My Winter Bucket List (2021)

Dec 21, 2020 – March 19, 2021 are the dates for this bucket list.

Since March we’ve been dealing with a pandemic and I didn’t do a lot of noteworthy, cool, or imaginative things. Most likely we’ll still be sheltering in place by the end of winter. Therefore, I want to have a handy list of things I can do to add sparkle, satisfaction, and connection to my Winter 2020-21 bucket list.

In fact, there are 80+ ideas. I know I won’t get even half completed. But I love having options. What’s on your Winter Bucket List?

Activities, Indoor

1. Movie marathon
2. Puzzle – 3 of them

Activities, Outdoor

1. Drive-In Movie
2. Snow Trip
3. Make a snowman

Beauty  

1. Mend socks
2. Moisturizer – esp for hair/scalp
3. Winter Makeup Style

Celebrate

1. New Year’s Eve/Day
2. Saint Patrick’s Day
3. Valentine’s Day

Clothing

1. Fuzzy, warm slippers
2. Matching PJ bottoms
3. Large Scarf

Connect

1. Make Cards
2. Singing – 2 times (virtual probably)

Create

1. Marble Spinners
2. Winter playlist
3. Scissor holders

Finances

1. 30 days of finances
2. One expense I am cutting out – no idea yet
3. No spend month

Food

1. Bacon Jam
2. Baked Alaska
3. Cakes – one new a month
4. Daily Kale smoothie – at least for a month
5. Gingerbread house
6. Hot Chocolate Bombs
7. Meringues with fruit compote
8. Orange recipe
9. Soup recipes – 3 new ones

Games

1. Game Night
2. Learn how to play Among Us
3. Pass the Parcel

Grand daughters

1. 2 birthday ideas
2. Art projects on Zoom
3. Dance Party
4. Game
5. Movie
6. Send a package
7. Tea Party

Health

1. I RISK I am going to take – no idea yet
2. 10,000 steps
3. Bidet
4. Fitbit
5. Keto recipes: breakfast, lunch, & dinner (4 each)
6. Better evening routine
7. Better morning routine
8. No food after 6pm
9. No electronics after 6 pm
10. Pilates tape

Home  

1. 12 tubs challenge – do 3 tubs
2. Composting genius
3. Cultivate seeds for late Spring planting
4. Finish my room
5. New photos in 2 turquoise and White frames
6. Patio planter
7. Replant from tall beds
8. Winter fire spot

Learn

1. Crochet – teddy bears
2. Juggling
3. Virtual class
4. Virtual tour

Movies

1. 1 comedy movie each month – 3 of them
2. 62 list
3. Movie Chat – 3 of them
4. Travel-related
5. Trilogy
6. Winter related

Read

1. Agatha Christie – 6 of these
2. Book Club books – 3 0f them
3. Bookshelf – 3 of them
4. New Testament
5. Prayer book – 3 of them
6. Tools of the Titans

 Volunteer

1. Deliver a meal
2. Foster Kittens
3. Improve skills for Cake 4Kids: 3 classes
4. One small way to make the world a better place – no idea yet
5. RAKs – 3 times
6. Read and implement “From Social Media to Social Ministry”

Write

1. Blog posts –  3 of them
2. Holiday Thank You cards
3. New Year’s Resolutions
4. Tea Experiment
5. Word Search

Your Turn . . . 

• What are a couple of my ideas that you’d like to try?
• What would you add to the list?
• Do you make bucket lists?

 Related Posts …

•   Bucket List Index
• Winter Bucket List 2011

Fun Fall Bucket List 2018

It’s time to have some fall fun.

To-do lists with time limitations help me get things done. This is even true for fun things. If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t get done. So I created a fun list of fall things to do. AKA Fun Fall Bucket List 2018. This year Fall is from Sunday, September 23- Friday, December 21.

If you were to make up a Fun Fall Bucket List, what categories would you include? My list is down below.

SEPTEMBER 23-30

1. Cook: Cheeseburger Soup and one other soup recipe
2. Create: Stained glass cross (Start)
3. Movies: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor.
4. Outings: Cemetery Tour (with PEP), and camping (with family)
5. Read: Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis Majors and Tender is the Night: a Romance by F. Scott Fitzgerald
6. Write: Publish two draft posts from my blog and plan #write31days series.

