31

This week is my birthday week. As much as I’ve tried to shake it, it is in my nature to acknowledge it. It’s what I’ve done all my life. Why stop now.

Last year I created a list of 30 things to do while I was 30. I will not be crossing everything off that list by Thursday. But I’m not really that sad about it.  So much has happened in the past year, so many things I have to be grateful for. It’s hard to feel sad about not doing every single thing I thought I wanted to. I still plan on finishing my list, even if it wasn’t in the time frame I initially planned. I learned a long time ago that things usually don’t go as planned. It’s easier to go with it than fight it.

Here is where I am so far.

1. Spray paint something teal
2. Pick one ancestor and learn all I can about him/her
3. Make Beef Wellington for David
4. Plan and take a family vacation. Just us 5.
5. Go antiquing
6. Find some vintage furniture and give it a makeover
7. Make a quilt
8. Learn to knit
9. Paint a picture
10. Enter one of my photo’s in a photography contest
11. Create a logo and have labels made
12. Add some fun funky tights into my wardrobe (and wear them!)
13. Read, and study, the book of Isaiah
14. Take a bike ride
15. Make a necklace
16. Throw a real dinner party
17. Make my own bread for a month
18. Dye a piece of fabric and make something out of it
19. Read all six of Jane Austen’s books
20. Cook my way through a cookbook
21. Become a thrift store shopper for a month (or so, or more!)
22. Make myself a dress
23. Memorize The Family: A Proclamation to the World
24. Make Nana’s sweet rolls (find the recipe first)
25. Include me in at least one picture once a week
26. Become a refasionista for two months
27. Go on a hike
28. Take Miss Thing roller skating
29. Go on a walk with Little Miss
30. Play a baseball game with The Boy

 

Not too shabby.

So what will I be doing to celebrate 31?

Eating turkey of course. I love when my birthday falls on Thanksgiving. It’s the best day to have a birthday, if you ask me. Everyone you love, whether they’re with you or not, is celebrating with a big meal and thoughts of those things they’re most thankful for.

And that’s the best kind of present.

Your Best Shot

One of the things on my list of 30 is to enter a photo contest. I stumbled upon this one yesterday. Then I started searching through pictures. I had such a hard time narrowing it down. I finally found one I was happy with. Then I decided that today, since we had some things to do out and about, I would have a little photo session fun at the park. And come up with something really great.
Then it started raining. And not just a little rain. Pouring rain. Thunder lighting kind of rain. Thus ended my photo session fun idea. And then I decided to just go with it. Most of the time when I try something staged it doesn’t work anyway. Something I almost never learn.
So here is my best shot.

{lens 35 mm f1/2 /  ISO 400 / 1/2500s}

To see lots of other “best shots” go here

The Cookbook

This is a good story.

For some time now I’ve been thinking. And looking. And thinking. And looking for the right cookbook for me to cook my way through. Another thing on my list. I’ve been feeling the pressing need as these things take time. I decided I wanted to do the real deal. However tempted I was to cook my way through a cheesecake cookbook. That would be just too easy. I also decided that I wanted something totally new. Not one that I have and use already. I didn’t think I could make this sort of a decision by way of internet shopping, as I wanted to be able to look through it. Make sure there isn’t too much crazy stuff. Seeing as the closest bookstore is some miles away this would require effort and planning.

And then unexpectedly, last Friday evening, we were in the vicinity of a bookstore.  David gave me ten minutes to get in, find a cookbook, and get out (I took eleven). I really didn’t think I would be able to. That’s not a whole lot of time. I ran in, fortunately the cookbooks were towards the front, and picked up the first cookbook that caught my eye. I flipped through it, thinking it just may work. I carried it with me down the aisle of cookbooks. Then got a little overwhelmed at all my choices. Since I’m giving myself 10 months to finish this thing I figured anything that had “1001” in the title was an automatic out. With only a few minutes left I decided to go with my first instinct.

Don’t you love this show? I’m really quite excited about it. With each recipe it has a blurb about the restaurant and where it is.

