I May Be Uncool, But I'm High Maintenance, Too. Tuesday Ten!

Bryan and I lived in a roach-infested, cinder block, ancient, 4th floor-no elevator apartment for three years. Including when I was pregnant with Phoenix.  That time in our lives showed us that we don't "need" a whole heck of a lot to live a happy life.

However, there isn't anything wrong with really, really liking to have some things.

This week's Tuesday Ten is "Things I Can't Live Without".  Or things that I would prefer not to live without. Or things that keep this train chugging. Or things that help me stay sane. Any of those titles will do.

1. As I sit here shivering, I must say my pink fluffy robe.  It is currently upstairs, which is dumb, seeing as how it isn't doing me any good up there. Normally, it is on my person every waking moment that I am home from approximately Oct. 15 through April 24. It only gets washed on those rare 50 degree winter days, soooo...maybe once a year.

2. My Eddie Bauer Puffy Coat.  If you doubt me, that link takes you to the Love Story I wrote about it.

3. My pillow.  While not as old as my Eddie Bauer Puffy Coat, it's pretty old.  I know.  I KNOW I am supposed to replace it on a regular basis.  But honestly, why the heck would I get rid of it just when it's getting to that perfect state of wonderful?  I keep multiple pillow cases on it and wash those frequently, so the pillow isn't that bad, is it?

4. My mud room. We lived ON A FARM for 7 and a half years without a mud room.  Everything, including chicken waterers covered with chicken poop and wellies covered in chicken poop and pig poop and farm shoes covered in dog poop trudged into my kitchen.  Granted, the kitchen was in horrible shape, and every day I am even more grateful for the new kitchen, (well, newish. It's been two years.)but it's the mud room I don't ever want to live without.

Full disclosure:  This was taken when it was new.  Picture it with more dirt, more things NOT in the cubbies, and just more stuff in general.

5. My Kindle.  I know all you die-hard, gotta-be-a-real-book folks out there don't understand it.  I get it!  I used to be one of you!  Until Bryan gave me one.  And as with the puffy coat, he knew what he was doing.  I've had it for years now, and whenever I have to read a paper book, I get annoyed. No joke. I don't ever lose my page!  I can eat with two hands, because I don't have to use one hand to hold the book open. It takes up barely any room, so I can carry it in my purse all day, and I don't have to lug a hundred pounds of pages on vacation. If I finish a book, all I have to do is download another one. No matter where I am.

6. My phone. I can't believe I'm even saying this, but it has become an important piece of equipment.  While I enjoy Instagram and getting on the internet, and the maps and email make life easier, it's really because of my ability to stay in contact with people that I chose this. I text and call people all the time. When something funny happens, I can tell any one of my kids, my parents, my relatives, or my friends all over the world in a matter of seconds. I can ask someone how she's doing. I can set up a breakfast with a friend. I can wish someone a happy birthday.

7. My vacuum cleaner. I went through several vacuum cleaners in a relatively short amount of time. A couple of days before Buttercup's First Communion, when loads of people would descend on our house, yet another vacuum blew up. I had had enough. I went out and splurged on a Dyson. Hands down, it was the best vacuum purchase EVER! Seven years later, it's going strong, sucking up all the filth and food my progeny deposit on every floor.

8. My Dixie Chopper. This is no regular riding lawn mower. It's fast. It's big. Not only does it mow our 7 acres in just a few hours, I can use it to haul wood and rocks and gas tanks.  Plus, it works like a charm when I need to drag a dead pig out to the back pasture.

9. My deep freeze. Can't imagine where I'd put 300 pounds of pork, fruit and veggie pies for the chickens, extra veggies from the garden, and extra meals I sometimes prepare without that behemoth in the basement.

10. My new washer and dryer. For almost two years, we lived with a washer that couldn't spin our clothes. We were ringing them out before putting them in the dryer. A dryer that was on its last spins anyway.  It took hours and hours to get our clothes dry. There was constantly a backup in the hampers.  I'm happy to report, NOT ANYMORE! I can wash every article of clothing in the house in half a day. Which means a serious backup of clean clothes on and around the couch that need folded, but at least those clothes are clean!

Wow. Looking this list over, I have to wonder..."When did I get so uncool?"

The kids would answer, "You never were cool."

Bryan would agree.

I'd retort, "Says the man who wore velcro-fly shorts through high school."

And then I'd realize they are right.  I never was cool.  If I were, I wouldn't have married a man who wore velcro-fly shorts through high school.

So be it.

What would you put on your list of things you don't want to live without?

To see what others thought, feel free to head over to Lisa's!

Have a lovely day!