One Week

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you're probably wondering what in the heck happened to my "6 'til 40" list. If you're new here, that was a list I put together of the things I wanted to do in the 6 months leading up to my 40th birthday. Well, my birthday is a week away, so I thought I'd finally bring you up to date on what's been going on these last few months.



I did cross a few of the things off the list, like go through a corn maze. I also redesigned my blog business cards and gave this site a minor face lift (very minor, more like housekeeping, really). I took my camera with me on a walk and I hosted a tea party. But that's about it. There are approximately 15 things I never did and some are really simple, like going to the cupcake bakery or getting a massage. Nope, still haven't done that and I'd really like a massage right about now, believe me.

Many of the "usual" things kept me from doing the rest of the activities on my list, mainly running out of time, or simply forgetting. But let's face it. Not having time is an excuse, plain and simple. I've chosen to spend my time doing other things. And I'm OK with that. Over the last six months, things have changed and my priorities changed, as they often do. Shortly after making the list, an opportunity came up to attend an art workshop. Going to an art retreat or workshop was on my list, but not the public one. It was the one buried deep in me that I hadn't verbalized to anyone but myself. I just didn't think it would happen for me; it was just a remote dream. Just goes to show that I need to dream BIG and out LOUD, and sometimes the universe will listen - and I will take action!

I missed the first opportunity for the workshop because it sold out in hours, but the hosts, Donna Downey and Christy Tomlinson opened up a second session for Inspired: Soulful Artist. Since I'd emailed and asked to be put on a waiting list, I was given the opportunity to sign up before the second session was made public. I signed up immediately.

That was the first step down the new direction things took for me, a direction away from some of the things on my original 6 'til 40 list. A week or so after I signed up for the Inspired event, I discovered the Bloom True e-course which I've already written a bit about. This was the next step.

Slowly, making art became my focus, my new source of happiness, rediscovering the joy I've always had in making art. In some ways, I no longer needed the original list because I was filling the months leading up to my birthday with things I loved doing. The Bloom True class started February 6 and the artist in me truly did bloom as a result. It lit a fire. The Inspired event, from March 1 through 4, kept the fire burning bright.

Soulful Artist Workshop - My table - the BEST table - love these women!!

Meeting 23 other women that shared my love of making art was incredible.

Me with Christy 

Me with Donna

When you're surrounded by people that speak the same language you do, a language you don't get to use much in your day to day life, it's incredible. I met women I hope to be friends with for a very long time. I learned many things about making different kinds of art, but the biggest takeaway was the community.

It's these things that have made the 6 months leading up to the big 4-0 a real joy, and isn't that what my whole "6 'til 40"was about - making time for things I want to do? Oh, I did the CRAP out of that, let me tell you.

I still want to do all of the things on my list. I have the name of a photographer I want to contact about taking pictures of Dwight and me. I'm still determined to hit the local bakeries, still interested in going to the museums in Chicago, the ones I haven't been to since childhood. But I'm OK with all of the blank check boxes on my list, because in the last 6 months, I feel like I've found ME. And I can't WAIT to see what she does in the NEXT six months.

Bring it!

Photo Walk - RED

Although I didn't mention it in the 6 'til 40 list I had in my post, one of the things I've wanted to do for a long time is go on a "photo walk." For me, that meant taking my camera when I went for one of my walks around the neighborhood. I was always concerned that I would look silly or people would think I was weird for walking around with my camera. Or worse - freak out that I had a camera and think I was a weirdo stalker-type taking pictures of their yard/house/sidewalk or canvasing the neighborhood with some evil intent. Yeah, I've got issues. But I have read about a few too many incidents where photographers were harassed or given grief over taking street photos. But I digress.

I decided that a photo walk would go on my list and on October 22, when the weather was just too nice to stay indoors, I decided to grab my camera and go for a walk. Before I did, though, I asked for suggestions on a theme for my walk on Twitter. My friend Barb piped up with "I vote Project Red." I thought, "Why not?" and headed out.  I knew I'd find red leaves since it's autumn, but wasn't sure what else I would see. I needn't have feared. Having "red" running through my mind meant I saw it all around, like when you buy a new car and suddenly see that car everywhere.