I’ve already made my first recipe, Chicken Croquettes. From The Dining Car restaurant in Philadelphia, PA. Although I didn’t shape it into a cone, like was suggested, they were fabulous.

Which begs the question, why are things fried in oil so dang good?

Later that night as I was flipping through channels “Triple D” was on. I settled into watch, thinking “wouldn't it be fun if this is the one that The Dining Car is on.” At the start of each show he gives a little run down of each place he visits and would you believe that The Dining Car was the last to be featured? How’s that for crazy. It made the whole experience that much more fun.

Now, what next?

Reading Jane

Ever since I finished my list I’ve been thinking about it. So much of what is on that list requires a few things to happen. And besides I don’t want to complete all thirty things at once, anyway.

This past week I started on some reading. Of Jane that is.

A long long time ago my parents gave me the BBC version (on VHS of course) of Pride and Prejudice for Christmas. I started watching that very day and was instantly hooked. I decided I needed to read the book. I did, but I will confess it took me a couple of tries to get into the language. Once I finished I was a little hungry for more. It wasn’t long before I had found all six books (some of them took a little digging) and had them read. I’ve taken them with me when I went to college and then when I got married. But I haven’t ready any of them since then. What better time than now? While I’m celebrating thirty.

Having read them all I have definite favorites, and least favorites. So, I decided I needed a plan. I work so much better with plans. Who doesn’t, really?

Here’s my plan. Start with Emma (which I finished yesterday). It’s one I love and will help me get into the zone. Get used to the language and such. Then I’ll read Northanger Abbey, one of her first works and my least favorite. Next will be Mansfield Park (my second least favorite). I guess I have a hard time with cousins marrying cousins. Then will be Persuasion. The last two will be my favorites. Which tie. Sense and Sensibility. Pride and Prejudice. I will confess that I can’t decide which one I’ll read first. We’ll have to see where Jane takes me.

The List

It’s done, it’s done! Finally. When I set out to make this list I really wasn’t prepared for how long it would take me just to make it. Even so it was a lot of fun. Hopefully not as much fun as it is going to be to do each thing!

1. Spray paint something teal
2. Pick one ancestor and learn all I can about him/her
3. Make Beef Wellington for David
4. Plan and take a family vacation. Just us 5.
5. Go antiquing
6. Find some vintage furniture and give it a makeover
7. Make a quilt
8. Learn to knit
9. Paint a picture
10. Enter one of my photo’s in a photography contest
11. Create a logo and have labels made
12. Add some fun funky tights into my wardrobe (and wear them!)
13. Read, and study, the book of Isaiah
14. Take a bike ride
15. Make a necklace
16. Throw a real dinner party
17. Make my own bread for a month
18. Dye a piece of fabric and make something out of it
19. Read all six of Jane Austen’s books 
20. Cook my way through a cookbook
21. Become a thrift store shopper for a month (or so, or more!)
22. Make myself a dress
23. Memorize The Family: A Proclamation to the World
24. Make Nana’s sweet rolls (find the recipe first)
25. Include me in at least one picture once a week
26. Become a refasionista for two months
27. Go on a hike
28. Take Miss Thing roller skating
29. Go on a walk with Little Miss
30. Play a baseball game with The Boy

In keeping with the fun lists my lovely sister wrote another one all about me! Then on the happy birthday I made David tell me reasons why he loved me. My favorites were: my eyes, that I have hobbies and that I’m not a “high maintenance chick.” I do love lists.

The List

So I have this idea. It’s not an original idea. But it’s an idea.

I first came up with it after hearing about my sister-in-law’s sister. I loved it, so much in fact, that I’m going to duplicate it. My own version of course.

She decided to make a list of twenty five things to do before she turns twenty five (next year). I’m just a couple days past twenty five. And a little too close to thirty to accomplish thirty things by the time I’m thirty.

So I’m making a list of thirty things to do while I’m thirty. I’ve been thinking of things to add to my list. Although I haven’t been writing them down so I keep forgetting what those things are. All I know is I’m having fun just thinking up my list.

So, suggestions?