The List

Time to revisit that list again. (THE List, The 101 Things to do in 1,001 Days List.)
I've got til next February to finish this up. It's going to be a busy year ...

1. Remove the damn chippies from the garage. Sept 10, 2006: I told Clint he had one week to get rid of them. “Or what?” he asked. “Or…or…I’ll be miserable to live with because I’m sick of them being in there. If you don’t remove them, I’ll be disappointed and angry and frustrated.” “I can live with that,” he decided. Update: Dec 9, 2006 - They are out of the garage. And in the crawlspace...CHECK

2. Get a new hair do. Preferably one that does not involve the daily use of multiple appliances. Sept 2006: Some days my hair is so matted after washing it, that it takes 15 – 20 minutes to comb through. I don’t always have that much spare time in the morning, so I pull it back, uncombed, into a big ol messy pony tail. When I get home from work, it’s still damp. June 9, 2007 – Arrrgh. Had to get my driver’s licence photo taken last week, and I really REALLY had hoped I’d have a new ‘do for it. Now I’m stuck with this style for another 5 years.
July 2007 - CHECK. Shorter and layered. (And for good measure, had my driver's licence picture retaken.)

3. Try 10 new recipes. (works out to one every 100 days) Sept 2006:I have the first one ready to try in the next few days. June 9, 2007 – I can’t believe I’m not on top of this! This was an easy one to do. Anyway, I’ve tried one new recipe. One. I loved it. Kids? Not so much … Will make a bigger effort to try new recipes this summer.

4. Buy a laptop. CHECK. Rec'd one as a gift on June 3, 2006

5. Enter a photography contest. Sept 2006:There’s an upcoming one with a Sept 30 deadline. I don’t think I took any “good” photos this summer, though. Bummer. Might have to wait til next year. June 9, 2007 – Sadly, another season has gone by without me trying to do anything in this area. CHECK. Entered a photo of Enrique from our Mexico Missions Trip. REGRET that I did this. The entire process is a scam.

6. Take a challenging photography class. Sept 2006 - Challenging = Expensive. Might have to wait on this one. June 9, 2007 – Not going to happen this summer, either.

7. Attend a family re-union. CHECK Sept 10, 2006 – My mom’s side of the family: The Neumann’s.

8. Do the Sun Run in less than 90 minutes.

9. Figure out a long-term solution to my facial hair problem.

10. Try a fruit not previously tasted. CHECK. Dragonfruit. Won’t go out of my way to have it again.

11. Try a vegetable not previously tasted. CHECK. Tried that crunchy raw-potato thingy in Puerto Vallarta in January 2008.

12. Lose 10 pounds. June 9, 2007 – Done.

13. Lose another 10 pounds.

14. Lose an additional 10 pounds.

15. Lose 10 more pounds.

16. And again with the 10 pounds.

17. Plant grass in back corner of yard. CHECK Drew and I threw down enough grass seed to cover an acre in an 8 foot by 8 foot space on Tuesday June 6, 2006 Now whether it actually becomes a patch of grass remains to be seen. July 18 Update: Half of it has come in.. Sept 10, update. It’s all growed. Looks good.

18. Finish Europe scrapbook. Crumb. I can’t even find it. Dec 9, 2006 - Found it. Still haven't worked on it.

19. Hire someone to wash all the blinds. June 9, 2007 – They are disgusting, Thinking of taking them down and throwing them out. Do I really need blinds? CHECK Hired the Blind Man in December 2008. Very happy.

20. Buy another lens for my camera. June 9, 2007 – In January, Clint bought me a new body for my camera…CHECK Clint bought me a rockin lens for Christmas 2007.

21. Read through the Bible. Twice. Two different versions. June 9, 2007 – Oops, not even started on this. May 2008 - Changed my mind on this. Rather than reading it to get 'done' - I want to read it til God speaks to me through it.


