What Have YOU Always Wanted to Do?

How many times have you seen someone playing the guitar or piano and said, "I've always wanted to play the piano?"

How many times have you thought, "I should read through the Bible," or "I should watch the sun rise more often?"

How many times have you thought, "I should really keep in touch with Aunt Ruby?"

I think those thoughts often. So when I saw the concept of 101 in 1,001, I was intrigued. Yeah, I have to admit it--I'm a list-maker. I make lists about what I want to buy at the grocery store, what I want to get accomplished before a big event, or what I want to name my next child. Lists are--well, they make me feel like I'm prepared, and as I mark off each item, they make me feel like I've accomplished something. So, I've decided to make my list of 101 things that I want to accomplish within the next 1,001 days.

So...what have YOU always wanted to do?

What Is 101 in 1001?

I recently read about a project where you make a list of specific goals and give yourself a specific time to complete those goals. the idea, as well as the person's list that I read, was very inspiring. I decided to make a list of my own...

And I have to complete my list.

Things for My Heart:

1. Buy/rent and learn to play a Hammered Dulcimer
2. ~~Play classical music during meal preps 10x~~ Have even had weekly music appreciation classes.
3. ~~Host a house concert~~ Hosted our Bob Bennett concert August 19th, 2005. It was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work and hard on the checkbook.
4. ~~If it's rewarding, host 2 more~~
5. ~~Blog daily 30x~~ Done
6. Write a poem a week 6x
7. Finish my LifeStory
8. Knit a blanket or sweater
9. ~~Make a new recipe every week 6x.~~ Began 01/06/2005
10. ~~Clean my room to my satisfaction once a week 8x.~~
11. ~~Make my bed every day for a week.~~
12. Learn to sew. Haven't completed this, but I did buy a sewing machine and am on my way to trying to learn!
13. ~~Have another baby.~~ I'm not sure that this is something I still want to have as a goal. 5-3-06
14. ~~Write a letter to a person I admire~~
15. ~~Go see a sport that I've never watched.~~Went with family to see Drum and Bugle Corps competition.
16. Put one piece of fine art in each room
17. ~~Ask for someone's advice and take it.~~
18. ~~Stop being sarcastic towards my dad for one week.~~ Began 01/06/2005. Completed 01/13/2005.
19. ~~Go one whole day without yelling at or berating anyone.~~ 01/06/2005
20. Knit a pair of socks
21. ~~See Barry Manilow live.~~ Not sure now if I can do this one. See this . Update: I think this might be something I'd like to do in my lifetime, but not as part of my 101 in 1001.
22. ~~Go to a madrigal dinner~~ How funny! I didn't even realize I'd done this, but Houdin's girlfriend invited us to hers this year, and we went!
23. ~~Teach my dogs five new tricks each~~
Done!

Things for My Peace of Mind:

24. ~~Develop those disposable cameras from Monet and Houdinâs last birthday party~~ Completed 01/12/2005.
25. Send Jude his mittens

Things for My Brain:

26. ~~Try Geocaching~~ 01/09-2005
27. ~~Do that Jane Goodall thing~~ Not sure this interests me anymore.
28. ~~Finish reading one book every two weeks 4x.~~ Began 01/11/2005. This one may be a bit too difficult, but I am working on The Well-Educated Mind and hope to finish the reading assignments there.

Things for My Environment:

29. Set up a recycling system in my home. This has been harder than I thought it would be. With 8 people in the house, several of whom don't really care about recycling, I became a recycling Nazi and no one liked me. I do my best now, but there's no "recycling center" here.
30. ~~Plant an herb garden outside the kitchen door~~
31. ~~Plant a vegetable garden~~
32. Buy or build the kids a playset in the side yard
33. ~~Plant flower beds around the porch~~
34. ~~Make hanging baskets for the porch~~
I didn't make them, but I learned how to make them while working at the greenhouse and hope to do my own this Spring.
35. ~~Clean and organize the fruit cellar~~ Sadly, this needs doing again!
36. Save for and buy new kitchen table and chairs.
37. Organize craft room.
38. ~~Organize filing cabinet~~ Bo actually did this one.
39. ~~Organize bookshelves~~ DONE! 8/25/05
40. Create a barnyard in which the chickens will be safe.
41. ~~Buy a new goat for milk.~~ We bought two! And with a little billy, we might have more in the Spring.
42. Paint Sweetheart's floor in gingham check
43. Stencil Houdin's room with him.
44. Sponge paint Monet's floor
45. Prune apple trees
46. ~~Plant new fruit trees~~
47. ~~Be proactive about caring for fruit trees for one season~~
48. Make and hang flower boxes at cabin
49. ~~Get door for pantry~~Curtained it instead.