OCTOBER 1-31

1. Cook: Keto empanadas and one other diabetic-friendly recipe.
2. Create: Stained glass cross (Finish)
3. Moving It: A 5K fun walk with Mary
4. Movie: Big Fish
5. Outings: Corn maze (with PEP), and camping (with my daughter)
6. Read: The Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells and the following books on death: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande and Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O’Kelly
7. Write: Participate in #write31days. My topic is The Kindness Diary: Discovering RAK’s that Make a Difference

NOVEMBER 1-30

1. Cook: 2 new pumpkin, diabetic-friendly recipes. Check these out: 45 paleo pumpkin recipes.
2. Create: Stained glass cross (Finish) and make an advent chain. Advent is December 2 – December 24.
3. Gratitude Practice: Pumpkin as a Thanksgiving Medium
4. Moving It: A 5K fun walk with Mary
5. Movies: Beautician and the Beast, The Court Jester, Fun with Dick And Jane, and pick out Christmas movies to watch.
6. Outings: No clue yet. Any ideas for me?
7. Read: Living life as a Thank You : the Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude by Nina Lesowitz and The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan
8. Write: Publish four draft posts from my blog.

DECEMBER 1-22

1. Cook: 2 new diabetic-friendly recipes
2. Create: Snowman ornaments with family (yearly tradition – usually)
3. Movies: Holes, The Ultimate Gift, and 4 Christmas Movies
4. Outings: See Christmas Lights in Alameda with family
5. Read: 2 Christmas books, Kingdom of the Blind: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel  by Louise Penny, and A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children – Book 4/4) by Ransom Riggs
6. Write: Publish four draft posts from my blog.

As I finish each month, I will do a review of what I did and include photos. If you also make a list, be sure to come back and comment, so I can get enthused by your fun fall activities.

Your Turn . . . Do you regularly include fun things in your life? . . . How do you remember to do them? . . . Share some of your fun activities.

Related Posts . . . 

• 5 Reasons I Love Fall
• Best Things To Do This Fall 2015 – My Fall Bucket List
• Fall Bucket List (2011)
• Singles Thanksgiving Bucket List
• Bucket List Index

Follow Seven Principles to Make a Dream Doable

I am reading this book, finally after decades of it being on my to-read list. … I followed seven ideas to make this a reality.

Do you have a dream that you are actively achieving? Or, is the dream still in hibernation mode?

I am a bucket list maker. I have dreams in quite a few areas, including theological, cooking, and reading. I have things I want to do during specific seasons as in Summer. On my birthday, I write what I want to accomplish that birth year. I have more ideas than one person could complete in a lifetime. However, I am finally in pursuit of one dream that seemed impossible. At least it seemed impossible according to my original guidelines.

I began to learn Spanish when I lived in Puerto Rico for most of my middle school years. One of my teachers thrilled us with episodes from Don Quixote de la Mancha, to the extent I decided I wanted to read the 1,000-page book in Spanish. Even though I’ve had years of Spanish since then, my grasp of the Spanish is not yet advanced enough to read this adult classic (in Spanish).

“Mom,” my daughter said, “just because you used to know a lot of Spanish doesn’t mean you’re a failure if you can’t read Don Quixote in Spanish now.”

This year, my 60^th year, I decided to lay aside unrealistic expectations and make Don Quixote (DQ) the classic book I conquer. And to make this doable, I will read it in English. (In past years, I’ve read, in English, Anna Karenina, The Imitation of Christ, Moby Dick, and War and Peace, to name a few.)

For several months, I rummaged through thrift store shelves and garage sale piles for my very own copy of this classic, Don Quixote de la Mancha. I finally found a two-inch thick, paperback, in pristine shape for $1.99. I love a good deal, especially when buying things I don’t need.

And besides the bargain, I could check Step 1 off my list – Buy the book.

For Step 2, I cracked open the book to the Table of Contents to figure out a reading schedule. I became immediately daunted. Oh, no. This print is too small for me to read. ­

My daughter stepped in again, “Why don’t you go on Amazon and buy a large print edition?”

“Or,” I said, “I can get an e-copy, since I can control the print size on my Kindle.”

