Hey, ladybugs🐞and flutterbies 🦋, thank you for stopping by for a peek at my spring 2025 bucket list and goals. My friend Christie at So What? Now What? calls her seasonal activity lists “possibility lists”. I like that! Doesn’t have the same (dark or negative) connotation that is sometimes associated with the idea of a bucket list. However, I don’t see my bucket lists as things I must accomplish before I die. But more as a list of things I would like to try to do and want to write down somewhere – like here – so I don’t forget them!
Whatever you call them, activity lists, bucket lists, possibility lists – these lists are good for you!! Standford Medicine explains the significance of bucket lists like this:
It is a sign of hope and future orientation. It also motivates us to accomplish certain things with a specific timeline.
I think for folks of all ages, having a hope for the future is important but perhaps even more so for those of us in the senior citizen, Social Security-over-60 crowd. Waking each morning with something to do that day makes getting up (and living) worth while. And often the anticipation of realizing a dream or fulfilling a goal – however small – is a best part. We are looking forward to and planning for a couple of trips this spring. The daydreaming is almost as exciting as taking the trip! Don’t we all apperciate having something to look forward to?
Hope you will stop by to check out the lists of my blogging friends below.
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Spring 2025 Bucket or Possibilities List
Spring and fall are probably my favorite seasons for creating and fulfilling these lists. Our weather is more comfortable by far during the spring months than it is in the summer. So this is the perfect time for enjoying outdoor activities. Now that my foot is finally better, I am looking forward to enjoying the beautiful spring days.
You may remember that for each bucket list post, I will use this key to indicate my progress on each activity in update posts that follow this bucket list and goal reveal.
Key to my Progress:
- ⏱️ = work on goal underway
- ✔️ = goal met
- ❌ = goal not met
- Alaskan cruise: can you believe it? We are going on our very first cruise this spring! This is actually happenin’! Pinch me! Seven-day Alaska Explorer on the Holland America Westerdam. Putting this trip on my spring bucket list is kind of cheating because it is already all arranged. But I so look forward to going and then coming home and sharing with you.
- baseball: this is opening weekend for El Paso’s Triple A baseball team, the Chichuahuas, the feeder team for the San Diego Padres. Would like to surprise PC with tickets to a game early in the season.
- beach huts: bumped from winter. I purchased the video and online directions for this collage craft project through Jennifer Chamberlin at the Maker Beehive. Looking forward to creating this piece for our beach-themed guest room.
- book challenges: ongoing activity. I have signed up for 3, yes, THREE book challenges this year. I have signed up for the 52 Book Challenge, the historical fiction book challenge, and Goodreads. This will be an on-going bucket list activity throughout the year. Continuing progress on all 3 challenges.
- breakfast and book on the patio/balcony: last summer we (I?) delighted in having breakfast on the patio some mornings. I bet breakfast on the patio in the spring is even more delightful!! And I want to allow myself to take time to just sit and read now and then. You might remember I have been working with Christie, who is getting hours toward her life coaching certification. One of the areas I am focusing on is self-care…allowing myself to doing more of the things I like best. Reading is on the top of that list. Along with being outdoors.
- fresh flowers: I never ever ever buy myself fresh flowers. What better season to do so than spring? And what better way to show myself a little self-love?
- Goodwill date night challenge: bumped from winter, this is something PC suggested. I think it will be loads of fun. Have to be sure to make this happen this spring.
- sibling and spouses trip to Creede, Colorado: like the Alaskan cruise, this is already in the plans. My sister Valerie and her husband Roby, my brother Kevin and his wife Leeann and PC and I are going to Creede, Colorado where we vacationed with our parents as children. Will be staying at this lovely log cabin. And we will be taking our parents’ ashes in order to sprinkle them about the ranch where we spent a number of family summer vacations.
- writing courses: I have registered for a couple of online writing courses this year. One a children’s writing workshop by Judy Blume through MasterClass, a memoir writing workshop by Joyce Maynard through CreativeLive. And I signed up for the DailyOm’s “A Year of Writing to Uncover the Authentic Self.” For now, I have been focusing on this third class but will wind them all up before year’s end. This is an ongoing activity.
Spring 2025 Goals
Talk about a broken record. Several of these are going to look mighty familiar, gals. I have to make them happen this spring.
Home
- clean the pool and patio furniture: now that the house is (almost) clean, we need to scrub the pool tiles with pumice, clean the patio furniture, hang new patio lights and then get this pool open!!
