It’s been a productive week here on the home front. I’ll update my “101” list in a minute, but first, a message of “what I’m learning through the process.”
I’ve decided that accomplishing these things — any things, for that matter — force me to come face-to-face with fears in my life. I’m not a fearful person by nature. But it’s funny … you put a challenge before a person, and suddenly they have to “put up or shut up,” you know? Even something as simple as riding a motor cycle again after a year, or learning a new piece of machinery.
I’ve now been at this whole seizing what I want to do by the horns and simply doing it for about four weeks. I’m doing things now that I never thought I would. some look a bit differently than I thought. But still, I’m seeing progress. And more importantly than that, I’m feeling oddly … empowered? With every next thing I accomplish, everything else seems a bit more achievable. It’s been good for me. At least, so far.
OK, here goes the updates:
My 101 in 1001 (from Monday, April 23, 2012 – January 5, 2015)
1. Finish the book I’m writing
2. Let my “writing friend” read it; gather feedback from the friend who is already looking at the first draft of what I have.
3. Compete a “Couch-to-5-k” program. (finishing week 4 tomorrow! And Bruce is on week 2)
4. Run a 5K! (We’re shooting for the “Santa Shuffle” in December here in Lapeer!)
5. Lose 10 lbs. (down 6 …)
6. Lose 10 more lbs.
7. Lose 10 more lbs.
8. Lose 10 more lbs.
9. Lose 10 more lbs.
10. Lose 10 more lbs. to obtain 60 lb. goal
11. Catch up scrap-booking — either physical books, on-line collages (on picassa) or throw insignificant photos away!
12. Graduate child #3 (Ethan) from home school (May -2014)
13. Train trip to Seattle with Aubree (scheduled this June/July)
14. Help with a family wedding …
15. Another camping trip with family for Dad
16. Move Dad into our house
17. Visit the rest of the US States: Maine, New Hampshire; Connecticut; Rhode Island; Alaska; Hawaii
18. Make home-made flavored crackers
19. Teach girls (and boys, if they want) how to can tomatoes
20. Learn how to operate zero-turn lawn mower (I did it today — 5/19 — and will be helping out regularly with it)
21. Re-learn how to hit a softball (honestly, I can’t hit anything anymore!)
22. Read through entire “Common Prayer” book
23. Get at least 2 more tattoos (I already know what I want …)
24. Travel across Canada by Amtrak
25. Take a basic drawing class @ Mott
26. Publish “at least” one article/story/etc.for $$$
27. Publish “at least” one photo for $$$
28. Learn to make home-made mozzarella
29. Clean and organize basement storage room (got a head start on this one … almost done!)
30. Write a letter and mail it once a week, every week (so far, so good … but I am counting e-mails that are to specific people with specific purpose of encouraging them)
31. Make home-made bread at least 1x a week, every week (I tried some “simple” break tonight — good taste, rough texture. But it’s my first attempt at “artisan” bread)
32. Out West trip for Ethan’s Sr. year
33. Visit New Orleans
34. Take Aubree (and whomever else in family can attend) to Harry Potter World
35. Learn to French Braid
36. Make a ring
37. Make “from scratch” pasta on a regular basis (bought a pasta machine @ a garage sale for $5 5/11/12)
38. Design and build wind chimes “cool” enough to be given as gifts
39. Build outdoor bread/pizza oven
40. Grow and maintain a successful herb garden
41. Read at least one book a month and write a review for Helium, blog, or other source (finished May’s book yesterday. Haven’t written the review yet … this week)
42. Make home-made vanilla extract (switch to using it all the time) (it’s “brewing” and will be ready in four more weeks)
43. Make home-made caramel sauce (switch to using all the time)(easiest thing in the world!)
44. Make homemade condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.) and switch to using all the time
45. Learn to knit socks (from my friend, Melanie!)
46. Get another motorcycle (we are already looking…) (bought a fabulous ’97 Shadow Spirit YESTERDAY — it’s good to be back on a bike!!!)