After an hour on Amazon, I still had not purchased an e-copy. There are at least 8 DQ versions for the Kindle. How do I pick the BEST version to read?  Too many choices are paralyzing.

I grabbed my ear buds and took a walk to clear my head. When I walk, I frequently listen to an audio book or podcast. After 30 minutes, I put away my headphones and house key. I wondered, Is there an Audible English version of DQ? I opened Audible on my phone to check. Yes, there was an English book. Without any more research, I clicked on this first entry and bought it.

I am now on chapter 72 of 126 chapters. I listen almost every day while I get in my daily steps. I am proud that I am finally tackling a long time dream because I modified it to fit my current lifestyle and skills.

Principles I learned from this process.

1. Choose a dream.
2. Make a list of steps from beginning to completion.
3. Identify expectations and remove the unrealistic ones.
4. Brainstorm (by yourself or with someone else) actions to achieve the steps.
5. Do necessary research. But don’t give yourself too many choices.
6. Choose a path that is doable for this stage of life. Realize that for most goals, there is no BEST path to achievement.
7. Start the process TODAY.

Your Turn . . . What is a longtime dream you’ve had, but keep pushing out of sight? Is there some way you can adjust it to fit your current lifestyle and skills? 

Let us know in the comments. And we can cheer each other on as we make our impossible dreams possible.

Related Posts . . .

• 13 Benefits of Reading
• 21 Things I Learned by Reading Individual Bible Books in One Sitting
• Did I Read 58 Books Last Year? Summary of My 58th Year Challenge
• Grateful 43 – Books
• How Good Books Aid in a Child’s Growth

Musicals I Saw During My 59th Year

This was one of my favorite musicals. It was athletically beautiful, and the story line was moving and encouraging.

These past several years, I’ve tried to do a yearlong project that equals my age. This helps me to remember how old I am. And it is a fun accomplishment. Some things I’ve done are as follows:

• One year I collected that number of Operation Christmas Child boxes. . . . My OPERATION Christmas Child Plan is to Collect 55 Shoe Boxes
• Twice I read that number of books. . . . Did I Read 58 Books Last Year? Summary of My 58th Year Challenge . . . and . . . Did I Reach My Goal of Reading 59 Books?  . . . Sometimes I do more than one yearlong challenge per year. . . . Sometimes I haven’t documented my accomplishments on this blog.

The year I turned 59 (2017), I challenged myself to watch 59 musicals. Facebook friends gave me 78 ideas. I had only seen 33/78. Not even a passing grade. Of course, there are more musicals than that, 100’s in fact.

So by combining the list from my friends and lists from the Internet, I came up with 59 choices. I created my Musicals Bucket List.

So did I actually watch 59 musicals last year? YES! In fact I ended up watching 67 of them! I watched the ones that were easy to find. They were at the library, on Amazon or Netflix, and on friends DVD’s. I even found one title at the thrift store (Funny Lady) for $1.00. This was a fun project! I feel so cultured now.

Keep reading to see what I watched.

1. 1776
2. 42^nd Stree
3. Across the Universe 
4. An American in Paris
5. Anchors Aweigh
6. Aristocats (with grand daughter)
7. Babes in Arms
8. Babes in Toyland
9. Barefoot in the Park
10. Beauty and the Beast (new Disney Movie)
11. Burlesque
12. Cabaret
13. Calamity Jane
14. Camelot
15. Carousel
16. Chicago
17.  Chorus Line
18. Dreamgirls
19. Duck Soup 
20. Easter Parade
21. Finian’s Rainbow
22. Flower Drum Song
23. Funny Lady
24. A Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum
25. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
26. Gigi
27. Guys and Dolls
28. Gypsy
29. Hair
30. Hairspray
31. Happy Go Lovely
32. Hello Dolly
33. High School Musical 1
34. High School Musical 2
35. High School Musical 3
36. High Society
37. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
38. Into the Woods
39. Jersey Boys
40. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (I saw this on stage with Cindy Jines.)
41. Kiss Me Kate
42. The Last Five Years
43. Little Shop of Horrors
44. Lili
45. Man of La Mancha
46. Mary Poppins (I saw this on TV with my grand-daughter)
47. Moana (I saw this on TV with grand-daughter and then with my church group)
48. Meet Me in St Louis
49. The Mikado
50. Newsies
51. Night and Day
52. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
53. The Pajama Game
54. Peggy Sue Got Married – DVD present from Pam Finney
55. The Producers
56. Rent!
57. Robin and the 7 Hoods
58. Second Chorus
59. Showboat
60. A Star is Born
61. State Fair 
62. Sweeney Todd
63. Swing Time
64. Taming of the Shrew
65. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
66. A Very Murray Christmas
67. Viva Las Vegas

