Late Assignment. Second Chance?

In a comment to a post I wrote the day before my birthday in 2009, a teacher blog friend, Mrs. E, left me a writing assignment: "46 Things to Do Before You Turn 47". Firstborns are compelled to do what they are told, and it still bothers me that I did not complete this assignment. Especially considering how much I enjoy writing, why couldn't I churn this out? Three years later, on the day of my 49 flames, I give you the gift of my answer.

Quite simply, too often what I positively want with gusty enthusiasm on Friday, I barely have a pulse over by the time Monday arrives. People like this have a hard time making bucket lists- to the tune of "There's a Hole in My Bucket", dear Liza. For as fast as I can drop ideas in there, they are landing on the hole of  second thought. Most fall through. But buckets are cumbersome to carry around anyway, so here's how it works in reality- for me.

On Friday, my husband, "I.T." ( so named because he works with computers), who is also known as "Hero" on my facebook posts, whisked me away to the Country Hermitage, a lovely old farmhouse bed and breakfast in northern Michigan- wine country. The place was as comfortable as my thick, white, knee- high, cotton socks, which I wear whenever I need to feel warm and totally secure- so, you know- every day. It was furnished with perfect pieces of furniture- functional and interesting. The decor oozed welcome and come on in. Hostess, Lisa, and her hairdresser turned chef husband, Carl, felt like old friends, though we had never met them before. We booked two rooms, as we were mini-vacationing with two friends, stayed two nights and feasted on two delicious breakfasts. If I had a bucket list, this would definitely have been on it, and now- checked off. In fact, I may drop this in the bucket again, because I definitely want to repeat this fun time.

The weekend included touring up a picturesque peninsula, home to several wineries where we stopped in at the tasting tables and sampled the liquidized harvest. It was chilly outside, but we were warm. This would also be on my list in multiples with one, now- checked off.

Today I stayed in bed, in my pajamas and thick, white, knee-high, cotton socks and read a book, The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, on my Kindle Fire, until past noon.This scenario is a repeat offender on any "Things I want to Do" list I've ever made.Today's check mark just widens the ink herringbone pattern that stretches out beside this one.

And so it goes. Many of my things-I-want-to-do-before-something-s are unknown to me until after I've done them, because sometimes the very best things that happen are the things that have barely, or never, previously even entered my mind. Other bucket list worthy entries are so worthy they just have to be added to the list over and over. So I will ask the teacher if I may spend my 49th year chronicling the wonderful, and/or not as wonderful as I thought they'd be, things I do that would have certainly made the list had I been able to come up with such momentous ideas in advance, sprinkled with the same olds that are too good to check off never to be done again.