2012 list

Here is a brief sketch of my revised my goals for 2012. Although good outcomes are great (like losing weight), I'm going to try to focus on the behaviors behind desired things. It makes it easier since some things (like Spanish proficiency) are hard to measure.

Self:   
     Spanish--almost daily take time to read novels, listen to internet lessons, watch movies, or study vocab
     piano--have one hymn or song at all times to practice daily
     exercise--move in some form at least 5-6 days/week for 30 minutes
     diet--whole grains, fruits, and veggies; watch sugar intake

Home and family:
     continue to organize and fix up/replace/repair
     garden
     clean up yard
     work on getting kids ready to live on their own
     be more supportive of Glen
     stop criticizing
     regular FHE and family scripture study

Financial:
     sub 2-3 times/week
     figure out how much to put in IRAs and savings monthly

Spiritual:
     VT--real contact with each sister each month
     temple--continue to find names and go at least 3 times/month when kids are in school
     scriptures--read daily and memorize scriptures with the senior Primary children
     serve more

starting off the new year getting organized

I love the holidays, but it sure is nice to get back to a regular routine. And it sure is nice that school doesn't start up again until the 10th, so I have time to be home and get things done. And play with the family.

Since I don't have a bucket list, do I do New Year's Resolutions? Not really. I just check out how I'm doing on my regular, eternal goals (usually the same for fitness, Spirituality, talent development, and finances year after year) and see if there is anything new I want to add. Haven't thought of anything new for this year yet.

But the new year does mean I try to organize a little more. Some things I found online and on Pinterest are helping me there this year. I do a little bit of flylady (focus area is front entryand dining room this week) and now I've signed up for a 52 week home organization challenge at http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/kitchen-organization.html where they will send me an email each week with some area to organize. We're working in the kitchen right now. I also have a 14 day house cleaning and organizing email that's coming in from Ask Anna  (http://www.askannamoseley.com/). The house is looking pretty good right now...at least the public areas are...and I want to keep it that way and get more done in the usually unseen places like drawers and closets and laundry room.

I'm working on finances a bit to get ready to submit our tax return form. I am especially happy to be doing this now because in less than 2 weeks our mortgage will be paid off (it would have been paid off in 2011 but there is a new rule that you have to order your closing papers and they take about 8 business days to arrive--don't know if the rule is Wells Fargo's or the State's). Sigh of relief. It took us just shy of 19 years to do it.

It was actually funny when we told the kids. They were all like, "Wow, we're going to have money now." Uh, no. Money needs to go into fixing up the house plus this fall we will have 3 kids in college (yikes!). "What do you mean Mom?" Well, we need a new car, a new roof, and some new carpeting, and a new floor in the kitchen and dining room, etc. "New floor? Our floor's just fine." No, it isn't, first off, I've hated it ever since we got the house as it looks dirty even after it's just been mopped and it has cuts in it. "Nah uh." So I point out about 4 cuts in the dining room and 5 in the kitchen. "Those must be new! I've never noticed them before." No, some of them are older than you are. --Which helps to explain why a messy room doesn't seem to bother her...she must not notice that she's stepping over piles of clothes and books to get around her room.

Anyway, since we got our house so long ago, our mortgage really wasn't that high anyway. I know someone with over 4 times the mortgage I have (ours was $637/month plus taxes and insurance). So, it's a relief, and I'm thrilled, but we will not be turning into jetsetters.

I did think of one thing I'd like to figure out this year is how to balance play and work. I would like to "play" and not feel guilty about it. I would like to know how much work is enough and how much play is right. I want to be productive and not just busy. (see Middle-Aged Mormon Man post and a post on Smith Family Ice Cream Scoop).

So, when I'm on Pinterest and looking at new ideas is that work (because I actually am using the ideas I find) or is it play? It's definitely fun.