I’d still like to see the following:

• Aida
• Evita
• La La Land
• Moulin Rouge! 
• Oliver! 
• On The Town 
• Otello
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show Library 

Your Turn . . . How many have you seen on this list?  . . . What would you add? . . .  Do you do birthday challenges?

Related Posts . . . 

• 78 Must See Musicals According to My Facebook Friends
• Grateful 4 Three – Musicals
• Musicals Bucket List – My 59th Year Challenge

Reading The ABC’s of My Bookshelves 2018

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

I have more books than anything else in my home. They are the hardest things for me to declutter. Since I really want and need to streamline my home, boxes (and boxes and boxes) of books need to relocate. But first, I want to read or re-read them.

 

• Have you read all the books on your bookshelves?
• Do you have any you want to reread?

My answers are “No” and “Yes.”

How do you pick which books to read?

I have so many that sometimes it is hard to choose which ONE book to read first. That is why I am creating The ABC’s of My Home Bookshelf list. At least I’ll narrow the list to 26 books. Below is my (tentative) list. As I read a book for that letter, I will bold the entry.

The ABC’s of My Home Bookshelves

1. Actual Factuals for Kids: with Verses From the Bible by Nancy S. Hill
2. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
3. Corelli’s Mandolin
4. Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar
5. Extraordinary Results from Ordinary Teachers by Michael Warden
6. Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest by Bonnie Gray
7. Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants by Louie Giglio
8. Hollow City (2^nd novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs 
9. The Invisible Bond: How to Break Free from Your Sexual Past by Barbara Wilson
10. J
11. Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis .
12. Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life  by Priscilla Warner
13.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
14. No Easy Jesus by Jason Mitchell
15. Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, And Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg
16. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
17. Q
18. The Right Attitude to Rain (An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery) by Alexander McCall Smith …
19. Switch On Your Brain by Dr Caroline Leaf
20. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
21. U
22. V
23. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
24. X
25. b              
26. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan

Your Turn . . . Have you read all the books on your bookshelves? . . . How do you pick what to read?

Related Posts – I’ve tried different things to narrow my reading choices.

• I participated in classic book reading groups: 6 Month Update: Classic Book Reading Plan for 2015
• I spent Two Augusts reading Austen books: Austen in August Reading Challenge 2015 and Austen in August Reading Challenge 2017.
• I created a bingo reading challenge: My 2016 BINGO Reading Challenge.

Reading Challenge for My 60th Year (2018)

These are some books from my bookshelf.

How do you improve yourself? 

• Take classes at the local college or online?
• Hire a personal trainer or coach?
• Participate in health or financial challenges with your mates?
• Regularly follow your morning and evening routines?
• Create and follow S.M.A.R.T. goals?

All if the above ideas are great ideas. But my favorite way to improve myself is by reading.

Below are 3 benefits of reading from my post, 13 Benefits of Reading,

1. ,Exposes us to novel ideas, actions, geography and people so that we become more culturally, emotionally, politically, and historically aware.
2. Clarifies difficult topics.
3. Gives us the opportunity to learn from the mistakes and wisdom of others.

Every year (around my birthday), I decide what reading challenges I will do that year. My reading challenges this year are as follows ..

• Read 2.018 minutes a month.
• Read 60 books from the library, friends, etc.
• Read the ABC’s from my own bookshelves. The list is here.
• Read books for my monthly book club.
• Read Don Quixote as part of my classics education.
• Finish Mrs Dalloway.
• Participate in the Austen in August Reading Challenge.
• Leave Amazon reviews for books of people I know.

If I add anything else to this reading challenge for my 60th birthday year, I will update this post.

Your Turn . . . What is on your reading list for this year?  . . .  What would you add to my list?