- finish the walk connecting the deck to the walk on the west side of the house: one of our winter goals was to complete a walk on the west side of the house and we earned the coveted checkmark on that one. Now, PC has plans to extend the walk to run between the pool deck and the west side walkway. This is really a PC goal but I will cheer him on.
- paint baseboards: bumped every season for over a year now. We have the paint but still no progress. Surely, spring is the best season to paint baseboards and…
- touch up wall paint inside the house and paint the pullouts on the front porch: this is another goal carried over from seasons past. Still hasn’t happened!!
- winter ‘spring’ cleaning room to room for the second story of the house: the only room remaining in our winter spring cleaning is our bedroom and bath which includes purging clothes and shoes. Let the games begin!!
Heart
- complete and submit my Social Security application: until the Social Security Fairness Act of 2025 was enacted, as a public school educator, I was not entitled to the Social Security I earned through other jobs I held. Now I am. Need to get my application filed so I can begin receiving the money I deserve.
- donate blood: I did donate blood fairly regularly until I hurt my foot. Ready to get back at it. At least once this season.
- grow out my bangs: I’ve been trying to grow out my bangs which aren’t really bangs but more like hair curtains. Still working on growing them out.
- Photomyne photos: bumped from winter. This is an app I am using to scan old photos and keep them stored for PC,the girls and me. By the end of winter need to have labeled everything that has been scanned. Check out Photomyne, here. Maybe I will make one day a week Photomyne day.
- red light therapy: our Planet Fitness has something called the “Beauty Angel” that provides red light therapy. This video explains the benefits. Need to get some eye protection. And who knew I was supposed to be – ummm – naked? Want to try to do this once a week.
- track my Weight Watchers points: ongoing as I work to meet my goal. I have been tracking again but need to stick with it through spring. Have lost about 5 pounds. Would like to lose just a couple more, tone up (waaaaay up) and stay that way!!
- use Rover.com and sub money to pay off Amazon card, and keep balance below $200: bumped from winter with no explanation required!!
Your Turn
How are you coming on your resolutions, goals or seasonal bucket list? Did you make a list of activities to accomplish this spring? Would love to hear about your plans in a comment below. Or link up your bucket list and spring goals post with us, here.
I have gotten behind on my reading and writing with the issues with my blog and some kind of stomach ailment that hit me hard last week. Then we had a house full of company. But life is back to normal now and I am trying to catch up. Will be by to visit you soon.
Thank you for popping by, my friends. Enjoy your weekend. Do something special for YOU!
Hugs and kisses,
OH wow, wow, wow! I can not wait to hear all about your trip!! I have always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise! You must make time to read outside with breakfast in the spring; it is such a relaxing way to greet the day.
I just love that you start so many mornings on your porch with a yogurt breakfast and good book. You are my inspo!! Got to make this happen. Thank you.
We have (I have) been watching loads of videos on Alaskan cruises. Thinking it would be fun to make mini-videos of our experience. But best laid plans…
Thanks so much for stopping by!! Not sure if I will get my 2nd Quarter list post up by the time this party link up ends though….I will try…HOPE is my Word of the Year for 2025….Yes, I agree that lists do tend to give one hope for the future…And as I approach the one year anniversary of my husband’s passing, I truly do need HOPE….
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Don’t this lists give us hope? And I love planning!! That’s half the fun.
Bless your heart, you seem to do so well after having lost your husband so recently. I know grief hits at unpredictable times, though. Glad you
have your beautiful home and decorations to keep you busy.
Your travel plans sound fabulous and it is very touching that you all are going to scatter your parents’ she’s where there are happy memories. I smiled at the rollover of tasks from previous seasons as I have the same situation. I’m inspired to make a (very short) Spring intentions list too.
LOL we are both learning to allow ourselves more ME and more family time and learning the art of delaying some of our planned goals to sometime in the ‘future!’ I am so glad you are enjoying the swimming lessons and time alone with your oldest granddoll. She will never forget those precious times together.
Oh my goodness! That’s a dream of ours to go on an Alaskan Cruise. Lucky you. Have fun!
We have never been on a cruise. I bet you kids would love an Alaskan cruise. I hope to take good notes and write about our experience after. Thank you!!
I’m so excited for your Alaskan cruise. I think it’s going to be so amazing! And yay for social security! Isn’t it odd that in Wisconsin, teachers DO get it but in Illinois they aren’t supposed to? Although I have to say the teacher benefits/pay in IL is much better than WI now that I’m back in the schools! So at least there is that!
