - the best fresh produce and local cheese and so many more goodies!

10. Farmers' Markets - nothing beats locally grown produce, friendly faces, and sunny Saturday mornings with neighbors. Our area has a GREAT farmers' market. It's small and friendly. I can be in and out in a half hour if I want. The last time we went, I spoke to just about everyone there. Everyone is SO nice.

So there you have it. What's your 10?

Ten on Tuesday

My top ten least liked foods.

1. Mushrooms
2. Raw Oysters and Clams
3. Liver
4. White Chocolate
5. Pork chops
6. Sausage
7. Fast Food Hamburgers
8. Tuna
9. Lunchmeat
10. Artificial flavors

This one is tough for me... I like most food. As you can see there is a meat theme to my list. Meat is generally what can really turn off my taste buds. ...and White Chocolate. I don't know what it is, but I just can't stand the stuff.