22. Plant 10 scented flowering plants in the backyard.

23. See the Northern Lights.

24. Explore a Gulf Island.

25. Go tenting. CHECK. August 2007 - Mexico Missions Trip

26. Enjoy an evening of live theatre. CHECK Bard on the Beach – August 23, 2006.

27. See a musical. CHECK Saw High School Musical at Fundy, Spring 2008

28. Visit the Vancouver Art Gallery.

29. Have dinner at a new restaurant. CHECK East-Side Marios. Yum. And Pasta Pollos. Double Yum.

30. Go quadding. CHECK March 2007 in Arizona.

31. Watch Season 4 of West Wing. CHECK October 2006

32. Watch Season 5 of West Wing. CHECK November 2006

33. Watch Season 6 of West Wing. CHECK November 2006

34. Watch Season 2 of Lost. CHECK September 2006

35. Join Murrayville Church.Sadly it closed before I got around to making it official.

36. Submit an article to the Herald. CHECK March 2007 - Submitted and published, in print and online.

37. Have house painted a non-peach color.

38. Sponsor another child. CHECK Edwin from Uganda. June 9, 2007 – Ooops. I lost him. Took too long for me to confirm my Visa details so someone else scooped him up to love. However, I will not look for another child to sponsor as I’ve decided to help Jesse with his Road to Rakai (Uganda) fundraising. Jan 2008 - Jesse's Road to Rakai project fell apart, so I've sent some money to Oz to help J & S.

39. Make a batch of canned peaches.

40. Read 100 books. Thirty done so far…Sept 10, 2006 and none since then...June 9, 2007 – Wow. I started so strong and then petered out. Know why? Cuz I have to find a pair of glasses before I can see the words. 39 books read so far. May 2008 - I think I'm at about 70.

41. Go to Cannon Beach in Oregon with my boys. Show them the rock where The Goonies was filmed.




42. Volunteer in a soup kitchen. June 9, 2007 – The soup kitchen will be in Mexico, so to speak… instead of taking the kids to Union Gospel Mission to help out one evening, the 4 of us are going on a Mission’s Trip to Mexico to build a house at the end of the summer.CHECK - Mexico Missions Trip August 2007

43. Offer to babysit a newborn. CHECK Babysat Tink for 50 minutes.

44. Go on a hike in the Vedder/Chilliwack area.

45. Go on a hike in the Golden Ears area.

46. Go on a hike in the Whistler area.

47. Snowboard one more time.

48. Do a front flip on the trampoline.

49. Grow a citrus tree in the greenhouse.

50. Observe Lent.

51. Give out grocery gift certificates to street people.

52. Try to arrange a vacation house swap.

53. Go to the Okanagan in the fall and pick apples.

54. Enter everyone’s phone numbers into my cell phone. June 9, 2007 – How hard can this be?

55. Visit 3 different Vancouver beaches.

56. Watch the Fireworks from a location other than Kits Beach. CHECK Aug 5, 2006. Watched the fireworks from English Bay.

57. Visit the Asian Market in Richmond. CHECK Friday Sept 1, 2006

58. See a show at the Pacific Theatre. CHECK May 2008

59. Buy a black bra.

60. Throw out all obsolete files. CHECK Sept 9, 2006

61. Buy a new mattress for my room at Cultus. CHECK - Bought a new one for Drew instead December 2007

62. Repaint walls in hallway.

63. Have a picnic in 6 previously unvisited parks.

64. Bake a pie. Easier to just buy Maxine’s pies.

65. Apply to go to Europe with Drew’s class. New Plan... Drew is not going with his class.

66. Have laser surgery on eyes. Or buy a dozen pairs of reading glasses. Bought another triple pack of reading glasses from Costco Sept 6, 2006. June 9, 2007 – I’ve looked into this. Cost is $3500, so it probably won’t happen…

67. Deal with old journals. CHECK February 2008.

68. Enlarge and frame summer photographs for empty walls in room at Cultus.

69. Buy a denim jacket. CHECK Oct 2006

70. Get glove box fixed in truck. CHECK December 2007

71. Have moles removed. June 9, 2007 – Did it myself. Bought a pair a tiny sharp scissors and snipped off the dangly ones on my neck. Still want to get a large one removed from my back. Afraid that when I ask my doctor about it, he’ll tell me I’ll feel better about it if I just do some exercise. CHECK Moles removed November 2007. Stitches removed May 2008.

