Sweet friends, welcome!
Winter is winding down…supposedly, according to Punxsutawney Phil…even though we have a winter storm approaching. Which might just be a whole lotta wind! Not to be confused with hot air. Because so much of the northeast and midwest is still buried under snow with more on the way, I’m not too sure spring is just around the corner.
Winter or spring or somewhere in between, one thing’s for sure, it’s time to have a second look at my 2019 (2018?) winter bucket list.
2019 Winter Bucket List, Second Update
To be honest, I am still not sure if this is the winter of 2018 or 2019. Should have just left off the year, huh? Live and learn, or not.
Here are my winter bucket list activities:
- Create blogging schedule and follow it. As reported in my first update, I have begun doing this. Blog link-ups and my own series are listed in my agenda. Now I just need to remember to open my agenda. Somehow, I seem to think that writing in the agenda is good enough; that I don’t need to check it everyday. Yeah, not so much. Not with my senior moments.
- Have professional family photo taken. Last month, I explained that this is most unlikely. The opportunity to have possibly done so came and went with the Christmas holidays. But I’m still hopeful that maybe PC and I can have pro-photos taken. Maybe in the bumper crop of poppies coming up on the foothills of the Franklin Mountains near our house. This photo below was shared on Facebook today. Years ago I took photos of my daughters in the poppies, then painted them from the photo.
- Go on a backwards date. We DID! Kinda. You know how you plan things, and have this vision about how things will go? And then ‘things’ have a mind of their own and don’t exactly cooperate. Well, that’s what happened for our backwards date. Deets to come on my very first date night post, this Sunday. Mark those calendars…02.24.2019.
- Try the Total Body Enhancement red light therapy booth at the gym. Have done this 3 times now. Call me crazy (I get that a lot), but it makes me feel better. Lifts my spirits, energizes me. Need to get back in there again this weekend. Especially if winter returns with vengeance. (Okay, am I the only one who thought the expression was ‘with a vengence’? Which spell check didn’t care for.)
- Read. More. Need to get the lead out. I have been reading Girl, Wash Your Face and It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again for a loooong time. Enjoying both but need to wind them up. Also reading The Library Book with my virtual book club. And we are voting on our next read…hey, join the club and you can vote, too. Just started reading Educated but may have to set it aside when we begin our new book club read. Thanks to Kellyann, I am participating in a Bible study focusing on the book It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way….talk about a great book!!! Oh, then there’s Grace for the Moment that I am using during quiet time.
- Finish scrapbooking Germany photographs, work on mosaic, cross stitch elephant and painting. Oh, boy. For all the reading I am doing, I am not getting a whole lot of crafting done. HOWEVER, I moved my mosaic downstairs on the dining room table so I can keep it handy. Otherwise, I have to put it up when I get out my scrapbook stuff. Which I did on Sunday. See pages below. And painting? Yeah, no. Cross stitch elephant…a little in Kentucky but not since. A lot of work yet to do here.
- Dress up when I go out anywhere. Was doing well, then inventory at work. But ready to get back on track tomorrow. Isn’t that the best day…tomorrow?
- Try 3 new recipes. Our chicken cordon bleu soup was a new recipe. Served it in bread bowls which undid all of the carb-free-ness of the original recipe. Made this Weight Watcher’s meatloaf recipe for the second time ever. It is so good. But obviously need to get busy in this category between now and 03.21.2019.
- Lose the 5 pounds I found in Kentucky. Nope. In fact, I found about 3 more. Not good over here. But…yeah, there’s a lot more butt on me these days…but I am back tracking my WW points and going to the gym. Except for today. However, there’s always…you know it…tomorrow. Check me out, though. Ran 2 miles in 20 minutes and then kept running for a total of 30 minutes.
- Take a course or class…photography, piano, painting or spinning? Not yet. Kinda doing something on Friday that could count. Had it in mind for Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone, though. Stay tuned.
By my count, I have at least begun work on 8 of my 10 winter bucket list activities. Haven’t lost any weight but I am trying again. No professional photo shoot and no class or course yet. With one month to go, I think I might be able to put an check beside everything before it’s all over.
