Sweet fall-owers and readers, thank you for joining me for my autumn 2020 bucket list: update 11.2020!! And I actually have some progress to report. With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, our news has reported that perhaps we are beginning to plateau in our number of Covid cases [source]. Oh, that would truly be something for which to be grateful. Before we jump into this progress report, you can check out my update from last month, here.
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Now let’s get on with the show…
MY AUTUMN 2020 BUCKET LIST
I’ve explained before that I like to divide my bucket lists into categories. Doing so helps me to plan activities that focus on all aspects of my life. I could easily create a bucket list made up of just fun things to do. But it helps me to be more well-rounded if my lists include something for my body, mind and soul, too.
Update 11.2020
BODY
- Run 6 miles a week, start workouts from home (home gym?), go on at least one hike – my parathyroid surgery has interfered in achieving this goal. Not that I was setting any records before the surgery, though. With your approval, I am going to revise this activity to better match my wellness goal of walking 7200 steps and climbing 3 floors. Was given the clearance to begin exercising but not sure how quickly I will get back to running. ⚠️
- Charcuterie board – finally ordered my board and it will be here this weekend. Hope to use it over Thanksgiving. And I have a new Pinterest board full of ideas to help me plan my first dip into charcuterie. Plus my sweet friend Casey at Sparkle and Shine put together some great suggestions for making quick, kid-friendly charcuterie boards. Check out her suggestions, here. So, I can’t give myself a checkmark here yet, but soon. ⚠️
- Green chile recipes – in lieu of a trip to the chile captiol of the world, Hatch, New Mexico, I created a Pinterest board with different green chile dishes. Then bought some roasted green chiles locally and started cooking. Cheesy white chicken chili and Hatch chile chocolate chip cookies. Both were delish, thank you very much!! Still have some chiles left so hoping to try some more recipes in the next month. ✔️
HEART
- Fall decorating and crafts – the house is decorated and we enjoyed the world’s fastest and dustiest trip don’t to the pumpkin patch 3 weeks ago. But I haven’t created a single seasonal craft. Why I haven’t even decided what I will make. So no mucho progresso here!! ⚠️
- “God Made Girl” online painting workshop – came across this on Facebook. Painted my God Made Girl angel. Around her wings I wrote “Some angels have crooked wings,” because I cut one of the book-page wings with the writing at an angle. Discovered The Maker Beehive’s Winter Wonderland Workshop also advertised on Facebook and signed up to make 2 mixed media winter scenes. Just getting started on my first one. ✔️
- Finish mosaic table top – this has been a work in progress…with very little progress being done. I moved it to the dining room table where Purrsimmony now sleeps on it in the afternoons. Will have to put it aside in order for us to use the table for its truer purpose on Thanksgiving. Then maybe I can get after this project. ⚠️
MIND
- Learn more about enneagrams – this stuff is so interesting to me. Listening to podcasts hosted by Jen Hatmaker, . You can check those podcasts out, here. So, while I have begun learning more, there’s so much more I want to know. Purchased this easy explanation of the enneagram and have this title in my cart for payday. The second title comes with a study guide, too!! I am going to need more time in my mornings for all of these activities. I am either a 1 with a 2 wing or a 2 with a 1 wing. What are YOU? ✔️
- Duolingo or Mango Spanish language study 3x a week – my friend Deb mentioned that she has a 200+ day learning streak on Duolingo and that inspired me to get with la programa. Can’t even seem to reach a week-long streak but I am doing this most every night. Sooooo….bam… ✔️
- Host fall photo challenge – teaming up with my friends Deb at Deb’s World and Jennifer at Trading Ashes for Beauty to host the #25DaysofGratitude autumn photo challenge. As this post goes live, we have 4 days left of our challenge. Afraid just as our photo challenge kicked off, so did Instagram’s decision to hide all recent posts from all hashtags “to help prevent the spread of possible false information and harmful content related to the election.” So it was very hard to keep up with who might have been participating. I will share a compilation of all of my photos here on 11.30.2020. But you can see a few of my first photos, here. ✔️
SPIRIT
- Wishing tree – After reading Wishtree, a children’s book by Katherine Applegate, I decided someday I would start a wish tree. And this fall was the time. Seems we could all use a few answered prayers and granted wishes. Used the supplies below to make a banner announcing ‘wish tree’ which I hung from a smallish tree in our neighborhood park. Also hung a bucket full of yarn, 2 pairs of scissors and some hand sanitizer…but of course. My neighbors have tied lots of wishes to this tree’s branches. Hoping, praying our wishes come true. ✔️
