Bucket Lists

Very often I hear people remark about their "bucket lists" and how, after they've reached a certain milestone, they are able to then check off one of the "things I gotta do/see/experience before I die." This sounds stressful to me...downright depressing, too. To have a list hanging over me as a constant reminder of all the things I still need to do or accomplish seems to me more of a burden than a motivation.

Now I'm not averse to keeping lists and making goals. Lists keep me sane and goals motivate. But a bucket list? Not for me.

My nesting dolls from Moscow

There are things that I have done/seen/experienced that I never would have even imagined putting on a list. They just happened. Act in a play, visit Moscow, learn  sign language, move to North Carolina....you know what I mean. Interesting events happen to everyone in seemingly random ways. My bucket list is being written as I live my life. The writing of this "list", my life in Christ, is the work of the Holy Spirit. His ways are so much higher than mine. I need to trust Him with writing my Bucket List.

So far, so good. And if I ever swim with the dolphins, climb Mt. Everest, sing a duet with Josh Groban... 

SuperthriftingfrugalistaeBayalidocious

Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious...superthrifting-frugalista-eBayalidocious!



Some of my eBay goodies

So as I continue to "thrift" (a now cool term for people like me who like to dig around thrift stores) I come upon some really wonderful items...that aren't my size. So I sez to myself, "Gee, I wonder what I could get for this on eBay?" And so now I am an eBay seller of purses, shoes, and other really cool stuff. At least I think it is. And when someone bids on one of my offerings, I feel strangely validated as if they are approving my taste in second hand apparel. If no one bids on something I've listed, well, I feel somewhat hurt. I've failed. But when there are multiple bidders, then I feel an eBay rush of adrenaline. Quite addicting.

I don't think I will become one of those mega eBay selling success stories... you know the one where I quit my real job because I'm making twice as much a month selling my fantastic thrifted items. The one where I also become a famous blogger who writes about being a famous eBay vendor. The one where I am a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show telling my awesome life story. No, I won't be eBayalidocious...but a girl can dream.

Just a Little Different

A rogue blossom on one of my azaleas has made me think about ways people try to break free of conformity. I think we all want to buck the system in one way or another - for my husband and I, it was our decision to home educate our children. Others try to blur gender boundaries. Some live off the grid. There are Republicans who do not watch Fox News and democrats who dislike tax hikes...very rogue indeed.

So here is one little flower doing its own thing and now I can't get its image out of my mind. Would the white azalea shrub be just as lovely without that pink rascal? Yes, but now it has an interesting imperfection which makes it more lovely, more memorable.

As I think through this metaphor I suppose the shrub could represent society and the pink flower represent the peculiar person.  Or the shrub could represent an individual and the oddball bloom represent the desire to be unique in some small way. Hmmm. Deep, no?

I think I need to ponder this a bit more. But first, I must cue music...

Look, to See, to Remember

This mantra was drummed into my brain by Mr. Joseph Fitzpatrick.  He was a dedicated artist who made it his mission to train young artists in the Pittsburgh area for many decades.  For several years I was privileged to be one of his students.

Mr. Fitzpatrick knew that the power of observation was important for more than drawing an object or painting a picture.  It was a way to process life - to see the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It was important for him to teach his students how to go beyond looking at generalities to seeing the details and to then let those details soak into the brain...and remember. Look at a leaf. Observe the veining, the edges, the color, the sheen. Or look at the sky and notice how the atmosphere affects the color from the horizon upward. He taught his students to study not only the micro, but the macro perspectives as well.

Then he took his mantra on step further. Enjoy. Enjoy the observation, the study, the practice, the entire creative process.

Look, to see, to remember...to enjoy!