Yeah, yeah I know, they never work but this is different. This year my friend Maggie talked me into a different kind of resolution. Each month we pick a resolution and work on it. January is NO t.v. month. The idea is to make better use of your time. I know you are thinking what could be more important than Law and Order, I don't know either, Maggie can be very persuasive, if you know her be careful not to look into her eyes when she is coming up with some new scheme. February is be more social month. for Maggie that means phone calls letters and emails for me that means having people over to my house. More frightening than you know as i am about 3 magazines shy of a guest stint on hoarders. We are also doing a month of clearing out clutter and a month of being more creative. Email me back if you would like to join the challenge. I know it seems very cliche but cliche's come about because often they are true. Maggie has a whole list of good resolutions but true to form i only memorized February as it was coming up soonest. January's resolution taught me two things first i am a cheater and second that i really do rush things with Sophie in order to see the opening of law and order. what a waste. She will be off at reform school before I know it and law and order will still be on. Oh and third my husband is a rat bastard. He keeps threatening to turn me into Maggie for cheating. But I would like to expand this list. Today on the today show, for those of you with real lives involving people over the age of four I will fill you in on what went on today. They had these four living Bratz boy dolls on talking about their bucket list . They were only 12 so predictably their list was longer than mine. But I still wanted to make a list, even at the risk of being trendy, of ten things that I would like to do before I die. and I would really like to see your bucket lists so Victoria, Marina, Cassie, Maggie, Dierdra, Sandy, Connie, Jennifer, Kat, Rachel and Laurie please send your bucket lists. I do not include bob in this because I am afraid that his list might contain things like never have to wade through a sea of laundry in the bathroom again, have something more exciting than a bologne sandwich for dinner, and never be told what I am thinking again. So here is my list. Not very exciting and very predictable but here are the ten things i would like to do before I die.
1. Write a children's book.
2. Visit Verenna Italy again,
3. lose 40 pounds
4. be a good mother to Sophie and a nicer wife to Bob
5 be braver about approaching people
6. visit Yellowstone
7. Drive cross country in my van
8 fix my van
9. participate in an art show.
10. Go on a mission trip with Cassie to help people.
1. Not feel pressured by Val's spontaneous ideas regarding self enhancement and the betterment of society. 2. Not be so pleased that my name came first in Valerie's list of expected responders. 3. Create something beautiful every day, whether it is a grouping of words, an art object, a collection of loved things, or a smile from someone in response. 4. Be a better mom and wife...to Bob. Just kidding. 5. Be more patient and more compassionate. 6. Have a stronger internal locus of control regarding what matters. (this is not locust of control which would be more like a dominatrix praying mantis or some such thing.) 7. Feel good enough. 8. Be more focused on giving. 9. Be gentler, quieter, slower, more purposeful. 10. Celebrate more, be more appreciative, see more miracles. 11. Not feel that I need to be competitive with others' lists and appear more heartfelt and devout than Val's "deeper" friends.
ReplyDeleteOnly one thing on my bucket list: swim with dolphins.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm new to this blog, but it's quite clearly brilliant. My bucket list includes: seeing the Grand Canyon, riding an elephant, and one day volunteering at a thrift store.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd like one day to clone my childhood dog, Buster, the best dog ever. An abundance of his hair can still be found deep within the sleeper sofa in my parents' den. A plentiful source of DNA, I think.
1. watch addie grow into a strong, confident, and happy adult.
ReplyDelete2. drive cross country in your van!
3. take an african safari
4. live next to my sister
5. share a lap pool with my sister (extending across both our yards)
6. find my "niche" in the art world
7. to care less about what other people think
8. show addie the world
9. say "no" without feeling like i need to explain myself
10. grow old with adam
I loved these comments.
ReplyDeletewhere's my last comment? did you not approve it? ;) maggie just say no! val, i agree your blog is brilliant. i am spending this year wrapping my brain around my new family i just found out about and not freaking out about why i never knew. and making sure my brothers know that nothing will come between us. i also want to focus EVEN more on living an authentic life with my children, and supporting them 100 % in their decisions, because i want them to know i value that. and making more beautiful things and hopefully selling some.
ReplyDeleteoh, p.s. are you ladies coming to visit us in the van? (say yes! yes!)
ReplyDeleteYes, yes of course. You will be the final destination. New Family???
ReplyDeleteVal, i only "cheated" three times...double feature SVU, the Haiti special, and the Cardinals football game. ALthough, is it really cheating if we are the ones making the "rules"?? I think not.
ReplyDeleteNow, on to February's decluttering......