Friday, June 7, 2019

50 Before 50


Lawd, have mercy...  just typing this post's title just about sent my head into a frenzied spin. Seriously, how in the world can I even be contemplating turning 50 when I'm just...  LOL!  Wait, that's right.  I'm not as young as I think I am.  Even though I feel like I'm in my 30s, I'm not.  I'm solidly in my mid 40s and at this point - I'm closer to 50 than I am to 40.  Even though the big five-oh is still a few years off, it will be here before I know it.

I'm not exactly sure what compelled me to do this.  I've seen several bloggers do things like "101 in 1001" and "30 Before 30," but, I had honestly never felt compelled to attempt anything similar until recently.  I mean, seriously...  50 Before 50 sounds like such a daunting task, even more so because I'm already halfway through this decade and I don't have a full 10 years to dedicate to the list, but I digress.  I definitely believe the untimely passing of my 23 year old stepson last month played a significant part in changing my mind.  I know I've been in my head a lot more than usual - you know, contemplating life and loss and dreams and the meaning of it all.  As a result, I've really been reassessing my time on Earth and how I wish to spend it.  

Before I get on with my list, here are a few things I need to clarify:

- This is not a "bucket list."  My bucket list is something that I've never published (and probably never will) and has things on it that might not be possible for me to do until I retire. Unfortunately, one of the downfalls of being a public school employee is that I can't take vacation whenever I want and that is why some things must wait.  Also, some of my bucket list items are expensive and they have to be saved for.  I just have to be realistic; I can't afford to do everything right now or even in the next 5 years.

- Yes, there are things on this list that I've always wanted to do so they do seem bucket list-y, but overall these are just things I want to accomplish before I hit the half-century mark.  Trust me, some of them are rather mundane.  LOL!

- I will share/post my ongoing progress towards these goals on or around my birthday each year (which is in February). 

- Items marked with an asterisk* might not, due to health insurance age requirements, be able to be completed until after I turn 50.  As long as I have a plan in place to fulfill them by my 50th birthday, I will count them as completed.

- If I don't complete all these items, no biggie.  I'm a firm believer in the John Lennon quote, "Life happens to you while you're making other plans."  Some of the best things that have happened to me so far in my life were not planned and I'm extremely grateful for that.

Alright, the clock is ticking.  As of today, my 50th birthday is 4 years, 8 months, and 7 days away. Here is my 50 Before 50 list:

HOME
1. Renovate kitchen
2. Rejuvenate/redo landscaping in front yard
3. Landscape around deck
4. Massively purge garage
5. Remove miscellaneous items from gated side of house
6. Paint hallway
7. Paint trim in great room/kitchen
8. Repaint front door
9. Annually purge clothes
10. Replace shutters on front of house
11. Thin out and repot giant peace lily
12. Move to different house/build

CREATIVE
13. Assemble a shadowbox with art ribbons
14. Redo my "Twin Spires Starry Night" painting
15. Paint a portrait of my dog
16. Paint a picture of the New River Gorge
17. Create a new tile mosaic 

TRAVEL
18. Go to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis (I live 4 hours away and have never been)
19. Visit a sunflower farm in Kansas
20. View the moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Park (KY)
21. Visit the resting place of the 1973 Triple Crown winner, Secretariat (Paris, KY)
22. Take tour of Waverly Hill Sanitorium (Louisville)
23. Visit the Ali Center (Louisville)
24. Visit the Falls of the Ohio State Park (OH)
25. See the Christmas Story house (Cleveland, OH)
26. Zipline in Pipestem Sate Park (WV)
27. Visit Coopers Rock State Forest (WV)
28. Take a tour of the Homer Laughlin China Company Factory, the maker of Fiestaware (WV)
29. Visit my 36th state
30. Visit my 37th state
31. Visit my 38th state
32. Visit my 39th state
33. Visit my 40th state
34. Take a solo trip

ATHLETIC
35. Complete a mud obstacle course race
36. Achieve a sub 3:15 PR in a half marathon (I'm a walker, not a runner)

HEALTH
37. Reach ONEderland 
38. Get a colonoscopy*
39. Get the shingles vaccination*
40. Visit dermatologist annually
41. Participate in a Heart Walk sponsored by the American Heart Association
42. Participate in a Alzheimer's walk in memory of my grandmother

FINANCES
43. Reduce credit card debt by at least 70%
44. Open a new $500 CD each year
45. Save $7,500 - 10,000 in travel fund

MISCELLANEOUS
46. Watch The Sound of Music
47. Make a will/living will
48. Make annual donation to American Heart Association in my stepson's memory
49. Read a banned book during Banned Books Week every year
50. Volunteer for something non-school/work related





Linking up with: Random-osity



2 comments:

  1. I love that the Christmas Story house is on here.

    Great list! It's nice to have a "This would be nice" list. I did one before my 40th.

    ReplyDelete

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