so far anyway
1. teach the boys to make brownies
2. eat dinner in the Mission
3. sell a book
4. rescue mother in law’s books, the ones in boxes in the garage
5. use my sewing machine
6. read the Three Musketeers
7. great retro green cloth binders – use them
8. run out of pencils
9. make a table from reclaimed wood
10. get the perfect tattoo
11. recover those chairs, the 1950s chairs from the Kaiser Building I got for free
12. re-read Pudd’nhead Wilson
13. sell something on craigslist; maybe more than one
14. spend an afternoon in North Beach
15. commute by ferry and bike — in July, September, or October, when that would be beautiful
16. figure out what to do with all that great flannel fabric
17. grow some herbs
18. attach the pencil sharpener and use it (see 8 above)
19. write a short story
20. thank David Marshall for being such a great professor in college
21. ditto Drew Clark
22. have another Little House on the Prairie month
23. use that doctor’s bag Jack carried in the Wizard of Oz
24. honor Helen, our neighbor who died last year, by planting a rose bush
25. write an episode of a television show
26. plant a fruit tree
27. send a postcard to my parents; maybe more than one
28. make a series of drawings of family life
29. spend a month out of the car
30. walk the Berkeley Pathways
31. have a picnic
32. put up a canopy
33. make margaritas
34. play board games under the canopy
35. make sweetbreads
36. take the boys to the café at Chez Panisse
37. learn how to change a bike tire
38. play mini golf
39. use a grommet
40. help an orchid come back to life
41. watch It Happened One Night
42. ditto Easy Living
43. have a 30s screwball comedy film festival under the canopy
44. wear more hats
45. use a staple gun
46. paint some furniture
47. figure out how many pairs of shoes I really need
48. eat in Oakland’s Chinatown
49. have one of those huge mission burritos
50. thank my parents
I think you can do #2 and #49 at the same time, if you are highly efficient about it.
And when you’re ready to take care of #48, let me know!
Genie — yes, and we could also do #2 and #49 at the same time! But let’s start with #48. Maybe next week? xo
5. Teach me how to use a sewing machine and you will accomplish that goal.
10. I’ll get one with you. I’m dissatisfied with the one I have, but am waiting for divine inspiration to send me a sign for the next one.
13. easy peasy, and fun.
17. buy some basil at Trader Joe’s; plant in a pot; fresh basil all summer. Make bruschetta. Yumm.
35. take this off your list.
37. what? didn’t you do that in 1993 in england? i did. on that farm where the guy was shearing sheep.
40. best way to do this is ignore it. water once a month, at the most. within a year, it will sprout a new green stem and then a flower. orchids are easy. you just ignore them.
45. staple guns are fun but be careful. you are some what dorkish, like me
46. very fun and rewarding. nice to do in the spring and summer when it’s pleasant outside.
47. not many. really.
50. easy. call them. thank them every time you talk to them. time’s a’wasting.
xoxo
and..i’ll write a short story alongside you.
Christine — it is! I have half a story. I keep thinking about it. I even have a title. Or at least I did, but now I can hardly remember it. I’ll meet you at Semifreddi’s — we can knock out a story don’t you think?
Debby — Sweetbreads? Never! I had that vegetarian period, and I liked it, well, except for the anemia part, but I remember having sweetbreads that were incredible once, and I want to see if they really are that incredible. As for the staplegun yes, I’ll be careful. I am indeed dorkish.
28. You can do it!
Good luck w your list. I turned 50 a few weeks ago and need to make my own wish list. So far the only new thing that I’ve done since my b-day was to experience the pain of a dental drill. I don’t want that to be the penultimate experience of my 50th year.
I love this list.
I realized I loved it by the time I reached # 10 and realized I connected to all the resolutions. Then I finished the list and thought: Wow, what a great list.
Great list, please do keep us posted!! Re: #16, make sure to blog about it when you’ve found out, I’ve got great flannel fabric I’m so reluctant to throw out (my first idea was a old-fashioned horsehead-on-a-broomstick project, but your kids are too big for that). Besides (adding to your #5), I’m secretly scared I don’t remember how to use my sewing machine.
Sorry, my English is bad this morning. Your kids are not too big, they are too old (silly me)
I so enjoyed reading your 50…and happy birthday! I read the 3 Musketeers as a teenager and loved it then. But the Count of Monte Cristo was even better. I didn’t have to take Home Ec–I took typing instead. But now I wish I’d learned to sew. I started this year. And I also have a roll of flannel!
Thank you Lilian — I have heard that about the Count of MC — I’ll put that on my list of 51 things. I want to know what you do with your roll of flannel. All I’ve come up with so far are shopping bag ideas.
Pauline — They are BOTH too big and too old, although couldn’t they make such a thing for a younger friend? As for the machine, once your foot touches the pedal it will be too exciting for words and you won’t be able to stop. Right?
Hello Anthropologist — I’m so glad you are among those who’re interested in the tattoo subject. I have seen some beautiful typographical tattoos, for example. It’s just a question of where and what.
Cam — Happy Birthday! Nope, the drill is not allowed to be on the list. Get crackin’ so you have something to put between you and it. xoxoxo
Debbie, in this project, I am relying on Ed Emberly to get me through.
it’s ON. i’ll email you.
#4 — “Yes of course,” said the Librarian.
#6 — My number six is Moby Dick…how did I make it to 50 without reading Moby Dick?? Maybe I should blame T. Sherry for not making us read it in College Prep Lit?
#41 — Excellent choice! Large man on bus that falls asleep on CC’s shoulder is Marvin Loback (aka my Great Uncle Oscar!)
#50 — Often.
You’re back! Happy birthday BL! Love your list, especially “Help an orchid come back to life”.
Oh, Polaris, how nice to hear from you! I have particularly missed checking in to see what you’re doing in Boston. (I’m going over there in a moment, in fact.) I have many orchids, in their post-bloom state, and would like to see them bloom a second time.
Hello Jan! It’s so terrific to see you here — I’ll look out for Uncle Oscar. I read Moby Dick because I was told to, which is my excuse. The truth is, though, that it’s a good book! Let me know how it goes. Mr. Sherry seemed to be all about the short book, and the short paper, which is something I didn’t realize until I got to college and had to read long books and write long papers! Do you know what happened to him? I had such a huge crush on him.
C–I’ve answered!
I think I’m going to steal a few of those in about 2.5 years time, especially the one about selling a book!
I like #10
and burrittos
U-dad: That day isn’t far away — the book selling day I mean.
Cole: me too!