I think our teacher pension in Texas is pretty good. But then again, at $2400 a month, I could never live on that alone in our house. Even in a tiny apartment, that would be a stretch. I am thankful that we have PC’s Army retirement and his pension from 17 years government employment or we might be eating a lot more beans and rice than we do!! Hope you are able to draw SS when the time comes. I am sure it is 30 years in the future and hard to envision right now but it sneaks up on you! Thank you, doll.
Nice lists, Leslie! Both of your trips sound lovely. I can’t wait to hear all about them. My sisters and I and our spouses took my mother’s ashes to Fairbanks, Alaska a couple of years ago. It was a memorable, touching trip for all of us.
I too love eating and reading outside. Combining the activities is the perfect experience.
I’m thinking about applying for Social Security as well. I originally planned to wait until I turned 65, but I’m wondering if it’s better to start collecting now. The future feels uncertain.
Happy spring to you!
I have read some about taking SS and determined I would rather have less money but have it for hopefully longer than the hope of having a little more money but the question mark of how long it will last. We are making out on our pensions from our jobs right now, and not dipping into the invested money so I hope we can just set my SS aside in savings, too. But have to pay off my blessed Amazon card, once and for all.
Thank you for joining us with your possibilities list. I look forward to hearing about your sister trip. I need to get a few days this year with my sissy and with my bestie, too.
Would you believe Mike and I have never been on a cruise? Every time I got him talked into one, there would be a flu outbreak on one. I think an Alaskan cruise would be the epitome of cruises! You will have so much fun! We were just talking about our “final plans” last night. Mike definitely wants to be cremated. I honestly don’t care. But, I got all choked up thinking about not being near my parents’ graves. He suggested I have my ashes sprinkled there. I think that might be a better idea than the kids having to deal with a big old pile of ashes they really, really don’t want.
I am so glad I was eligible for Social Security the entire time I taught. I know Ohio is one of those states that doesn’t do that (or at least they didn’t). Hopefully, you can get it done before things get really backed up there.
I wish I’d never got my hair cut into bangs a few years ago. But, my stylist says they help to hide my thinning hairline! Oh, the things no one ever told me about getting older!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
The list is endless about all there is to learn and experience with age and increasing birthdays, isn’t it? We are having rain for the first time in 6 months and everything is hurting this morning. Let me know I am still alive!!
I have mixed feelings about where to be laid to rest/sprinkled. I know my parents wouldn’t be ‘there’ but I would like to visit them at the cemetery. Casting their ashes into the Rockies is going to make them feel so far away and untouchable. But that was their wish. I think PC and I have decided to be cremated then inturred at the National Cemetery here. Then if anyone wants to stop by to say hello, they can.
Got my SS turned in yesterday. I hope I am ahead of the onslaught. Hadn’t even thought of that. I worked so many jobs other than teaching where SS was taken from my paycheck that I felt very entitlted to that money. Thankful to Biden that he got that legislation through.
Leslie,
I made it…I got my post in before the party closes!!
My Link Up for today’s party is #11!
Thanks so much for hosting this charming party!!! I truly do appreciate it as I do know the time involved with it….I hope you and your family are well and enjoying your week!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thank you for joining us. I need to read all the linked up posts. We are having a great week. Finally enjoying some rain. Hallelujah.
Thanks for sharing all that you have been up too! It’s always a lovely read!
Thank you for always stopping by to wade through my sentence a day posts. You are a doll.
That’s great that you’re going on an Alaskan cruise! I went on one in 2002 and it was great.
What month did you go on your cruise? I am afraid we are going to be chilly the end of April-first of May. So glad to know you enjoyed yours. Thank you!!
ooohh how exciting – an Alaskan cruise! WOW! That is going to be AMAZING!
We are getting super excited. I am packing all the things!! Can’t wait to go.
What a great list.. and an Alaskan Cruise.. so much fun.
Getting so excited about the cruise. Our first cruise ever. Hope we don’t freeze to death!!
That log cabin is stunning! I would spend every moment on that deck. I don’t really have a bucket list, but we are going to a family reunion in Iowa in June and are staying at an Airbnb. It’s also got a big deck that overlooks the Mississippi River. I’m definitely looking forward to that!
Isn’t the log cabin pretty!! I hate calling it a cabin – more like a log mansion!! Glad you have your family reunion to look forward to with the big deck overlooking the mighty Mississip!!