72. Go bowling.

73. Play lazer tag.

74. Go for 101 days without chocolate. CHECK June 9, 2007 – I did go for 101 days without chocolate. They weren’t consecutive days, mind you…


75. Replace the fridge. CHECK It will be delivered next Tuesday. Will finish paying for it June 2008. I LOVE it

76. Learn a new craft. Take a class.

77. Send 100 birthday/greeting cards 20 sent out so far, Sept 10, 2006. Have sent another 28 since then. June 9, 2007 – Sent out another 17 this spring. CHECK. May 2008

78. Visit a non-Mennonite place of worship CHECK Worshipped at Southgate (Pentacostal) on Sunday June 4, 2006

79. Make a new friend. CHECK– June 9, 2007

80. Try 10 different types/flavours of tea. Have tried 3 so far, Sept 10, 2007



81. Drink 1,001 litres of water.

82. Take a computer graphics software course. Hopefully in October. Maybe in January?

83. Go to Buchart’s Gardens.

84. Go to VanDusen Gardens.

85. Go to Minter Gardens. CHECK July 16, 2006

86. Go to Sendall Gardens. CHECK June 2007 – and took a lot of pictures…

87. Purchase couch.CHECK May 2008. (Have I mentioned how much I love it?)

88. Pray for 100 people once a week. CHECK. My list of folks I pray for weekly has 127 names on it.

89. Host a dance. June 9, 2007 – Can’t think of an occasion to host a dance yet, but I know which band I’ll hire…

90. Make a doctor’s appointment. Have a complete physical. June 9, 2007 – Made 3 appointments this month, none have involved taking my clothes off. CHECK. November 2007



91. Book a spa weekend at Harrison. Facial, Massage, Pedicure…

92. Finish photograph album project. Have moved the project home… now my dining room is full of albums to be conquered and divided. Project has been moved to my closet. I fear it will never get finished...

93. Write a letter to an author I admire.

94. Attend a book-reading event.

95. Attend a lecture/speaking event at Regent College. CHECK June 2007 . Will do it again. Hopefully I’ll understand the content next time.



96. Attend a lecture/speaking event at TWU.

97. Attend a lecture/speaking event at CBC.

98. Float on an air mattress on a river.

99. Float on an air mattress on a lake.

100. Float on an air mattress in a pool. CHECK Arizona March 2007

101. Visit my grandparents’s graves. I didn’t visit their graves, but I did drive past all their homes. I was amazed by the strength of my emotions as I stopped in front of homes that were a huge part of my childhood. I don’t think visiting their graves will cause the same reaction.



45 out of 101 is not a very good score. I will be cramming this year in order to get a passing grade. It's always funner to do these things with friends... Anyone want to join me on any of the above? :)

Three things I'm thankful for:
1. Big, bright, beautiful flowers

2. It's the weekend. That in itself is cause to be thankful.

3. Quiet evening at home. Just me n (2 of) my boys. After Drew went to bed I watched the BBC version of Jan Austen's Persuasion.

4. New flip flops.

5. I can sleep in tomorrow. Good thing, because it's almost 3 am right now.

6. I'm wearing the world's oldest softest pajamas. I love them.

7. I'm thankful that my mom is getting better. I'm thankful that my dad is content.

8. I'm thankful that Max is on the island, camping and caving with his Geography class.

9. I'm thankful that Clint gets to spend some time this weekend doing what he loves - filming snowboarding on Seymour.

10. I'm thankful that I live in Canada.

Shalom,