I've Made a BOLD move

A friend of mine sent me this via email, so I decided to take it to the blog!

The things I've done are BOLD.  Some of the things I haven't done I'd really like to do and should get on it.  Others, not so much.  But, it's fun to see the list.  It's funny to think there are really people out there (in the civilized world) who haven't owned a cell phone.  

I tag whomever wants to give this one a try... Just copy and paste and BOLD or unBOLD as needed.  You can delete my commentary!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band (but I did play in an orchestra)

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked (Mom, aren't you proud?)

23. Taken a sick day when you aren't ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run (but I've kicked one!  I love kickball)

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language (does ubbi dubbi count?)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (maybe from a train)

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo's David

41. Sung Karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. Visited Africa (a wish list item)

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted 

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie 

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia (another wish list item)

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets of plasma

65. Gone sky diving (tempted)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (too sad)

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter (everyone in my family has, but me!)

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible (sad, but true)

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone's life

90. Sat on a jury (but been a witness!)

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - ewww!

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Tagged (It's ONE word)

Tagged by Shahna, my cute friend who is now in my ward (congregation) at church.

The trick is using one word answers....

1. Where is your cell phone?  pocket

2. Where is your significant other? Raleigh

3. Your hair color? blonde

4. Your mother? artist

5. Your father? supportive

6. Your favorite thing? gospel 

7. Your dream last night? forgotten

8. Your dream/goal? salvation

9. The room you're in? kitchen

10. Your hobby? exercise

11. Your fear? failure

12. Where do you want to be in six years? island

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? unpacked

15. One of your wish list items? convertible

16. Where you grew up?  Kenosha

17. The last thing you did? cook

18. What are you wearing? jeans

19. Your TV? off

20. Your pet? turtle

21. Your computer? Mac

22. Your mood? stressed

23. Missing someone? Parker

24. Your car? Suburban

25. Something you're not wearing? earrings

26. Favorite store? Anthropologie

27. Your summer? speedy

28. Love someone? Jon

29. Favorite color? green

30. Last time you laughed? yesterday (at Lucy's cute song)

31. Last time you cried? Sunday (cry of frustration)

I tag Lucy, Tricia C. and Cindy B.

Copy and paste the questions and add your own answers.  Don't be a stick in the mud.

Projects, projects and AOADD

Molly is sick.  She's got a fever and a yucky cough and has stayed home from school for two days now.  She's the sweetest little companion and I love having her home.  Since I was housebound, I decided I needed to work hard to get as much accomplished as I can because I have this funny feeling that December is going to fly by and I'm going to miss the whole thing if I don't get it together.  So, I got to work.  And I've accomplished quite a bit.  

Here are some projects I've been working on...

I'm ALMOST done with the Family Room tree.  Just those last two boxes of ornaments to finish.  Of course the Living Room tree is missing a section (how does this happen Mr. Moving Man???) and the Game Room tree has not an ornament on it.  The kids trees?  Well, let's just say they have some decorating to do this weekend!  And I started EARLY!

Christmas card are sent - for the most part.  There are a few stragglers who still need new addresses.  So they are sitting on my desk to finish.  Also on my desk is a stack of party invitations I need to address and stamp TONIGHT!!  I guess that means I need to complete the guest list.

I've been wrapping, wrapping!  I also got all these gifts tagged, boxed and mailed - woohoo.  I still have another box to mail, so don't get too jealous.

I put together this little number for a family - who hopefully doesn't frequent this blog!  It's a family game night basket complete with games and refreshments.  It has one of our families' favorite games, right now, Whoonu, from the makers of Cranium.  It's really great, because everyone can play and it's funny, too!  You should get it.

The big project today was to go from a completely EMPTY closet to one stocked and organized.  Since we have such a lame closet, we had those cool pull down rods installed way up high (which was a week long ordeal with a trim carpenter, a painter and an installer involved) so we can get MOST of our (ok, MY) clothes in the closet. (Jon's fit fine).  Believe you me, I'm using every bit of space I can find in this terrible excuse for a walk-in closet! And overflowing into another closet upstairs!!

Jon gets the bottom and middle racks here in the first section.  I get the rest.  He's so good to me. 

We had this dresser added, too.  It's still empty as are all the shelves, but don't worry, I'll fill them up!

We added these shelves under the stairs (yeah, stairs in the closet, don't ask) so we have more shoe and handbag storage.  Also still needing completion.

