Bucket List Update

It is time for another bucket list update for the year, covering everything up through October 1^st.

Item 1: Complete a Book Idea. I have handwritten out three more chapters, and am now at around 14,500 words. I didn’t get as far as I would have liked, but came across yet more research that has shown promise in greatly helping with one of the subplots. Grade: B

Item 2: Promote/Expand http://raisiningourhumans.com. Postings over the summer have largely stopped due to other time constraints, but overall viewership for the year is up 21%. Grade: C+

Item 3: Raise Awareness of using Natural and Local Goods. In the same state as the last post. Grade: A-

Item 4: This has been the most improved item, although it took a sad event to improve here. It was very enjoyable to spend more time with my family, and although I haven’t had much time the past couple of weeks with all the catching up that needs to be done, some great things came out that will keep the flow going here. Grade: B

Item 5: Read At Least One Book Every Three Weeks. I have fallen off the pace more than a bit and most likely will not be able to catch up this year. Not that I won’t try… Grade: D

Item 6: Review an Indie Writer's Book...At Least 6 this Year. I am right on track with four reviews written; that keeps me right on pace with a review every other month. Grade: C

Item 7: Get into nature at least five times a month: Another place of great improvement. I spend at least an hour every day in nature, which has greatly helped me in meditation, Reiki, and life. Grade: B+

Item 8: Increase Spiritual Pursuits. I do daily meditations daily, both walking and the more known Buddhist style. I still find them to be especially strong the day after a new moon and the day before a full moon. Wonderful things are happening here, even though my lower brain still yells a little too loud at times. I was attuned to Reiki Master level, and this weekend will begin Reiki Master Teacher training. Grade: A-

Item 9: STC. This one is largely on hold. I continue to research and watch developments so that I am ready at a moment’s notice. Grade: C

Item 10: Master Polish. Doskonale! (Excellent).  Ha! I wish! More pieces of the puzzle are coming together as I enter into level A2 classes. Speaking is still a challenge, but reading comprehension is much better, writing is getting better as well as my spelling, and listening are going well. Grade: B+

Item 11: Continue to Frequent the Little Guy. Done and done…no change here. Grade: A-

Item 12: Shameless Self Promotion. I have continued my efforts and recently surpassed 1000 Twitter followers...all of which are non-spammer, active, users. Grade: B

Item 13: Aviation. Attended the EAA annual Fly-in, and have dived into aviation history as part of my book project. There is still a long way to go. Grade: D

Overall: Grade C+. I have made some big improvements in some areas, but fell off a little bit in others. This just proves that it is hard to balance everything that you want on your plate at the buffet table of life.

Ode To My Grandma

Each time I sat down to write this, I was filled with a sense of confusion. How do I, in a short collection of sentences and words, convey the life and love of my grandma? 

While debating the words to put down I came across a quote on Facebook; “Fall is the perfect time to honor the people, places, events, situations and times that have impacted your path.” She only saw about 10 days of this fall before leaving this earth. Those ten days afforded us all a lot of thought about who she is and how special she is.

Going through her house, boxes, her life…so many pieces are put together. Her house had a lavender sachet pillow in seemingly every corner of every room, closet, or cabinet, giving her house and belongings a distinct lavender scent. The boxes of photos, religious cards, funeral “In Memoriam Of” cards, receipts, recipe books, catalogues, and magazines drew a vivid picture of a life that I had only heard an occasional stray story of. 

As the first boxes were brought to my parents’ house, the common thought was “why did she save all of this?” The answer is so vividly clear to me now, and no, it does not involve her randomly sticking a $20 bill in some strange place once in a while. In saving all of these things…she turned her house into a large, living time capsule of life for us to find, unearth, and relive some of those moments from her life, as well as many in our family that were able to meet her when she arrived in heaven.

The memories come like a flood to my mind; the occasional ride with Adam in grandma’s car to a nearby playground or to her sister’s house in the car that would later become my own. Fuzzy barking like crazy, riding the Big Wheels that maintained a place in her garage, or the grocery shopping trips with her that seemingly lasted for days. Playing Monster cards or Pick Up Sticks, doodling on the chalkboard in the basement…the list gets longer and longer.

The earliest memories of my many visits to her home that persist until this very day are the blue walls that still are present in parts of her house. That was her favorite color, though anyone that visited her home would have easily guessed this. Blue is significant because in Christianity it symbolizes heaven. That explains why a trip to grandma’s house was always a little slice of heaven for us all.

I remember that she always had the widest range of diet soda…anything from Tab to diet chocolate soda. I remember the taste of that first sip of diet chocolate soda until this day…yuck! In recent years she was given as a Christmas gift a soda maker so that she could make her own soda. It is funny to me that my grandma, who never had the internet or a computer, is immortalized on YouTube thanks to the first attempt at making soda with this machine. 

Christmas memories with her all fly by like the snow in the wind…so vivid in the moment but it just all starts to run together when looking back in time. Her gingerbread cookies were always just right, and my brother and I were amazed at how she could always remember those special gifts on our lists that Santa had apparently forgotten. While on the topic of Christmas, who could forget her asking about who was whining on about Christmas on that cd upstairs? Mariah Carey, grandma. Her and mom’s discussions on how to best use those Christmas crafting gifts will be missed the most I think.

The love of crafting that she shared with mom will be what I remember the most. Her house was a literal gallery of her many love filled creations. Many of those boxes that were gone through contained so many of her thoughts and creative pouring’s, and I cannot help but to feel a little sad that many of these will not be realized. 

Back to the quote that I read earlier…how has she impacted the paths of those that have been blessed with her heart at one time? How can anyone of us answer that? All of us here are on our current path because of the love that she gave us, her family and friends, and life. Our love for her has us here to say goodbye to her physical life, but also to say good morning to her where she is now.

I love my grandma for all that she was, is, and will be.