Related Posts . . . 

• Austen in August Reading Challenge 2017
• Follow Seven Principles to Make a Dream Doable 
• Reading to Know Classics Book Club 2015

40 Days Until 2018 – What Will You Do?

Can you believe that 2017 is almost over? Have you accomplished all that you’ve wanted to this year?

No matter your answer, you still have time to do ONE more thing. Here are some things I’d like to do.  . . .

• Create a list of what to do instead of social media
• Declutter my patio closet
• Declutter my trunk
• Declutter the rest of my Christmas decorations
• Do a session of once-a-month cooking
• Do something creative 5 times (once a week)
• Drink half my weight in water
• Finish a series on my blog that is incomplete
• Finish War & Peace
• Go to bed by 10 pm each night
• Go to the (apartment) gym 3 times a week
• Make a week’s worth of jar salads and have one a day
• No complaining
• Organize my Spain photos
• Perfect my morning routine
• Plant a bulb a day
• Practice Spanish
• Read and write 2 book reports
• Read the New Testament
• Read the Old Testament
• Rememorize I Corinthians 13
• Say “Yes” to more adventures
• Spend 5 minutes a day on my breathing
• Tell 40 people why they are special
• Walk 2 times a day
• Watch my Christmas videos
• Write in a gratitude journal
• Write in a laughter journal

Yikes! I have a lot on my list. Do you? I will narrow it down to three things for my personal life and for my work life. Criteria?

• What will most impact 2018?
• What will bring me the most satisfaction?
• What has been on the list the longest and is TIME to accomplish?

It just dawned on me that by crafting this list, I have already done item #1 – Create a list of what to do instead of social media.

While I would LOVE to accomplish all of the above, I will do the following personal things . . . Finish War & Peace . . . Practice Spanish – Complete an advanced course through Udemy . . . Declutter.

And I will do the following for work . . .  Read and write 2 book reports . . . Read the Old Testament . . . Rememorize 1 Corinthians 13.

 Your Turn . . .  Create your to-do item(s) for the next 40 days. Share what you’ll do. 

Related Posts . . . 

• 9 Ways Chronically Ill/Injured People Benefit from a To-Do List
• even sickies need a to-do list
• How Realistic is Your To-Do List? Are You Doing What’s on God’s To-do List?
• Live in the Day: a To-Do List
• Making a Movie of Completing Your To-Do Makes it Photo-Journalism
• Use a Declutter To-Do List

 

Table Top S’mores for National Toasted Marshmallow Day

I hope you celebrate this day in as fun a fashion as we did.

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Hurray! Or it would be hurray, if I could celebrate it in style. How do you celebrate in style?

You celebrate in style by making s’mores. This is an easy thing to do IF you have a BBQ. I don’t. But I do have Pinterest and it comes with lots of ideas.

And one idea was a how to on making s’mores over a clay pot BBQ. That’s the ticket! And happy for me, making s’mores is on my End-of the-Summer Bucket List!

A short shopping trip ensued to buy the BBQ supplies and to personalize our s’mores as my daughter is gluten intolerant.

Step 1. Take the sticky label off the bottom of your clay pot & saucer.

Cookie Ingredients

• Schär Honeygrams  – a gluten-free, honey kissed cookie cracker
• Marshmallows – You can find dairy-free ones (we don’t have to anymore!)
• Lindt Excellence Chocolate, A Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate bar

I bought all these items at WalMart.

If you have your own BBQ, stop reading! Get to making your s’mores. However, if you need some way to make your s’mores, read on for the supply list and picture tutorial.

 

Step 2. Foil line the pot.  Poke a hole in the bottom so there is air flow.

BBQ Supplies

• One 4″ clay pot and saucer per person – The pot was $0.77 and the saucer was $0.73.
• Briquettes – Some brands have gluten, so check your bag if this is a concern.
• Tinfoil
• Firelighter
• Bricks to put on TV tray

My daughter cooked her marshmallows with her clay pot BBQ on the ground (in our patio). I wanted more comfort so I cooked my marshmallows on a brick-lined TV tray.

PICTURE TUTORIAL — STEPS 1-2 ARE ABOVE. — STEPS 3-7 ARE BELOW.

