Bucket List – 2020

It’s that time of year – in the with new Bucket List, out with the old.   Let’s recap last years list (2019 link) and see how I did.

Add More Books to my Library:   I added some, but not as many as the year before.  Bookoutlet to the rescue again on Cyber Monday.   There’s nothing quite like receiving a big box of books in the mail.  

Books from Book Outlet

An Unwanted Guest calls for Grace not Perfection….

 I didn’t buy a new bookcase, just removed the glass doors from the old one which made a big difference.   (B as in Bargains, for the big Rotary Book sale is coming up in January).  

Start Writing Murder Mystery:    Well I started – but I didn’t continue.   I wrote a rough outline during two snowstorms last winter, but it was soon abandoned because my plot was too cliché and I didn’t like my protagonists enough to want to spent a lot of time with them.  Maybe a short story?  Maybe a Christmas short story?  Thus giving me 11 months to procrastinate….   (A because I started).       

Renovate Kitchen:   done and dusted, but more work than I expected.  See Once Upon a Kitchen Reno link.   (A plus because it went smoothly and I was happy with the end result).

Kitchen Reno

The After Picture

Spend Money on Experiences versus Stuff:    Tickets for everything seem to have escalated in price, so I decided to reassign the money saved from not having to pay my annual license fees to this cause.   While I did do a few more things that I wouldn’t have ordinarily (Harvestfest Supper), summer theatre, the majority of the money set aside for such fun endeavors went to the electrician, who I’m sure had fun buying a new guitar for his rock band.    PS.  I was good at staying out of the dollar store however, except for a few new things for my kitchen cupboard.      (C for effort, but needs more work/fun).

Kitchen Reno

Dollarama treasure

Walk Every Day for Thirty Minutes:   Who am I kidding?  I failed dismally at this.  It was either too hot, too cold, or too rainy.   The worst wackiest weather year ever.   This will be put back on this years list, as Santa brought me a warmer down-filled parka.    (D minus).   (edited to add: maybe I can return it -the weather has been downright balmy lately).

Host Virtual Literary Salon:   This was fun and gave me a good excuse to write about  books I have read recently and some older ones which made an impression on me.  (see The Literary Salon under Books on my homepage for a list of the books I reviewed.)   (A)   

2000 Goals:

Eat More Low-Fat:   get some new cookbooks and experiment with low-fat recipes – motivated by the gallbladder issues of a family member and the massive heart attack of a colleague younger than me.   Making a few changes in my diet (eliminating salty snack foods and cutting down on desserts) has already made a big difference, especially in my energy level.  

Exercise:   maybe try something indoors like water aerobics, but then I’d have to go from the warm water into the cold air?    I really need to think about this some more…

Home Renovations:    redo bathroom floor (I already have the ceramic tiles, an end of the roll lot, just need to find an installer) and new window treatments (shutters or blinds?) for the two big front windows currently adorned with heavy gold drapes and pull strings.   For anyone who remembers my harvest gold dishwasher, these drapes are equally ancient.  They provide privacy and are in good shape but are ugly as hell, so neither Maria VonTrapp nor Scarlett O’Hara will be recycling these relics.  

Buy a new camera:    I’m still taking pictures with my 2005 digital camera – yes, it’s a teenager at fifteen years and like most teenagers the zoom lens is temperamental.   I’ve done a fair bit of camera research, and initially wanted one which had both the LCD screen and the old-fashioned viewer lens for framing on sunny days, but it’s impossible to find one that’s not too big or too complicated, so I will probably settle for a good old Cannon point and shoot as I’m lazy when it comes to learning new technology.   There’s always the cell phone camera….

Hold A Giant Garage Sale:   (early June)  once I get all that leftover kitchen stuff sorted out from the dungeon where I dumped it last summer.  

Clean out Clothes Closets:    add to garage sale.   I don’t know if people have any luck selling clothes at garage sales, but when I took a pile of perfectly cute though itchy wool sweaters to the vintage store, the owner said they would sell better at a garage sale than anything he could offer me ($6 for three sweaters), so back home they went.  

Sign up for Netflix:    Maybe……I watch very little TV now, and am afraid I’ll be sucked into the vortex of wasting hours watching mindless shows I would otherwise never have heard of.   Maybe Brit box instead?  Any advice?

Write Shorter Blogs:    “Yea, good luck with that.”     (What’d mean, it was only 800 words?) 

Happy New Years!

bells

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 thoughts on “Bucket List – 2020”

  1. Anne says:
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    You have done well! Our home will buckle under the weight of books one day, so I am more circumscribed about buying more – except when it is my turn to host our Book Club. That is an amazing source of really interesting reads along with the benefit of good company once a month. My desk is piled with half-written short stories and two novels: there are always interruptions (odd that no-one ‘needs’ me when I’m doing the ironing!). My plans to walk for thirty minutes daily failed for the same reasons as yours, however I am committed to walking once a week with two friends – followed by coffee, thus combining exercise and company. I hope your will make a good distance with achieving your 2020 goals.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Thanks Anne – you have done well! Two novels is admirable…..and I have enjoyed reading the short stories you’ve posted. As for the exercise I thought I’d try for 3 time a week this year – it’s more reasonable. I like to walk alone with my music and my thoughts, although I could walk with two neighbours they walk way too fast for me! It seems strange we are facing a new decade. I hope the new year brings some rain for your garden!