With all that's gone on today, I've learned some things about myself.  I suppose I've know these things for a long time, but by recognizing them all in one day it occurred to me that I have problems.  I'd like to attribute it to AOADD (Adult Onset Attention Deficit Disorder).  While leaving the closet on no less than 5 separate occasions today to retrieve something from another room, I've managed to find something completely unrelated to do (make a phone call, clean up some dishes, talk with Molly for a second, etc.) and then have returned to the closet without the intended item!  I also have recognized that I have at least 7 projects going (in addition to the ongoing unpacking) and not one of them is completed.  Doesn't that sound like AOADD to you?  

Another thing I've learned today is that I adore (maybe ADORE is too strong, I REALLY LIKE) workout clothes.  Now granted rarely a day goes by (except Sunday) that I don't work out, so I NEED alot of workout clothes to prevent overuse of the washing machine.  And, in my defense, I have owned some of these clothes for upwards of six years.  Many of them actually have TOO many miles on them and will soon make their way to the trash bin.  But here's the pile I've accumulated today in the effort to find a home for each article of clothing.  I won't show the running shoe collection I have.  (What?  I have to match my shoes to my clothes!!)

Other things I've learned/recognized today ...

• I like green
• Closets fill up easily
• It's fun to colorize your clothes
• Molly is really good at entertaining herself 
• I have lots of clothes
• I'm not a label snob - I think Target clothes are fab-u-lous!
• I wear clothes for a LONG time.  I have an almost 8 year old suit (that I wear) and that's not the oldest thing in my closet. I just got rid of a suit when we moved that I wore to my brother's wedding, something like 14 years ago!
• Time flies when you're working hard
• I really like to be organized (Jon is laughing....I can hear him!)
• I have a LONG way to go

True Gratitude

Many of you have followed the tragic accident and recovery of Stephanie and Christian Nielson, whom I have never met, but have been a reader of Stephanie's blog.  They were in a small airplane crash last August which killed their friend and critically injured them.  Christian recorded a video thank you to so many who have done so much to help their beautiful little family over the past months.  Here's a true expression of gratitude on this Thanksgiving day.

 

While I'm thinking ahead...

So, I've really been working hard to get ahead of the regular Christmas season, pull your hair out, neglect your family, bah humbug SLAM that normally hits our family around December 1oth.  So I'm decorating, wrapping, stamping, writing, mailing, planning and lighting with a vengeance.  All the while, I still have contractors in the house, have unpacking and organizing going on and Jon's still traveling.  I know, call a whaaaaambulance.

But, since I'm in the planning ahead mindset, I've been thinking about what I'd like to accomplish next year, or just "sometime" in the future.  So, I'm starting a LiSt.  I think I'll add it over there ------> on the side of the blog, so it will stay there when the posts begin to roll off the bottom of the page.  Who knows how often I'll add to it, or how long it will get to be.  It's just a list - a sort of dream for my life.  Maybe you could even call them goals.  Whatever they are - they are there.    

What do you want to accomplish next year?  Leave a comment and share with me...... please? Maybe you'll give me a good idea to add to mine.

Jon works really hard and never has any fun....

My dear husband works hard.  Really.  He has traveled for work for all but about five years of our marriage.  I think there are some major perks to traveling, but Jon doesn't see them.  Let me explain.  For example, hotel stays.  You can throw your stuff wherever you want in the room and like magic, some fairy comes in the next morning and picks it up, folds it, and leaves it neatly on the bed or chair.  While this fairy is there, she makes the bed, brings clean towels, cleans the bathroom and vacuums the floor.  Another perk to hotel stays is room service.  What's not to love about someone bringing you the meal of your choice for you to eat while watching TV?  We aren't talking Stouffer's Mac and Cheese on a TV tray here.  This is real food, served on a white cloth clad table complete with rose.  Bummer.

So here's another perk - you get to visit cool places.  Jon has been to some neato places without me.  He does occasionally take me along (which is another perk of his traveling), but this time I wasn't invited.  Here's what he did.

Yep, that's the Sistine Chapel.  We went as a family several years ago, but this was pretty cool - private tour.  And they had dinner somewhere in the Vatican as well.  Poor thing.

And the hotel was really a dump.  

He did go some other beautiful places while in Rome, but he didn't have a camera with him. Anyway, we're glad you're home.  Next time, take me! 

Picture Tag

Ashley tagged me.

This is MOLLY eating a sandwich during Fall Break 2006 at Lost Pines Resort in Austin, Texas.  We had a really great time at this fun resort!

So, here's the deal.

Go to your photos and open the 4th folder.

Post the 4th picture in your folder.

I tag my brother Rich, Shahna, Nancy, and Claudia (sorry Claudia - I know your blog is your own - it's just a picture, humor me).