Same old goals, still hoping to achieve them:

read/study scriptures daily by myself and with the family
ditto for prayer
watch the budget and be prepared for retirement
work on food storage and preparedness
continue family history research
work on improving my Spanish and piano playing
eat healthily and exercise
read good books
have house (almost) always presentable
help my children to be ready to be out on their own
serve

there's a hole in my bucket list

When we would drive to visit my grandparents we would beg our daddy to sing the song "There's a Hole in the Bucket." You know the one....there's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza. Well, mend it dear Henry. With what shall I fix it?...the conversation going back and forth until finally the wife tells Henry to fetch the water needed in the bucket to which Henry replies, "But there's a hole in the  bucket, dear Liza!"

http://www.nursery-rhymes-collection.com/lyrics_theres_a_hole_in_my_bucket.html

Anyway, every once in a while it comes up..."what's on your bucket list?" I have never seen the movie, but I know it means what do you want to do before you kick the bucket. Just today I came across a blog post called "list of dreams" where the blogger actually made a list of 100 things she wanted to do (though she only posted 5, but I like the fact that it ran the gamut of something big like drinking expresso on a sidewalk café in Paris to something small like baking a yellow cake from scratch). I occasionally have tried to make a bucket list, but don't get far. Is it because I'm lazy or because I'm uninspired or because I already have what I want ... I guess my bucket has a hole in it. Nothing's in it.

So let's try this again.

Do I want to travel anywhere? Not really. I am a homebody.

I'm mildly interested in seeing Mt. Rushmore but it's in the middle of nowhere so why would I bother to go there? (see I'm lazy)

Anywhere else? Well, the only other thing I can think of is maybe a few genealogy related trips. That would put me mostly in New York, which I find intimidating (but I used to live there...and was actually born there, and yet going to Brooklyn and Long Island seems ehausting and scary). Maybe I would want a little time in Ohio and then I would need a South and North Carolina trip. Can I actually see me doing it? No.

Maybe by deciding if an item would actually be doable isn't what I'm supposed to do when making a bucket list. So, maybe a genealogy trip should be on the list, but I can't get past the fact that my budget and energy and fears limit me.

What experiences do I want? Sky diving, bungee jumping, and the like? No way. I'm afraid of heights and now that I'm a mother I don't believe in participating in anything more dangerous than chauffering my kids around.

I used to want to learn to fly an airplane. I thought that'd be really cool. Now, not so much. I find the idea exhausting? not worth the effort? just not as exciting?

Do I want to meet anybody famous? No. I would say some Church leaders, but 1) I don't want to waste their time and 2) I would be afraid that they could like right through me and see all my faults, so I think I would actually feel uncomfortable (I'm still working on how I'm ever going to face God some day).

I do have a list of books I want to read. Funny, now that I'm trying to list them, none are coming to mind.

And I have wishes that I sometimes work on: improving my piano skills, my Spanish skills, my health. But how do I translate those into bucket-list items? Because I certainly don't want to perform in front of anybody so there's no "playing at Carnegie Hall" on my list.

I do want to serve a mission or two with Glen when we are at the appropriate time in our lives (earliest would be in 8 years when our youngest would leave on his mission...wow, that sounds so close).

OK. I have finally hit upon a real item: serve a mission or two with my husband.

I can list some things I want: a new kitchen floor, new carpeting, a gazelle for exercising, but that's not what you put on a bucket list.

I just want to live a quiet life, taking care of my responsibilities, enjoying my family and friends. What more could I want? Can't think of anything. So, I guess it's OK that my bucket list is essentially empty. I will gladly take the experiences that come and hopefully enjoy them and not worry that I don't have too many ambitions. I will read, occasionally play the piano, and speak to myself in Spanish. And serve some missions with my husband.

The other things I hope for aren't in my power: seeing my kids happily married and raising families (and in these hard economic times I want to add them being employeed to the list).

I'll just enjoy what comes my way.


Beth's Bucket List:

1-serve a mission or two with Glen

2-live a long and healthy life so I can enjoy and serve my family and friends

3-Not worry about what's on my bucket list