Thinking of a "Bucket List"

     Tom and I finally got around to watching "The Bucket List" Saturday night. Yeah, I know we're a little behind the times, but that's nothing new.

     I thought the movie was a tad contrived, predictable, and corny in places, but the overall theme is a good one to set you thinking about what you would like to do before you "kick the bucket." 

     A season or two ago Ellen DeGeneres promoted "life lists" - more or less the same thing, but with an optimistic spin to it that I like ("life" versus "kick the bucket" - don't you agree?) She inspired me to jot a few things down; I had forgotten about my list until I watched this movie, and had to dig through several folders on my computer to find it.

    I was actually able to scratch a few things off!  What a great feeling because day after day I feel like I'm running as fast as I can without getting anywhere. Seeing a handful crossed out makes me hopeful that I can cross off a few more before I kick the bucket in my lifetime.

     So here's my list...I've added a few things to it; I don't include things like "laugh till I cry", "make a difference in someone's life," or "witness something spectacular" like the list in the movie - those are daily goals for me, not life goals...

     Wish me luck, and good luck on your own list!

1. start back to college
2. get a set of drums  (Happy Anniversary from Tom a few years ago)
3. learn to play the drums
4. have varicose vein surgery (a birthday present to myself)
5. get my Bachelor's degree
6. visit Stonehenge
7. go back to Venice and ride in a gondola
8. visit Ireland, England, and Germany with Tom (where the Shallue's came from, where Tom was born, and where he lived until he was about seven)
9. go to Disneyworld (I'm one of only a handful of adults who have never been!)
10. trace each family line out of America and write their stories
11. finish writing my book Winston and have it published
12. see the Giant Redwood Forest
13. visit New York City (I've been in London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Innsbruck and Madrid...but not NYC!)
14. help each of our kids get through college (Tommy, Daniel, Kendall)
15. finish our house
16. visit a pyramid
17. go to Hawaii
18. visit Kodiak, Alaska (and the rest of it while we're there) with Tom (he was stationed there in the Coast Guard in the late '70's)
19. ride the Hill Country Flyer  (Happy Birthday from Tom last year)
20. write my screenplays (two ideas I have so far)
21. become an expert on (or at least learn more about) my Nikon camera
22. see my book collection filling bookshelves rather than boxes