- Bible journal 1x a week – my blogging friend Amy at Amy’s Creative Pursuits inspires me so with her lovely Bible journaling. However, I’ve made no progress toward this. Just struggling to do my quiet time and devotional at all right now. ⚠️
- Painting rocks to share – have joined a local rock painting group on Facebook, El Paso Rocks! Was hoping to paint rocks with Cadence but had to cancel my visit to Ft. Worth in order to bump up my parathyroid surgery. Was afraid elective surgeries would be postponed with all the Covid. Have some rocks picked out and some designs I want to try. Now to do it!! ⚠️
STYLE
- Best white tee – these are ironed and still hanging in the guest room closet where I promptly forgot them!! Maybe while my sister is here I can get a couple of fashion posts together. ⚠️
- Graphic tees – I am embracing this fashion trend with wide open arms and want to figure out ways to style my graphic tees for fall. Ordered a couple of cute Christmas graphic tees from Etsy for my sister and me. We will style them and take some pics.⚠️
- Fall trends – want to share several of my favorite looks from the Get Your Pretty On fall capsule wardrobe. And I am so excited!! The winter capsule wardrobe formulas will be opening on 11.27.2020. Mark your calendars and look for my affiliate registration link coming soon. ⚠️
YOUR TURN
Looking over this update 11.2020, I have only completed 6 of my 15 autumn activities. That means I still have much to enjoy in the next month. What does your autumn bucket list update 11.2020 look like? Are there lots of green check marks beside your activities? Or is it more jaundiced, like mine?
Wait, what? You haven’t created an autumn bucket list yet? Well, let me invite you – encourage you – to do so. Even just a mini-list. It will keep you growing and moving forward in spite of Covid!!
Please link up your autumn 2020 bucket list update 11.2020 with me. Or leave a comment on your progress below. Let’s cheer each other on!!
Thank you for the visit. Wishing you are healthy, restful weekend.
Hugs and kisses,
I’m doing well with my bucket list! I do have a few things left but I should have no problems getting them done by the start of December when I plan to switch over to my Christmas bucket list.
Yay for a Christmas bucket list. I always do a mini-Christmas bucket list. Hadn’t even emailed about it this year. But I will do one, too!
It’s good you have ticked off 6 of your goals so far! 🙂 And I have to say those graphic tees at the end made me giggle – I have a festive Santa tee I wear every Christmas eve maybe I should try pin a mask to it this year? haha! Our face masks haven’t been worn much as we have had no cases here for over 65 days, I hope that continues so we can have Christmas, and that you are seeing the cases slow down and not increase.
Hope you are having a great weekend 🙂 We went out and did more Christmas shopping yesterday which was fun 🙂
HA!! Hope you will pin a mask to your Santa tee. I was so frustrated when I ordered these tees. They were promised by 11.25 and 4 days later, they still hadn’t shipped. The Etsy shop wound up giving me a refund when I really wanted the tees. Oh, well. Glad you were able to get out for some Christmas shopping fun. I had planned that for this weekend but then PC was exposed to Covid. Oh dear.
When you made your list there was no way you could have anticipated surgeries or more restrictions due to Covid so it’s no surprise that you haven’t been able to tick all of them off!
Do you enjoy really spicy chilli recipes? I don’t think I’d cope with ‘proper’ chilli recipes! We had fajitas for dinner last week and I used a sachet of Old El Paso fajita spices and I said to Paul “I wonder how authentic this mix is?” I bet it’s a very mild version of what you proper El Paso people eat!
Enjoy spending time with your sis, and looking forward to seeing both you fashionistas modelling your graphic tees!
Hi there – sent some more stuff to you on enneagram. Just wanted to say here… you are SO CREATIVE! Everything from the wishes tree to rock painting. Amazing. [I bought a rock painting kit last Christmas…. yeah, have not opened it yet. Sigh.] You really inspire me to try harder on my creative pursuits.
Patricia, or Pat…I always think of you as Pat. Thank you for the enneagram stuff. Life has gotten in the way of my responding to your last email but I will this weekend. I have thought on what you said about whether or not I am a 1 or 2 and I believe you might be right. Oh, Pat, please open your rock painting kit and let’s paint rocks together!! I have never heard of a rock painting kit so I am going to need pictures of its contents. I just dug up rocks and painted them. Ha!! I am hopeless.
