So I am super excited to be attending Camp Mighty this year (CAUSE IT’S ON MY LIST!!! see below…) and one of the things about Camp Mighty (aside from never talking about Camp Mighty, which isn’t true but would be hilarious although counter-productive if it were true) is the LIFE LIST. A work in progress if ever there was one…and here it is:

100 things to do….in no particular order.

1. Learn about jazz.
2. Take a cooking class.
3. Learn proper knife skills.
4. Take a dog agility class.
5. Sew something with knit, with jersey, with wool, with silk.
6. Take a sewing class.
7. Design a knitting pattern.
8. Take a food and wine tour – Spain, Italy, France.
9. Have a custom-designed closet.
10. Write a short story.
11. Keep a blog.
12. Attend something full of creative people: Blogher, Mighty Summit, Camp Mighty.
13. Write a book.
14. Go to a film festival.
15.  Go camping. Tent camping.
16.  Travel to India.
17. Learn to speak a foreign language fluently.
18. Live overseas.
19. Attend the Westminster Dog Show.
20. Try on a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. Maybe even buy them.
21. Teach my girl to ride a bike.
22. Go to Venice with the hubby.
23. Visit the Netherlands with my girl – see the tulip fields.
24. Go to a Notre Dame football game. Teach the child the fight song.
25. Renew our wedding vows – have the wedding we would have wanted.
26. Take a vacation with friends.
27. Rent a house at a lake for at least a week.
28. Rent a house on the Outer Banks.
29. Build a gigantic sand castle.
30. Spend Christmas in Paris.
31. Take a road trip across the country.
32. Take a cruise with the girl.
33. Go on a whale watch in a zodiac – get close up.
34. Take a ballroom dancing class.
35. Visit Versailles and Vaux le Vicomte.
36. Take the girl ice skating in an outdoor rink.
37. Cut down a fresh Christmas tree.
38. Go to a really traditional midnight mass with great music.
39. Go to a movie premiere.
40. Roller skating with my girl.
41. Take singing lessons.
42. Try out for the Amazing Race.
43. Learn to scuba dive.
44. Go to the Olympics.
45. Start a book club.
46. Go river-rafting.
47. Work on a farm.
48. Have a chicken coop in the backyard.
49. Have a really great garden.
50. Give a TED talk.
51. Eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France.
52. Attend a runway show at Fashion Week.
53. Do something everyday for one month – like take a photo, or post on Facebook or on a blog.
54. Learn to ski.
55. Reconnect with my freshman advisee Edward Norton.
56. Sing in public.
57. Go on an African safari.
58. Ride in a hot-air balloon.
59. See a taping of the Daily Show.
60. Visit the Galapagos Islands.
61. Volunteer to read aloud at a local organization.
62. Teach an adult to read.
63. Take a surfing lesson.
64. Become a mentor.
65. Become a board member for an organization I’m really passionate about.
66. Throw a dinner party at least 4 times a year.
67. Cultivate friendships with women I admire.
68. Visit Vancouver.
69. Be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
70. Have 5 songs I can play by heart on the piano.
71. Have a home yoga practice.
72. Do an unassisted pull-up.
73. Learn about photography.
74. Learn to throw a piece of pottery bigger than a saucer.
75. Have high tea in London.
76. Go to Wimbledon.
77. Visit Australia and New Zealand.
78. Be at a vineyard during the Vendange.
79. Take a silent retreat.
80. Take a spa vacation at Canyon Ranch.
81. Visit Yellowstone Park.
82. Go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
83. Walk on the Great Wall of China.
84. Read 100 books in one year.
85. Visit the rainforest.
86. Be in a movie.
87. to be continued….!!!

I’m a process and progress person. I like the doing as much as the finishing, sometimes more. Rows of even stitches, one foot in front of the other to cover mile after mile. Being in the middle, on the journey, is when you can see how far you’ve come and still have the sweetness of finishing to look forward to.

My daughter is almost 8. A fascinating age. When you can do so much, yet still can’t do everything you can imagine or want to do. She’s a perfectionist too – a terrible combination. A number of years ago I started to try to remind her when she got frustrated at something to remember the first time she tried it and how much easier it was now, even if it wasn’t as perfect as she wanted. At times I thought it went over her head. But she’ll surprise me now with a passing comment – “Remember when I couldn’t do a cartwheel Mom? It’s easy now.” And I think being able to see herself that way will serve her well.

I try to start each day – after the dogs are fed and the coffee is made, before the girl is up – writing a few pages in my journal and doing the day’s to-do list (thanks to the amazing Karen and the Chookoolonks Pathfinder course). This morning, as I wrote “Thursday, March 1” at the top of the page, I felt a little sinking in the pit of my stomach. How is it March 1? What happened to February, even with its marvelous extra day? What have I accomplished? Am I falling behind?

This is going to be a year of change and transformation for our little family pack – both my husband and I are figuring out what we really want our work to be so we are in a period of great reflection and creativity. And we are incredibly fortunate to be able to take our time for awhile. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit there is a tension between my commitment to not rush and to not start shutting down possibilities because I start asking “how?” way too soon, and my deep and abiding desire for certainty and a plan. Just tell me where I’m going and I can get to work. But this time, I’m deciding where I want to go, not where I think I should go. Much easier to get stuck.

My man is a consultant and coach by trade so he’s been reminding me recently about the power of words. The way you can diminish the power of an action simply by self-protectively labeling it as silly or unimportant. And the way your brain will find a way to answer any question you ask it. Why can’t I ever finish a project? Your brain will give you all the reasons you can’t, and increase the probability that you won’t finish the next one.

So this morning as I found myself feeling a little panicky at the things I coulda-shoulda-woulda done in February, I remembered his advice. Seems to me that a yet-to-do list holds a lot more promise than a not-yet-done list.

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The Pantone color for 2012 is called Tangerine Tango. I don’t know how they do it, but it certainly seems to be calling out to me. And I am not normally an orange person.

But here’s what’s on my needles now – and the lovely skein of Tangelo sock yarn from Scout’s Swag that just came in the mail today. Hmmm.

A favorite photo of myself? Despite my angst about the self-portrait prompt, I don’t mind having my photo taken by other people and am often pleased with the results. But in choosing a photo for today, I found myself wanting to go back to a photo that captures something I felt very empowered to be able to do:

And in the interest of honesty, here’s what was happening a split second later:

I’m really grateful we caught that moment of balance though!

So I have a confession to make first. I am not on Instagram – since I was too impatient to wait for Verizon to get the iPhone, am too cheap to upgrade before I am eligible to do it as inexpensively as possible, and actually like my DroidX. I have also decided that I want to learn how to use my camera more creatively, with the hopes of someday convincing myself that a DSLR is a worthwhile investment. SO my plan was to be inspired by the lovely photo challenge to both take pictures AND get in the habit of posting regularly. And it’s not been a total failure, but I think if I was playing in Instagram land, I would probably have a picture up each day. Sigh. As it is, there’s the taking of pictures…then later on the locating of cables and connecting to laptops…then the posting. And tomorrow is another day. Onward and upward!

Day 17 – Time

Day 18 – Drink

Day 19 – Something You Hate to Do

Day 20 – Handwriting