Step 3. Fill the pot with briquettes. After I took this photo, I took out some of the briquettes. I put this many in to be dramatic.

Step 4. Light it up! Our BBQ’s had plenty of good flames for roasting right away. After about 5 minutes all the coals were nice and toasty.

Step 5. Assemble all the supplies. NOTE: We used a wooden skewer. Obviously this can be a fire hazard, so copy this idea at your own risk.

Step 6. Here I am roasting TWO marshmallows even though only one will fit on the cracker sandwich. The 2nd one is for eating right off the skewer!

Step 6b. Yes, they are alight! I like my marshmallows charred. How about you?

Step 7. Assemble your s’more. Isn’t this a thing of beauty?!

Another photo of a marshmallow on fire! One s’more and a couple of charred marshmallows made for a perfect dessert.

Your Turn . . .  Did you know that today (August 3oth) is National Toasted Marshmallow Day? How will you celebrate it? … Will you make your own tabletop s’mores? Let me know, if you have some suggestions. … Toast your own marshmallows and post on social media at #NationalToastedMarshmallowDay.

Related Posts . . . 

• Chocolate Orange Chia Pudding
• How to Make Chocolate EXTRACT in Your Kitchen  
• S’mores Pie Is a Good Substitute When You Can’t Fire-Roast Your Own Marshmallows (recipe included)

Simplicity Day Reminds Us of the “Simple” Life

Today is #National  Simplicity Day. When was the last time you looked to simplify your life in terms of goals, balance, meaning, and social media?

Answer the questions below to get you started on this reflection.

• How balanced is your life between the various areas like sleep, work, and recreation?
• Are you spending quality time with the important people in your life and on projects that advance you towards your goals/dreams?
• Is your spiritual life a relationship that you cultivate?

GOALS

One of my goals for this summer is to finish unfinished projects. And one of these projects is decluttering. Yesterday, with the help of my daughter, I went through ALL of my clothes. I tried on everything and only kept what I really liked or loved. The rest is in the give-away pile.

I have given myself a month to mend (mainly shorten) the clothes that need it. Otherwise they, too, will be given away. And after a month, I will check to see what I’ve actually worn. My tentative goal is to do something like Project 333.

I still need to do more work in my closet. I am surprised at how many non-clothes items are in there. I am also surprised at how many scarves I have. Tons, I tell you, tons!

“My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants.” ~ J. Botherton

BALANCE

I tend to work too much. As a result I neglect the important people in my life. That is one reason I wrote a Summer Bucket List. I want to make sure I have friend-balance in my life. So far this summer I have done well with having “dates.” Read #4 for an update.

These non-romantic times have been fun. I’ve eaten, chatted, walked, viewed vacation photos, and crafted. It may seem weird to some to have to schedule in dates, but I am finding that works for me.

MEANING

One thing that gives meaning to my life is a relationship with God. I want to and need to spend daily time reading and meditating on Scripture. I need to and want to spend time talking and listening to God. And finally I need to and want to spend time at church and with the people of the church. This type of focus keeps me maturing and balanced.

Also to add meaning to my life, I am thinking about what’s important to me. I am listening to an audiobook, Thrive. Arianna Huffington wants us to consider four areas to get back to living a life that counts: wonder, giving, wisdom, and wellness. I want to focus on these as well.

Joelle from 21 Delights wrote a list (of 21 things) that brings meaning to her life. Her top 10 are as follows … her husband … her children … her relationship with the Divine … Her extended family … witnessing goodness … life stories … friendship … solitude … Music … and art. Go here to read the complete list and post about why she wrote it.

I haven’t written such a list yet. What would your list include? What do you want to do more of? Less of? Read how a STOP DOING list is helpful.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media use can, at times, consume way too much of my time. I go on for just a quick minute. And then an hour later I am still on there. I want to and need to declutter that area of my life, too.

 It’s good practice to look at your social media use the way you would closets full of stuff. Ask yourself: Am I using social media intentionally or out of habit? What benefits does it bring me, what are the trade-offs, and do I need to change anything? If I cut back on social media, how else do I want to use that time? ~ Ellen from Simplifying at Home: Living Better with Less

In conclusion, in honor of National Simplicity Day I am reading a real book and not something from social media. I am reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. He was an advocate for living a life of simplicity. If you’ve read this book, what are your take-aways?