My favorite is the picture of you and your hubby with your two precious grand babies! We missed going to the pumpkin patch this year.
Oh! I’ll have to review my list and link up with you.
I think you are doing a good job considering all that is going on!
Please link up your list!!
I love that you made a wish tree! So cool!
Thank you! I have been so moved by the number of wishes growing on its branches.
Six isn’t bad at all! I haven’t really crossed off anything else since last month, I don’t believe. Hopefully I can get some more things finished!!
-Lauren
We still have a month – thank goodness – to finish our lists.
I just love the wish tree you created! It’s a beautiful idea and turned out so well!
Laura, thank you so much. I think I enjoyed the wish tree more than anyone!
Charcuterie boards are so beautiful now. They have come a long way since we rolled up a few slices of lunchmeat and cheese. I have even seen charcuterie houses (like gingerbread houses)! Green chili is my favorite. That white chicken chili looks so yummy! Can you tell I am hungry as I respond to this post? 🙂 I think I am an enneagram 3, but I always forget my number.
Is it crazy (yes) that I am nervous about making my first charcuterie board? I get nervous about doing everything. What is wrong with me? I always have this vision of how things should look and then they don’t look the way I imagined. What fun to make a charcuterie house!! i have never made a gingerbread house but this year is the year!
I love the wish tree, Leslie. What a wonderful idea. And, of course, you don’t need our permission to revise your goals, but I definitely think you should listen to your body and protect it. Enjoy the rest of your fall. I can’t believe we’re so close to kissing 2020 goodbye!
Hi Christie, I enjoyed visiting the wish tree and seeing the new yarn tied to its branches every couple of days. I have taken the banner down but, at the suggestion of my P.Charming and sister, I left the wishes on the tree’s branches. Hope you are enjoying that lovely new home and making it merry for the holidays.
What I love the most in this post is the picture of your family <3
Thank you so much!! I love my fam.
The wish tree is such a fun idea and I’m so glad you made one! So cool to see all of the wishes tied to the branches! Love your pumpkin patch photo! Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Jill – Doused in Pink
My wish tree really took off and bright joy to me. Thank you!!
Lots of things accomplished. The wish tree was a good idea for your neighborhood. Now you’ll have to share pictures of the charcuterie board when you prepare it.
Had fun with my charcuterie board and can’t wait to use it again. I was really touched by the number of wishes left on my wish tree. Hope some of them come true.
The Wish Tree intrigues me, so now I must get the book from the library to know more. I believe that wishes can come true.
We had, BC (before COVID), Christmas Wish Trees at the mall. A particular charitable organization would gather from the hospital or get from social workers, Christmas wishes of children. The charitable folks would write the wish on paper angels & hang on a Christmas tree. You would go to this tree, take one of the angels on the tree & purchase the wish on that angel, return to the organization & they would distribute to that child on Christmas Eve.
We always have wish trees at our mall at Christmas. In fact, our gym even had a tree with names of children on it. Can’t go to the mall or the gym this year. Afraid there will be lots of little ones without gifts.
Hi Leslie, It could be a glitch with me and WP but I don’t see some of my comments show up on your site. Sometimes, I end up in the Spam folder. Just checking in, since I enjoy reading your blog and I do leave comments. I left a comment last week and I will try again of send you an email. Hope all is well. xx
Ha ha, Leslie, “fall-owers”. I am happy your surgery is over and you can begin some form of exercise. Nothing strenuous, of course. I extra love the photo of you, your husband and your granddaughters. “Some angels have crooked wings” would make a great title for a story/book. You are very creative, Leslie. You still have made a great deal of progress on your list. Surgery always puts a crimp into things. A fun post to read. Happy Thanksgiving.xx
Thank you, sweet friend for trying to leave comments on my blog. I am not sure what is going on and it is probably something on my end. Thank you for trying.
You are so clever – had never thought of angels with crooked wings being the title of a book!! Maybe that should be the title of my children’s book that I have struggled to write for ten years? Thank you for that great suggestion.
Your comments are always so uplifting and heartwarming. I appreciate the kind words and the trouble it takes to leave them. Big germ-free hugs to you, sweet Erica.
Nice to hear from you, Leslie. WordPress can occasionally have some glitches and it happens to my site, too. I know you are very creative. I have been making some Christmas presents and hoping all gets completed within the next few days for mailing. Take care and yes, germ free hugs.
Yay for making Christmas presents!! You are so clever. Those will be treasured, I am sure.