I stepped outside my door and found red instantly.


And about five steps later, this:


I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that, hey! This isn't going to be as hard as I thought.



In fact, it was fun! Yes, there were plenty of red leaves.


But there were every day things I wouldn't have thought about had I not had the prompt.







I even found a theme within a theme - red litter. Kind of depressing, not exactly elegant, but interesting (to me).





Dying flowers took on a new life:


Common driveway sights become inspiration:


And when I looked at the temperature, I smiled... for a couple of reasons. *click*

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This is part of my 6 'til 40 list – a list of things all the fun things I want to do but have been putting off. I plan to tick off an many of them as I can before April 2 to celebrate turning the big 4-0.

Corn Maze Adventures

About 15 minutes from my house is a huge farm that creates a corn maze every year and is open from about the end of September until Halloween. I don't know how long they've been doing it, but long enough that I've told myself repeatedly that I'd like to go. I was hoping to go last year when a friend came to visit for a long weekend, but the weather didn't cooperate.

But on the 15th, I finally made the trip. The weather was windy but lovely — and I got to check the very first item off my 6 'til 40 list. Win-win!

I told my sister I wanted to go hoping she and her kids would come, too = extra fun and extra photo opportunities. She was game and on Saturday afternoon, she picked me up and we headed to Leininger Farms to walk the corn maze. Her oldest was with us and her middle girl was coming with our parents. So it was a whole family affair. 

My sister and me

Except. My mom was creeped out by the idea of spiders in the corn, so she was NOT game for going through the maze. She was cracking me up. I think it was one of those childhood trauma things rearing it's head and she just wasn't having anything to do with walking though 7 foot high corn. 

Well, she needn't have worried because these guys have this thing DOWN. It's pretty obvious that they plan out the maze even before they plant the corn, so the paths are made of packed dirt and really wide. It was really well maintained and really easy to get through. As a bonus, the corn blocked the wind AND the sun was shining like crazy. Beautiful!

Me and K

Lisa's middle girl, M, turned out to be quite the map reader. She became the official guide and earned the nickname "the human GPS." My sister and I joked that she certainly didn't get that from our side of the family, or at least from HER. Or me. I can read a map OK, but my sense of direction is pretty abysmal. I had no idea where we were it that maze, but my argument is that I was too busy taking pics and letting them lead the way.

M- the human GPS

One of the fun things about the maze is that they set up stations at various points along the maze. Each station is marked on the map they hand out and has a question pertaining to the theme of the maze. This year the maze was in the shape of Indiana and all of the questions had to do with the state. 

You are here.

Many were really easy, some we THOUGHT were easy and weren't. We missed 3 or 4 out of about 14 or 15. M quickly discovered a way to "cheat" on the answers. The questions were multiple choice and there was a hole punch at each station, so you punched either A B C or D. M saw the punched circles scattered on the ground and found out what everyone else was answering. It was pretty funny.

Scattered answers

We made it to the middle...

The center!

And kept on going.

M & K

We even found a very elusive someone while we were in there. 

Hey! I found him!

So if you're wondering where Waldo is, last time I checked, he was walking around a corn maze.

We kept going until we hit all of the stations (or so we thought - we missed one) then walked over to the HUGE selection of pumpkins and gourds. And went to town.

And my sister found a teeny tiny pumpkin/gourd. Awwww.

It was a blast! I'm so glad I went and got to spend time with my sister and two of my nieces and visit with the 'rents. 

In case you want to see even more of the adventure, here's the whole flickr album:

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This is the first of many adventures I plan on having over the next 5 months or so  (yep, already down a month - yipes).  I'm turning 40 on April 2, 2012 and I've created a list of fun things I want to do between now an then. Stay tuned for more 6' til 40 happenings!

What I'm going to do — 6 'til 40

As you might recall, almost 2 weeks ago, I posted that it was 6 months until my 40th birthday. I threw out the idea – and question – about setting a goal to help me feel a bit better when I hit the big 4-0. So what did I decide?


Well, first of all, I stressed out about it. 'Cause that's what I do: make mountains out of mole hills and stress about making decisions on just about anything. It's the reason I hate shopping, for instance. I'm paralyzed by choices and then get overwhelmed, buy something I shouldn't have and the get pissed. Yay! Aren't I fun?! 