47. Make home-made body butter and lotion
48. Learn to play “Blackbird” and “She talks to angels” on the guitar (Thinking about “Margaritaville” too)
49. Sell some old Victrola records we don’t listen to for extra $$$
50. Make MI History book (and others I have from Grandpa) to Lansing bookshop with Dad for appraisal.
51. Get Grandpa’s coins appraised in Lapeer
52. Learn to make skirts for girls (bought my material …)
53. Make all pajama pants for Christmas from here on out
54. Make Christmas ornaments for kids and others from now on
55. Try at least 1 new thing from pinterest and blog about it each week (I’m tired of just collecting stuff; I want to DO some of the cool stuff I see) (I’m doing this weekly …)
56. Re-finish dresser
57. Micro-roast coffee at least once
58. Vacation with friends
59. Visit my friends up North at least twice a year (They came down this weekend! Now it’s my turn to head North …)
60. Write Dad’s book
61. Make home-made butter all the time
62. Visit/tour Memphis TN
63. Visit/tour Austin TX
64. Meet Anthony Bourdain
65. Convert old picture CDs to computer to storage hard drive
66. Finish cleaning out/organizing Kara’s room (she’s home now & has taken over)
67. Finish cleaning out/organizing Wesley’s room
68. Covert family videos to CD & store on long-term storage
69. Learning to sync my ipod myself and update regularly (there is soooo much good music I have yet to discover and own!) (created my “running” playlist Wednesday! It’s not as tough as I thought …)
70. Call my dad at least once a week (right now, I’m so inconsistent) (just celebrated his 84th birthday with him here yesterday!)
71. Organize my curriculum for the classes I teach (it’s always in disarray this time of year) and KEEP IT ORGANIZED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR!
72. Plant seeds and start my seedlings for the garden (that’s a “today” project!)
73. Keep a food journal for “at least” one month (I’ve started this 100 times … May June 2012 is my projected attempt to actually DO it!)
74. “At least” once a month go somewhere I go all the time, but take a different route and see what I find! (I have been doing that … it’s fun, and like a mini-adventure … I’ll start posting some of the photos from my wanderings)
75. FINISH THIS LIST BEFORE THE FIRST OF MAY, June 2012! (finally completed 5/8/2012)
76. Eat at a world-class restaurant
77. Make a cheese press & make “real” cheese
78. Test drive a mustang
79. Try acupuncture
80. Take a week-long tech hiatus (no TV, no computer, no phone)
81. Get our will done
82. Milk a cow
83. Make homemade tamales
84. Learn to geocache
85. Go see a Tiger’s game
86. Take a cooking class
87. Redo my bedroom (not the painting – I love that)
88. Learn to spin
89. Paint a “real” picture
90. Try a “crazy” food on the 100 most unusual food list
91. Buy my sewing machine!
92. Take a cake decorating class with the girls
93. Perfect my pie making skills (I bought a pastry sock today … hopefully that will make me love pie crust more)
94.Make homemade pickles — dill and bread and butter
95.Write a family cookbook (I have the bones of one, but do a “real” one)
96. Learn to tie a tie and a bow tie
97. Say “yes” whenever I can! To opportunities, to experiences, to adventure! (practicing … good way to overcome your fears!)
98. Make chocolate bacon!
99. Return to making weekly menus — saves time and $$$ (this week …)
100. Get my back worked on by chiropractor (fix the year-old problem)
101. Do my first pieced quilt (even if it’s a lap quilt)
Hobo Bone 
I can find you a cow to milk; Bob’s brother owns a dairy farm in Metamora!
WTG on the 6 lbs. lost!
How about a trade? Family portraits for an opportunity to milk a cow!
Just an fyi. You can’t take Amtrak across Canada. Amtrak is a US company. Canada’s counterpart is called Via.
Well that makes sense! You know, we silly Americans … thinking we “own” everything! Thanks for the heads up … it will making searching for tickets a whole lot easier!