Monday, November 3, 2014

Bucket Lists

   It's been several weeks since I last wrote a post. I'm really sorry for that.  I've been busy crossing items off our bucket lists!  Actually I was emotionally marrying off my adorable son to the love of his life in mid September(see earlier post We're Getting Married). My husband and I then took an 11 day trip to New Hampshire and Maine to see fall colors and visit family. We love to experience this part of the country.Rural and simple living. It's sooooooo different than California which has been my home for 32 years and even more different than my home state of Montana the 23 years before that! (Yes, I'm 55 if you just did the math...Happy Birthday to me September 2.)  To say that the fall colors at peak time in New England is stunning and amazing doesn't even begin to touch how beautiful it is. Put it on your bucket list to visit there in the fall. Do it next year and don't just wish you had. The God given time we have for a short 100 years or passes quietly and days turn into years and then suddenly my kids grew up and a blue eyed cutie pie child is calling me Nana! Whaaaat? When did THAT happen!? Free advice for today...start saving and plan for a fall colors visit to New Hampshire or Maine.
   I realized 11 years ago today that life was way too short. I lost my best friend Claudia to breast cancer. She was 44 years old.  She slipped away peacefully to the Lord and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her and miss her face. God took her young life and I had to accept that. I decided that day to begin turning a new leaf (see, I was in New Hampshire!) and start living differently. I'm not a procrastinator. I do finish projects that I start and I am crossing items off my bucket list now. Have you ever said out loud, "I've always wanted to do that." ?  Wellllll then my encouragement to you is to make plans to accomplish just that thing! Have you even made a so called bucket list!?
    Okay, so speaking of bucket lists...My husband always wanted to go see where they filmed On Golden Pond at Winnipesaukee and Squam Lakes in New Hampshire. If you are too young and haven't seen this fine film that had 7 academy nominations in 1979 then you must do so. We combined a fall colors trip and went to the famous lakes this fall. We even did a touristy boat tour and saw movie sights and the loons! This random act gave us such happy hearts and we saw a lovely part of the USA as well. Checked it off the bucket list and even added visiting a couple of lighthouses we'd wanted to see in Maine and NH. Bonus bucket list points! I've had some strange bucket list items but it doesn't matter how odd they are because they are YOURS. Want to go see Niagara Falls? Ride your bike across the Golden Gate Bridge? Eat at a greasy spoon restaurant in Los Gatos called The Happy Hound? Eat gluten free for a week? Visit Italy? Learn and then sing to your mom a song called Sweet Lorraine that you were named after? See the fall colors in New England? Write a book...?(Wet Mittens)   Those are just a few of my bucket list items I've completed in the past 10 years.
   I am giving you a nudge as I remember my friend Claudia today and all the FUN adventures we had together. One of my favorite adventures was a summer road trip to Montana to visit Yellowstone, the Tetons and my family in 1990. We bravely drove there with our 5 children under 8 years old...I aided in a bucket list dream for her and sweet memories for me of our wild trip across several states.Tearfully with great joy I will always remember that special trip we made together.

What are some of your "Bucket list" items?

In case you were wondering...sky diving is NOT on my bucket list.
Lovingly,
Lorrie