Your Turn
How are you progressing on your resolutions, goals or winter bucket list? Are there more ✔️s than ❌s on your list? Link-up your winter bucket list update below or leave me a comment below. Feel free to brag a little! And maybe it will set a fire under me.
Mom update: she is sick with a UTI again but in great spirits, going to the dining room for meals, playing Bridge and Bingo so we are all feeling relieved. Thank you for all the support over the past months.
And thank you for being my bloggy buddy. Always glad to have you spend a few minutes of your day here with me. Please run by to read some of the update posts of the other bloggers linking-up with me. Thank you!
Family hugs,
Donna
Hi, Leslie – I love your candid updates. They are always very inspiring.
I’ve been sidetracked by my holiday in Mexico and reading other books for my Book Clubs (viz. “Until Tuesday” and “Washington Black”). I can finish “Girl” tomorrow. I will send you my thoughts then. 🙂
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I know your holiday in Mexico was glorious! Going to send you the rest of my thoughts on “Girl” today. Do or die! I have read the book but will remember not to use my Kindle for books that I am reviewing. Print all the way, baby, for this old woman.
Deb
You know how you talk about a backwards date? Well I think I’d have to do a backwards bucket list. Not a list of things I want to do but a list of things I did, because I have a habit of going off track and things I think I want to do one month may not be the same the next!
Sorry to hear your mum has been poorly again, fingers crossed the medication gets rid of that pretty soon. Good to know that she is still being sociable, that must surely lift her spirits.
I just voted on the next book. Ashamed to say I didn’t read the last one, I was already reading Michelle Obama’s book and then my friend who is an author asked me to read through her next novel and I’m not good at having more than two books on the go at the moment. But hey, I only have a dozen or so more pages of Michelle’s book to read so I’ll be ready for the next book club read very soon!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So glad you are still participating in the book club. I know that not every book will interest everyone. The Library Book has been interesting to me but almost too much detail about everything library! And this from a librarian. Glad we are moving on to something else.
I can relate to what you say about a backwards bucket list. Often times, I feel the same way. What sounded like fun in December doesn’t necessarily sound so hot in February. I had high hopes for taking a class but missed the registration time for many of our community college personal enrichment classes and now there are no classes I can take! Ha. That will teach me.
Kellyann Rohr
I am enjoying the book for the online Bible Study and the videos, so good! Glad you are doing it too. If I had access to a Total Body Enhancement booth like that I’d be in it – it’s like a superman booth! I am so curious about the backwards date – it sounds fun. I may be ready to put together a spring bucket list. I had so much on hold mentally with my dad so now may be the time to start putting a plan together so i don’t get stuck!
Girlfriend you are rockin’ those camo pants!
xo,
Kellyann
Leslie Roberts Clingan
If you put together a spring bucket list, keep in mind we share ours on the 03.21 and would love to have you join us It might be a good way for you to be sure to take some time for yourself and do some of the activities you had on hold while spending that priceless, important time with your dad. We get in such ruts over here that if I don’t look for new and different things to do, we will do the same ole same ole every weekend. And putting home repair and big cleaning on my lists means those things are more likely to happen. If you have a Planet Fitness gym nearby, they probably have a Total Body Enhancement booth. Never thought of it like a Superman booth but that is a great description!
Natalie
You have quite a few things on the go, Leslie. I like your paintings of your daughters and the poppies on the foothills of Franklin Mountains. My winter fun list is short so I got it done. Can you tell I’m ready to say goodbye to winter? Spring cleaning (digital and non-digital) is now on my to-do list. Hope your Mom gets well soon.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
My mom has rallied again and is going strong! Hallelujah. I am ready for winter to move out and to make room for spring, too. Today is very springlike and I have a walk on the docket for this afternoon. Nothing better than being warmed by the sun.
Thank you for the compliment on my painting. The poppies took a beating with our terrible wind storm on Friday night. Hope they come back out. It seems this was going to be a good year for poppy photos and paintings until that wind blew up.
Penny Struebig
Sounds like you are doing pretty darn good on your bucket list! I’m looking forward to doing a Spring bucket list!! I missed hopping on board for the winter list and I’m missing it. For me, the list at least helps me stay a little more focused and intentional.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, so glad you will be doing a spring bucket list Yay!! They really do help me remember what I want and need to do. Otherwise, Saturdays and Sundays all begin to look the same around here.