Your Turn . . .  How “simple” is you life? . . .  Where would you like to make a change in the areas of GOALS, BALANCE, MEANING and/or SOCIAL MEDIA?

Related Posts . . . Check out the article that was the brainchild of this post: NATIONAL SIMPLICITY DAY from the National Day Calendar website.

Half Way Through Summer Bucket List 2017 Review

Summer is halfway done – Here is my half-way review. After the number is my bolded goal for the 10 weeks of summer vacation.

This is one of my kindness rocks. I painted messages on five rocks. After I seal them, I will place them around town for strangers to find.

ONE. Craft 10 times. During these 5 weeks, I worked on four projects. I probably spent 10 sessions on them combined.

1. I finished a felt patriotic wreath.
2. I painted 5 kindness rocks.
3. I created a HUGE birthday sign.
4. I made Sun light prints with my daughter and granddaughter. These did not turn out at all. I will do some investigating and try it again.

I have SURPASSED my goal.

 TWO. Do 6 coaching sessions. 

• I coached three ladies and the sessions went well. We’ll meet at least once more.
• I had a request from a young adult and we will meet up soon.
• And I used coaching techniques with two others in a more informal manner.

I am on target with my goal.

THREE. Finish 6 unfinished tasks/projects (aka UFP’s). 

• I made nasal rinse …
• I ordered vitamin c powder. …
• I paid for my car registration and ordered a new key fob.
• I decluttered in my bathroom, over my microwave, and one dresser.

So I did five items on my to-do list. I am doing well in this area.

Camping was a great way to spend lots of time with the (adult) kiddos and the grand-kiddos. And I got to read as well.

FOUR. Have 6 dates. I had 10 distinct friend/family dates. I made a HUGE effort to connect. I enjoyed it and I feel more emotionally FULL.

• I camped.
• Five of the dates involved lunch or dinner.
• Three dates were spectator-oriented (vacation photos, Music in the Park and fireworks).
• And two dates were all about projects – finishing up or planning future ones.

I’d say I have SURPASSED my goal.

FIVE. Lose weight. I have lost five pounds but then I put it back on again. So I have failed in this area.

• But I have done WELL in my daily walking goal. I am on track with 10,000 daily steps.
• My next goal is to get 15, 000 daily steps. I want to be in good walking shape for when I go to Spain in the late Fall.

 SIX. Read 6 books. Exceeded GOAL. I have changed up my list. Some I haven’t started. I’ve added others. And some are off the list all together. So far I have read 8 books and listened to one.

1. The Eden Prophecy by Graham Brown
2. Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain & Do Everything Better by Wendy Suzuki, PhD
3. The Chalk Pit (Ruth Galloway series #9) by Elly Griffiths
4. A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson
5. 16th Seduction (Women’s Murder Club) by James Patterson
6. The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
7. Glitter and Glue: A Memoir by Kelly Corrigan
8. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak  (audio book from Library)
9. TED Talks Storytelling: 23 Storytelling Techniques from the Best TED Talks by Akash Karia

I may not have done any Spanish, but I figured out how to make a birthday special. I created a huge card and paired it with a flock of flamingos from the dollar store.

SEVEN. Study Spanish 3 hours a week for 10 weeks. TOTAL BUST. I have not done anything towards this goal.

 EIGHT. Watch 5 musicals. I have watched 4 musicals. Two musicals on my original list will not be watched. I am definitely on track.

• All That Jazz – Didn’t care for the storyline, so I didn’t watch the whole thing
• Finian’s Rainbow – watched
• Flower Drum Song – watched
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – watched
• Oliver! – Didn’t watch yet as I want to read the book first.
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever – watched

Out of the eight areas, I am on track or exceeded goal in six.

• I am a total bust in one area.
• And I am so-so in another area.

I still have 5 more weeks to go. And I am encouraged by how much fun and productive this Summer has already been. Keeping tabs like this is a sure-fire way for me to accomplish the necessary and fit in the fun.

Your Turn . . .  How is your summer coming along?

Related Resource . . . Summer 2017 Bucket List

5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: More Gratitude

When I choose a thankful outlook, I can  have freedom from negativity’s grip.