I fully realize that most decisions on any given day are about as far from life threatening as you can get, so just make a decision and call it done, right? So I tried to chill out and I took my friend Barb's comment to heart. She wrote, "My only suggestion is pick something you'll enjoy the whole time, not just something you'll look back on and be impressed with but something you'll love at each and every step."


Wow, what a novel idea. Do something fun. Seriously, it was the gentle smack upside the head that I needed to hear (thanks, Barb). I hadn't even been thinking "FUN" just "SET A GOAL AND DO IT" — no wonder I was stressing. So I decided to do something fun. LOTS of something fun, actually. 


I made a list. Not a "bucket list" because this is just for the next six months, but a list of all the little and not so little things I've wanted to do for a long time but keep putting off. Why? Various reasons. "I have to work" seems to be a popular reason. "It makes me a little nervous" is another.


None of the things on my list are earth-shattering, and some of you will be going, "Really? She has to put that on a goal list? Isn't that something people just DO?" But that's the idea; do the things that I SHOULD be doing to have a good time in this one chance we have at life. I'm sure I'll be adding to the list as I remember things, but here are some things I have on it now.

• Go through a corn maze (I live in Indiana. Can you believe I've never done this??)
• Go to the cupcake shop downtown. Ask if I can take pictures while I'm there (asking this is what makes me nervous)
• Go to various local bakeries (Sense a theme? I want to sample each places "Best" or "signature" item... and see if I can make it better. *wink*)
• Take Dwight to the Farmer's Market. He's never been to the one in South Bend and it's great. I know he'd like it.
• Get a massage (or three)
• Go to the local museum
• Go to the Chicago museums (haven't been to any of them {except the Art Institute} since I was a kid. Very sad.)
• Learn how to use the photography lights Dwight bought me for my birthday.
• Join LibriVox and record a book (or chapter)
• Hire a photographer for a photo shoot for just me and Dwight. We did boring old Olan Mills shots for our engagement photos. I LOVE the current style of couples photography and want some of us.
• Go to the winery in Bristol
• Throw a tea party
• Learn how to use chop sticks
• Have a smores party in the winter (use the fireplace for toasting marshmallows {note to self: get the chimney cleaned!!})

What do you think? Sound like fun? I think it's going to be GREAT!

6 'til 40

Six months ago today I turned 39. Which means six months from today I'll turn 40. *gulp* There's a better than average chance I'll not handle that well. Just being honest. But I'd like to try to mitigate that by setting some sort of goal. I have six months. What can I achieve?

I've been thinking about it, and a lot of things are swirling through my head. Should it be something physical, i.e. learn how to do a one hand pushup or 100 push ups in a row, something like that? Or should it be a creativity challenge: take a photo every day, learn a new art technique, write here every day, work my way though another cookbook? Should I take this 6 months to finally declutter the way I've wanted to for so long but just never have?

I still don't know what it will be, but I think it should be concrete, measurable, and broken down in steps so that I can reach it in six months.

I want it to be challenging, but something I actually WANT to do or something that should get me closer to an even larger goal.

I'm reminded of a woman I read about on the Weight Watchers forums years ago when I was an active member. She was at her goal weight and decided to set challenges for herself to keep her motivated and on plan. One of the things she did was train to be in a body building competition. For real. This was a woman that had lost a lot of weight, was no spring chicken and I don't think had ever exercised much before WW. But she did it. She worked for it and made it happen.

I'm not saying THAT is what I want to do, but the way she went about it is pretty cool. I know some people operate like this on a daily basis. It's just part of their nature to set goals, make plans and execute them. Unfortunately, that's not me. I'm a go-about-my-days-without-much-of-a-plan kind of gal and I'm drifting too much for my liking, something that bothers me more and more, especially as I near *gulp* 40.

So what about you? Do you regularly set goals and make the necessary plans to make them happen? Or have you done something like I'm talking about here—have a future date in mind and work methodically toward it with a plan in hand?

I'd love to hear about it! Share in the comments, or link to a blog post, if you have something similar on your own blog (or a blog you read).