13 things to do by 40 update

Ok, So I am now 41...  but I have crossed a few more things off the list!

1.            Go through everything I own and purge myself of the things I either don't need or want anymore. Donate what is in good shape and could be useful to someone else – COMPLETE

2.            Run a 5k fun run event

3.            Hire a convertible for a summer weekend road trip

4.            Go to the opera - COMPLETE

5.            Pay off my personal loan

6.            Read 10 more books from the BBC’s top 100 – in progress

                                       i.    Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

                                      ii.    The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

                                     iii.    Dune - Frank Herbert

                                     iv.    Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

                                       v.    Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

                                     vi.    The Color Purple - Alice Walker

                                    vii.    Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

                                   viii.    Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

                                     ix.    Middlemarch - George Eliot

                                      x.    Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

7.            Have a ‘boudoir’ photo shoot

8.            Swim with dolphins – COMPLETE

9.            Grow my own herbs – COMPLETE

10.          Do a cooking class – COMPLETE

11.          Graciously accept compliments – COMPLETE

12.          Have golf lessons – COMPLETE

13.          Have a makeup lesson – COMPLETE

14.          Have a wardrobe assessment and shopping trip with a stylist* – COMPLETE

15.          Take art class** – COMPLETE

*Replacement for #5. Purchasing new home rules out completing #5 in the timeline.

** Just in case my hip stops me running the fun run (though I would like to still walk it at least!) I have a back up activity

COMPLETE

IN PROGRESS

TO START

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Chinese

I am not very musical.  I have no tone or rhythm.  And I often sit at home in silence rather than play music.

But some songs are just beautiful.

This is one of my favourites.

I hope you enjoy it.

For Mum

Some of my favourite Mum memories (though I don't know if she even reads this blog!)


Laughing so much together when we went to Disneyland with Gael and Beth.


When you told me about a guy chatting you up in a bar and you not knowing what to do.


Having your 'family' 60th at the zoo.


Going shopping with you.


How stylish you always look.


How people gravitate towards you at a party.


Your hugs.


xx

For Dad

I think you (and maybe Kathy) are the only ones who check this blog.  Possibly because I write in it so regularly??


Since this blog tends to be looking at the past...  perhaps some favourite 'Dad' memories?

Going to the footy and you giving me $2 for a pastie for me and a pie and pastie for you.  And you trying to teach me that if I saved the change I could buy something really good instead of spending it on lollies that were gone in minutes.

Sitting on the front of the boat with you singing 'I am sailing' at the top of your voice.

You singing 

"day-ay-ay-o"

Do you know I never remember you singing any other lines!

Going floundering in the middle of the night with you, Moo and Bill.

Having to go to the loo and get food in the time it took you to fill the car with petrol and pay for it - cos you hated stopping.  I get that from you!

You singing to Milo.  Milo the wonderdog.

Watching you with your grandkids.  Stopping them crying as if by magic.


The way you make everyone feel loved and important.

Notice how many of these involve you singing.  Your singing always makes me smile.  I got my singing ability from you too.

Writing this made me smile.  Maybe I should write a 'favourite Mum memories' blog too.

:)

Life is good.  I have so much to be grateful for!

I did a mental 'wheel of life' activity last night and I have to say that there are very few areas of my life i am not really happy with - and those few remaining areas I am happy that I have plans to brin the into line too.

That is the first time ever I have had such great 'scores' on so many areas of my life.

Oh and I tried not to let the fact that I was sitting on the beach looking over the bay on a balmy Autumn evening influence my assesment!

Michael Moor: "Capitalism - a love story"

I saw this film last night and it creates an interesting set of emotions.

If it was about Australia I would be taking action. 

But my understanding is that Australia is much more tightly regulated...  I hope I am not wrong.

So what I feel is indignation on behalf of another country.

What do you do with that feeling?  Do people in the USA want other people to feel angry on their behalf?  Should I be looking into my own country - I can be naive at times about how good/bad we actually have it over here.

Interesting.

13 things to do update

This is a tough decision I have made, but I really didn't like the alternatives...


Due to financial limitations I am going to extend my 13 things to do deadline until the end of my 40th year - July 2011.


I would rather do that than get into debt to complete the list, change most of what is left to cheap/free activities instead of ones I really want to do or just not complete the list.