What do you think everyone ought to have on their bucket list?  I think having activities that cause personal growth are key. Thus I have written this series.

• Sunday’s post was an introduction to this series.
• Next Sunday’s post is about Loving God Better.
• Today’s post (Tuesday) is about incorporating MORE GRATITUDE into life.

Do you have a gratitude practice? Having an ongoing, grateful attitude lessens the strangle-holds from fear, worry, and pessimism. We are then free to choose peace, positivity, and proactive actions. It is no secret that practicing gratitude is good for your health, your relationships, and your success.

Related Internet Articles. 

• Can Gratitude Improve Health? . . . The Health Effects of Gratitude
• Why Gratitude is Good
• Gratitude Can Change Your Life

How to do this . . . 

ONE. Participate in internet memes like Friday’s Fave Five. In this weekly post you share five things from the previous week for which you are grateful. Doing this mental exercise helps you focus on the good. This is especially helpful when it has been a tough or even just a blah week. Did you know that you get a mood boost by READING such a list others write? So double for your effort: write your own list and then read the lists of others.

TWO. Write in a gratitude journal: daily, month end recaps, or whenever the mood strikes. Many people end their day by writing down 3 good things from their day. For Lent one year I wrote in a gratitude notebook every night before bed. Read  my post on 3 Benefits of Month-Long Gratitude-Fest.

THREE. Photograph  your gratitude. Join others in a year long journal of photographing a daily blessing. Or be like me and do a month-long photographic journal of blessings. At the bottom of this post are links to the photos I took.

FOUR. Read up on the subject. Especially find out how practicing gratitude benefits your life. I have a small library of books on gratitude. Here is one link, Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss – a book review. There are at least 3 other books that have made a huge impact on me. I will do a review on these soon. Check out this link: 11 Children’s Books to Instill an Attitude of Gratitude.

FIVE. Hang around others who have a grateful spirit. Do you know someone like that? Interview them to find out the why and how of their gratitude practice. Make it a point to let their gratitude outlook rub off on you.

SIX. Look for mentors from books who have “gratitude” attitudes. One book on my list is Pollyanna. But on further reflection, does she exhibit gratitude or a positive attitude? I need to reread this book to find out more clearly. I asked friends to chip in with their ideas and below are some of their answers.

• Anne Shirley in “Anne of Green Gables”
• Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tiny in “A Christmas Carol”
• Celie in “The Color Purple”
• Charlie in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
• Jamie Sullivan in “A Walk To Remember”
• Sam Gamgee in “Lord of the Rings”
•  Can you list any other characters that fit this criteria?

For some of the above and others from the original list, I need to go back and (re)read the books to determine if it is gratitude at work or positivity. I think this would be a good project for me. I will report back on my conclusions.

Your Turn . . .

1. Are you a grateful person? How do you keep that as an ongoing trait? What are some of the benefits?
2. What would you add to this list?
3. What will you add into your life to help you notice and express the good in life more often?

Related Fruitful Words posts . . . 

• 8 Different Ways to Express Gratitude
• Choosing Gratitude And Why It Matters
• Gratitude Letter Writing Project

5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List

A thankful outlook gives us freedom from negativity

I LOVE bucket lists. It’s fun to brainstorm about what to try, where to go, etc. Making such a list helps me to be more life-focused. And because my life is more focused on what I DO want, I am more thankful. Which means I am also less negative and aimless.

But as much fun and purpose-driven a bucket list is, I don’t want it to be all about ME and MY experiences even though it is MY bucket list.

I want my bucket list to be a force for good                                                 and to cause me to grow.

There are 5 things I think that should be on every bucket list.  The posts in this series are below. As the post goes live, I will hot-link the title.

• Introduction
• 5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: More Gratitude
• 5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: Love God Better
• 5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: Love People Better
• 5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: Love Myself Better
• 5 Items to Include on Every Bucket List: Love My Enemy Better

I will share a post each Sunday and Tuesday.

Your Turn . . . Do you include items on your bucket list that cause you to grow and/or are a force for good? Share some ideas.

Related Posts . . . 

• 4 Items On Post Retreat Bucket List
• Apostle Paul’s Bucket List
• Summer 2017 Bucket List

See you on Sunday!