36

So, my birthday was a couple weeks ago.  And yes, that number in the title corresponds to the number of birthdays I’ve had.  And, no, I’m none to pleased about the proximity of the number that the aforementioned number rounds up too.  But, I guess it’s better than the alternative, right?

I honor of this grand occasion, I’ve decided to take a cue from Xanthe. She’s a photographer in the UK.  I discovered her blog and photography through the Shutter Sisters blog.  On the 38th anniversary of her birth, Xanthe posted a list of things she like to do or accomplish in her 38th year – a.k.a her Birthday List.

That got me to thinking.  Maybe it’s just the beginnings of the midlife crisis I will inevitably have in 4 yrs, but there are things I want to do in life and I don’t want to put them off any longer.  So, without further adieu, in no particular order, here is My Birthday List.

My 36 Things:

1. Learn to take really beautiful photographs.
2. Actually complete a 365 Project…the daily photography practice should help achieve #1.
3. Exercise regularly enough that it becomes part of my regular routine (like eating, going to work, brushing my teeth), not just be a project that I work on intently for a couple months and lose interest.
4. Have more dinner parties.
5. Enjoy my weekends, not just spend every Saturday simply running errands and cleaning my house.
6. Hire a housekeeper. (Should help achieve #5).
7. Plan a trip to the Oregon Wine Country/Willamette Valley.
8. Make a budget and stick to it so as to boost general savings AND savings to pay for said Oregon trip.
9. Call my grandmothers more often.
10. Have intentional monthly dates with The Mr. …not just eating out because we didn’t have time or were too tired to cook at home.
11. Explore Charlotte more.
12. Explore NC more…I really wanna go to the Outer Banks.  We’ve been North Carolinians for 7 yrs. It’s time.
13. Finish buying furniture for and decorating our bedroom.
14. Decorate, organize, and actually use my guest room/office space for something other than storing things that have no designated home.
15. Actually complete the Couch to 5K app I downloaded to my iPhone a couple years ago.  (I never seem to get past week 3…see #3).
16. Make plans to stay at Blackberry Farm for some special occasion…or at least drop enough hints that The Mr.  surprises me and whisks me away to there.
17. Learn to maximize the potential of my photo editing software.
18. Participate in more local cooking classes, wine, and beer tastings.
19. Make a habit of going to bed on time and at the same time every day.
20. Make getting as much local food as I can from the famer’s market that is literally 1 mi from my house a priority.
21. Stick with and grow this blog.
22. Use my car less and my bike more.  (Should also help achieve #3)
23. Live daily in the freedom of Grace, showing others the Grace that I’ve been shown.
24. Have the guts to do something like this.
25. Be intentional about cultivating my friendships.
26. Go TO the movies more.  It’s so much more fun than watching Netflix on my couch.
27. Get a primary care physician.  I have a couple specialists, but (ugh, as I get older) I need someone helping me look at the whole picture.
28. Take more weekend trips.
29. Sing more.
30. Get a new haircut.  (I’ve had the same one for 5 yrs now.  It’s really cute…but I need something new).
31. Memorize more Scripture.
32. Make daily quiet time a priority and let that quiet time take many forms.
33. Start going to the opera again.
34. Start flossing daily.  (I got through spurts where I’m really good about it, then I won’t do it for weeks months on end.  Just keeping it real…)
35. Eat at my dining room table daily, not just when we have people over.
36. Stop being bothered by having just turned 36.

A lot of these things aren’t major world or life changing things.  Most of them aren’t sexy.  Many aren’t deep.  Some are.  On some level, most are unmet goals that show a pattern of non-completion in my life.  I want to be someone who finishes what I start, someone who sees things through to the end.   What do you say?  Wanna help keep me accountable?

Cheers y’all,