Things for My Community:

50. ~~Investigate Volunteering at the Senior Center~~ 01-11-05
51. ~~Get Houdin involved in the Senior Center with his Magic Tricks~~ Completed 01-20-05. Bard will also be doing a poetry reading group there twice a month.
52. ~~Put away my grocery cart when I take one out to the parking lot and give the other guy the closest parking space for two months.~~ Began 01/06/2005
53. Begin tithing into a jar for people in need
54. Knit a scarf to give away. Began 01/12/2005.
55. ~~Become involved in a young person's life.~~
56. ~~Invite a neighbor or friend to play games once every other week 12x.~~
57. Teach an NFP class 1x
58. If itâs rewarding, teach more 3x

Things for My Soul:

59. Find a good Bible Study program for my family Still looking. I checked the local Christian bookstore and Borders. Any suggestions?
60. Participate in a nightly home Bible Study or devotional three nights a week 6x
61. ~~Visit a church on Wednesday night 3x.~~
62. ~~Create a prayer jar for mealtimes~~ It's actually a basket, and we do use it at every meal we eat at home together.
63. ~~Pray for someone from the prayer jar at every meal time 8x.~~
64. Create a prayer corner somewhere in the house and teach the children to use it.
65. Spend time in the Word each morning. His promises are new every morning 120x. Began 01/06/2005

Things for My Family:

66. Read the book that Bard wants me to read I'm working on it! 3/25/05
67. ~~Do a book club with Bard 6x~~ Tried it. No bites. Decided to do a writers' group instead.
68. Teach Sweetheart how to read Began 01/02/2005. Doing well so far!
69. Read all of the Little House on the Prairie books to the kids
70. ~~Have a Family Meeting every possible Friday night 130x.~~ No family meeting, but family nights instead.
71. ~~Teach Houdin to make cheesecake~~ Done! 6-12-2005
72. ~~Find a piano instructor~~ Wrote a classified ad 01-24-05.Found a piano instructor in early March, 2005! Yeah!
73. Hug each child first thing every morning and last thing every night through the duration of the 1,001 days Began 01/06/2005
74. Write in each child's journal at least three times a week through the duration of the 1,001 days Began 01/06/2005
75. Encourage my husband to do devotions every night through the duration of the 1,001 days. Began 01/06/2005
76. Create a fire escape plan and practice it monthly.
77. ~~Bake something with Monet once every two weeks 12x.~~ Began 01/06/2005. Didn't do this quite every two weeks, but we did do it often, and he can bake several things on his own now.
78. Encourage Bohemian to read What Every Fourth Grader Should Know to Monet each night until the book is done. Began 01/06/2005
79. ~~Take the family canoeing.~~9/24/05
80. Go camping at three state parks I've never visited each year.
81. Take Bard to New York to see a Broadway play. Began investigating this 01-22-05.
82. ~~Take kids to the James Thurber house~~
83. ~~Have quiet time every weekday for the duration of the 1,001 days.~~font color="red"> We do it when we really need it.
84. Tell Houdin that I love him three times a day for the duration of the 1,001 days
85. Take each kid on a date at least once every two weeks for the duration of the 1,001 days. Began 01/06/2005
86. Take the kids fishing at least once.

Things for My Wallet:

87. Become debt-free, with the exception of my house payment, using the snowball method Still working on this one
88. Work through Steps to Financial Freedom with Bohemian
89. Save three month's salary
90. Begin a savings plan for a new vehicle
91. ~~Go to the store with a specific list of items every time for the duration of the 1,001 days.~~ I've been doing very well with this one, though I have slipped a couple of times.

Things for Relationships:

92. Write a letter every week 16x. Began 01/14/2005. 1 letter. Didn't do this, per se, but really worked on making sure I was keeping up with relationships. Got a facebook. :-)
93. Call one person each month with whom I haven't spoken in a while 30x.
94. Send birthday and anniversary cards to family members and close friends 30x.
95. Write a yearly letter (3X) Began 01-08-2005

Things for My Body:

96. Limit my soft drink intake to one a week. Replace fluids with water.12x Began 01/06/2005. This one is hard. I can't believe how hard it is!
97. ~~Buy a jump rope and teach the kids jump roping songs. Jump rope regularly for one month.~~ Began 01/14/2005.
98. Take my vitamins every day for the duration of the 1,001 days. Began 01/06/2005 Didn't do it every day, but discovered that I *need* my B12
99. ~~Eliminate fast food from my diet for 60 days~~ Began 01-09-2005. DONE! As of March 25,2005, I have only had fast food three times! This, I believe, has become a habit that I'm very glad to have begun
100. Go golfing
101. Walk to the mailbox and back every day 30X.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Piano!

I found a piano instructor! Cool! Kids start next month.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

My progress now...

Well, there are certain things that are just falling into place more easily than others.

For instance, aside from a visit to Chick-Fil-A today, I haven't had fast food since the beginning of my fast-food fast. I've rarely drank soft drinks and have really increased my water intake. I've been taking my vitamins daily, reading some part of the Word daily, and making a new recipe every week--sometimes more.

I made my bed every day for a week, but decided to continue it. Funny, I have to force myself to do this. I've decided that it's difficult because it's not rewarding. I think there's an essay in there somewhere.

I've cleaned my room to my satisfaction three times. I hope to get to that again tomorrow. It's always nice to have a clean room. Biggest problem with this is overcoming the laundry monster.

We taught our dogs to go through the new dog doors. That's totally cool.

I'm almost done organizing bookshelves. I just have a few books in the basement laundry room that need to be done. So cool!

I've been working on the craft room and fruit cellar little by little. I'd like to finish these before the gardening season starts.

I've put my grocery cart away EVERY TIME I go to the store!

We've had neighbors over to play games twice.

Houdin and I haven't made cheesecake together yet, but I have all of the fixins and I even bought a new cheesecake book. Looking forward.

I hope to send in the piano instructor classified tomorrow.

I've gone to the store with a list every time. Today, went to Sam's club with a list and bought only one extra thing...the trash bags I forgot to write down!

I still have a lot to do, and I may even reevaluate my list now that some of these things have become a habit.

We'll see...