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    • Joni says:
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      Happy New Year Kate! I cleaned out my books three years ago, but am now in the process of adding back in. Novels I get from the library but just things I would like to own a copy of or may re-read someday. I was bad however and ordered 17 books off the bookoutlet.ca site for $50 last week in their Boxing Day sale. (that might be only on the Canadian site as I’m not sure you have Boxing Day in the US?), They had $40 off $100 plus I used $15 worth of points. At $3 a book if it’s not good I donate them to a booksale. I enjoyed your year in review post – your brother looks good for 89yr.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Dave says:
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    I skipped all those “2019 In Review” articles that come round this time of year, but your review was fun to read – the goals as well as your efforts to achieve them. I say “A for effort”!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      Thanks Dave! I do try to make them entertaining. I wondered what movie you saw in your last post re the popcorn? I so seldom see anything worth watching, although I might go to see Little Women which came out on Christmas Day.

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      • Dave says:

        My wife and I saw “Bombshell”, which was excellent, but probably more appealing if you follow the U.S. Fox News channel and know a little about the scandal that went on there over the last several years. We will also see “Little Women”, though I don’t know if we’ll go to the theater or just wait for pay-per-view. We’ve become very selective when it comes to the big screen. “Downton Abbey” a few months ago, but I can’t tell you the last time we were in the theater before that.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Thanks Dave. I think Nicole Kidman is in it, so it must be good, and had heard a bit about it and the Fox scandal. But think I’ll wait for home viewing, same with Little Women.

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  5. Jo Shafer says:
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    Happy New Year, Joni! I think you really did yourself proud with the kitchen renovation project. The squared U shape is perfect for one person working, with everything you need surrounding the sink. I really like the calming color scheme, too.

    Yeah, walking. Especially with a Cocker spaniel that wants to spring ahead. Or off to the side to sniff something. I tried, but rated at least a C- on that one.

    Books? You betcha! That’s an ongoing project . . . . like the Pink Bunny . . . .

    My one-word goal for this year is ORGANIZE. Covers a lot of territory, doesn’t it?

    Blessings to you and your Mama. ~ Jo

    Liked by 1 person

  6. lindasschaub says:
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    Joni – I went back and read your ambitious bucket list for 2019 – and then this one. Both are admirable and you still get a gold star for 2019 even though you didn’t get everything done as you dealt with the renovation that took months, including pre-job and post-job, the running around, the cleaning out of the kitchen cupboards – whew, it wore me out reading what you did.

    Then you dealt with the pesky wasps and were off the grid most of October as you explained to us why when you finally returned. You were inspired to walk, but there was nothing inspiring about our wacky weather (and I snickered that you want to return the heavy coat as it is now not that cold) … that cold will come and you’ll get plenty of wear from it.

    You are ambitious with more decorating – well, the kitchen turned out bright and beautiful, so why not go for it, as long as you sit down long enough to relax and read all those books that are begging you to crack them open. I still have the pile that await me – I was inspired by you to read more, did a good job over Thanksgiving by reading two books, but have failed miserably since then to get it done. But I will … the Winter is young unfortunately.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      Thanks Linda! I’m sure we will have more winter, but it is strange that when it was so cold before Xmas and I needed a warm coat I didn’t have one, and now I do it’s spring-like. Oh well, it will shorten the winter up. I’m glad I inspired you to read again – there’s nothing like reading for pure relaxation.

      Liked by 1 person

      • lindasschaub says:

        Maybe it is like they say if you go to a restaurant and light a cigarette the food will be ready faster – I guess people don’t say that since less people smoke these days but it was a common expression back in the day. Get a heavy coat in anticipation of a bad Winter and you have good weather. Keep buying them Joni! Yes I was inspired by you – I must hunker down again like I did at Thanksgiving. There will be time I’m sure, but what about the art supplies? That was an impetuous buy after that misadventure I took in the Summer. Lots of times to do these things after retirement.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. annieasksyou says:
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    Encouragement: yes, emphatically, to exercise—however you can manage it!

    Yes, definitely, to your mystery novel: start with a story —maybe even a 100-word Drabble. (Worked for Mary
    Shelley and Isaac Asimov!)

    Yes to streaming. We’re currently watching and enjoying much of The Crown on Netflix. But see if you can get an intro week to BritBox so you can peruse its offerings.

    Looks to me like you’ve had a very productive year! Here’s to an A-plus 2020!!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. J P says:
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    Let’s see, I didn’t walk every day, didn’t get rid of any books and didn’t remodel my kitchen. And I certainly didn’t start a novel. But we have subscribed to Netflix for several years, so at least there’s that. 🤔

    And 800 words . . . Yeah. That sort of marks one of my posts at about the 2/3 to 3/4 mark.

    Liked by 1 person

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