Happy first day of summer! There are SO many things going on in my life this summer. I just know it is going to FLY by! I really want to make the most of every moment, and hopefully my Summer bucket list will help me do just that.
Before I get into my hopes for the summer, I’ll recap how I did with my spring bucket list. Spring kind of turned upside down for me, so quite a few items did not get accomplished. Some of them will be given a second chance on my summer list.
Spring Health & Fitness
I had two items in this category, and happily I can report that I completed both of them. First was applying the prescription cream to my face to treat early signs of basal skin cell carcinoma. I’d been putting it off because of how awful it makes me look, but it’s over and done now, so yay!
Second was staying on top of the training schedule for RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). The schedule requires you to ride 4 times a week. Two of those rides are weekday rides which are shorter. The Saturday ride is the longest, and the Sunday ride distance is usually somewhere in between. I did skip a couple of the shorter rides, but I did all of the long Saturday rides. I only skipped one Sunday ride. My sister Susan did one of the shorter rides with me when she was here in early May. She took the picture above. It was fun getting to show her some of the places I ride!
The longest ride I’ve done so far was the Tour d’ Italia in Italy, TX last Saturday. I did that ride with my partner-in-crime Lynn. It was 63 miles long! The picture above was taken right before the ride started. That’s why we’re smiling still. (I have no idea who that random person is in the background other than she’s another rider.)
Spring Joy
Ugh. I only managed one of the three items in this category. I’m not sounding very joyful, am I?
At least one meal per week was supposed to have been enjoyed “al fresco”. I think it only happened twice the whole season. It’s too hot in the summer for this activity, so I’ll try it again further in the future.
I knew the gallery wall was a long shot. Yeah…it didn’t happen. And with everything going on this summer, it will not be revisited for a while. Maybe the fall.
The third thing in this category was to get a mani/pedi. Mission accomplished here!
This activity is one I also did with my sister Susan while she was visiting. Here we are chilling out in our massaging chairs with pillows on our laps and our feet in the lovely lavender-scented water. And back at home, we show off the finished product:
I’m on the left. OMG…look how you can see the tan line I’ve developed wearing gardening gloves and biking gloves. Susan opted for clear nail polish. I love her blue toenails!
Spring Learning & Growth
Evidently I learned nothing and didn’t grow at all, because I can’t check off either of the two items in this category. But I AM still planning on doing both. I did not pick up my fiddle as I had intended. I did choose a new Bible study and bought the book, but I haven’t begun it yet.
Spring Relationships
I got one out of two! I wanted to go to First Monday with Big Eagle, but between the weather and just things that happened, it didn’t work out. Too hot in the summer, so this may be a fall item, or I may just save it for next spring.
The second item was to connect with a friend or family member at least once a week. Texting and messaging through social media didn’t count. I was surprised at how easy this one was. I’ll have to take it up a notch on my next list.
Final Analysis for Spring Bucket List
I only achieved 4 out of 9 items. That’s pretty pitiful. But it does give me new resolve to do better next time! So, moving on…
Summer Bucket List:
Health & Fitness
- I attend Orangetheory Fitness, and they currently are offering a challenge to all clients to complete 50 workouts by August 24th. I have accepted that challenge, so now it’s on my bucket list! So far I’m 9 workouts in.
- Complete the full week of RAGBRAI. This is a BIGGIE! After the 63-mile ride last weekend, I’ve begun wondering how on earth I am going to be able to do the distances for 7 days in a row. Time will tell.
Joy
- Complete the list of activities created by my granddaughters and myself while they are here. Yes…they’re coming! They live in Nigeria, so this is a BIG DEAL here! We only get to be with them pretty much twice a year: summer and Christmas/New Year holidays. We’ve kind of gotten in the habit of making a list ahead of each visit of the things we want to do together. Here’s the list for this summer:
- Pirate’s Cove
- S’mores
- Bake cookies
- Party City
- Roller Rink
- DQ
- Go to different park playgrounds
- Have Helen do Minima’s nails
- Sweet Frog
- Target for Ruffles
- Water balloons
Other things we should probably put on the list because we usually do them anyway are getting snow cones, playing dress-up, go out to a movie, have a movie night at home, and sing and dance to our favorite tunes.
2. A MAJOR LIFE EVENT: Attend my son’s wedding in Alaska! This is happening on August 10th. I am so thrilled for Danny and his bride-to-be Erin!
Learning & Growth
This one is basically a do-over.
- Pick back up on my fiddle lessons.
- Complete my new Bible study, The Art of Listening Prayer by Seth Barnes.
Relationships
- Take a cooking class with Big Eagle. (I suppose this could also go under the previous category.)
- Plan an outing with friends at least monthly or entertain them at our house.
So one less goal this time around. I’m so excited to begin this summer! Please feel free to share your summertime plans in the comments. I’d love to know what you will be up to! And I want to thank Leslie at onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com for hosting the bucket list link-up and for sharing the graphic. Thanks, Leslie!