Dara
Great job! 2 miles in 20 minutes is amazing to me. I can’t wait to hear more about your date night!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you! I was proud of my run the other day but have been dragging since with a UTI. Hope this week, I can get back on track. It’s always something.
Kimberly Malkiewicz
Oh, my, you have a lot of weather to contend with. What a good job you are doing with keeping up with your bucket list items. The pictures you painted are so amazing.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
We have a lot of crazy wind in our weather. And a lot of sun. I can’t complain much about El Paso’s weather because I am able to wear short sleeves today and enjoy a walk in the spring-like sun.
Thank you for the sweet words about the poppy painting. Hoping the poppies didn’t blow to bits in Friday’s storm. Hoping to take pics of my 2 year old granddaughter in them next week.
Janet Mary Cobb
8 of 10 – that’s great! Hope your mother feels better soon.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you! Think I might knock this bucket list out of the ball park! Looking forward to putting one together for spring. Come join us!
Akaleistar
What a great bucket list! I need to do something with the pictures on my phone…
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Use some of your fav photos in a small collage on the wall somewhere and change them out with the seasons and holidays. I love being surrounded by photos of my favorite people, places and days!!
Christie Hawkes
Happy winter/spring/who knows what! We’re pretty cold here too and still collecting more snow. However they are promising mid-50s by next week. I’ll take it! I am soooo ready for spring. Good work on your winter list. I’d say progress on eight out of 10 is excellent progress. Cheers!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
We are finally enjoying temps in the 70s and I am thrilled. Going to break out the spring decor on Monday. Ready to start thinking about the spring bucket list and put winter behind me.
Dee | Grammy's Grid
A blogging schedule is something we all need, huh? I think we should all have professional family photos taken from time to time but goodness, it is ever so hard to get everyone together for such! Yes to with a vengeance 🙂 Oh scrapbooking, don’t remind me! Will we ever get finished scrapbooking? I doubt it!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I need to lay out another couple of scrapbook pages tomorrow. If I get them laid out, then I can run in and glue them down when I have a few minutes…yeah, right, whenever that is! I write up a blogging schedule then forget to check it and fall behind. Still hoping to write my second story with your prompt. But if I don’t get it done this time, I will join up for the third prompt.
Dee | Grammy's Grid
Too much to do but no time to do it!
ShootingStarsMag
I didn’t do an update for this month because nothing has really changed. LOL Hopefully I’ll get some others ticked off in the next month. I really need to work on losing weight too. I haven’t been eating the best, but I’m really hoping to get back on track this week. I’m going to dance though and that’s always nice.
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Glad you are dancing. I am contemplating signing up for line dancing. If I can talk PC into it. Would be a fun way to get exercise!
Amy
You are so funny. I love the goal about “losing the 5lbs you found in ky”. I can relate. It took me an entire month to lose 5 lbs then I gained it all back in a week visiting my kids. I could not believe it!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Visiting makes eating right difficult. We always have restaurants we want to enjoy together, or are out and about and grabbing something makes more sense (somehow) than going to the house to eat healthfully. Ha! We will get our 5 pounds off, though, I am sure!
Danielle
You are off to a great start on your bucket list. Love the poppy photo. Sooo beautiful. That would be a great location.
I can’t wait to read your backwards date post.
Red Light Therapy. Sounds pretty cool. Tell me more about this. Is it similar to the Vitamin D lights we have in our basement (not a tanning bed).
You are reading so many books at once. I am also struggling with this right now. I finally put in some good time on the weekend, and hoping to get our book club book right away, so I can get going on it.
Keep at you! I am sure you can most if not all of them accomplished by spring!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Sure enjoyed your photos of warm weather and the flowers and the kids and your memories of your grandfather. Our poppies are really coming out and I can’t wait to get Lucia in the midst of patch of them for some photos. Should have put that on my bucket list but we never know if the poppies are going to be hearty or not. Maybe I can add taking pics in the poppies for my spring bucket list.
I think I might just get 100% accomplished on winter’s list. Keep your fingers crossed for me!