Bucket List 2014 - 12 Things I Want To Do This Year

Bucket List: 

12 Things I'd like to Do This Year

I know, usually these things are tagged "I'd like to do before I die", but you know? If I tell myself I have until death to do things, I may never get around to them at all until it's too late.

1.      Take a "real" vacation with my SO that does not involve relatives, work, or you know, not-vacation-y things.

2.      Plant some trees. The world needs more trees, but bottom line? I kind of like the idea of kids climbing trees I planted, or birds nesting in them even if it is twenty years after I'm gone.

3.      Increase my allotted garden space. I want to plant enough peppers and tomatoes that I can do some canning. This year I canned an Italian mix- tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic & basil. Next year, I'd like to double that with a "Mexican" mix of tomatoes, onions, & cumin, etc.

4.      Dry my own herbs for storage. I did freeze some basil this year, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

5.      Paint my kitchen. It's currently white, a color I despise. I'm leaning towards a cool green, key lime or a creamy pale green that I cannot currently recall the name of.

6.      Visit the St. Louis Zoo- I've been before, but the grounds are amazing. It's origins as the 1904 World's Fair grounds are apparent in the architecture and design. It's a lovely place to walk and meet friends.

7.      Visit at least 3 local sites- options include Cahokia Mounds, Lake of the Ozarks, and Hamilton Primary School.

8.      Dress up for no reason at all and have a picnic lunch down by the river. We used to do this frequently but haven't made time for it lately.

9.      Add another birdfeeder to my yard – saw one I particularly admired constructed with a tea cup and saucer…Not sure if I'd make it, or buy it.

10.  More cook outs. Eating and cooking out in nature has always been a favorite of mine, (my Dad was the King of BBQ. When we were kids he'd do dozens of hotdogs and burgers at a time, along with corn on the cob) but we never got around to getting a decent grill when we moved out here. So, grill, for bbq'ing at home and an ice chest or two for cooking on the road- and a list of state parks.

11.  Read more poetry. Look out for "poet of the month" posts. I'm sure I won't be able to resist. Don't expect analysis though. I tend to just soak myself in poetry as though I were soaking in a hot tub, letting the words and emotions just wash through and around me.

12.  Eat more fish. This will be challenging, because the SO does not like fish. I figure if I bury it in Indian curry sauces he won't notice it's not chicken, eh?