My Bucket List

 Originally Written Between 2017-2020                                          

Years and years ago, I remember creating a mental list of what I would like to do in my life.  This list did not go past marriage and children.  At that young age, being married and having kids were all that I wanted.  If I was married, I would be happy.  If I had kids, I would be happy.  I never thought about how many kids I’d like.  I do remember Norm saying he thought he’d like 12 kids.  When I was in labor with Michael, our first child, I told Norm that he could have the other 11.  

 

Although I didn’t know it at the time, my next set of goals was called plans.  I planned that we would have a house in a neighborhood with lots of playmates for our kids, we’d become involved in our church, and I’d become a room mother at school.  Becoming a den mother for Cub Scouts was not a goal or a plan, but I believed that if I was a den mother for one child, I would be fair and do the same for the others.  After three boys, I sure was glad Rebecca was not interested in being a Campfire Girl!

 

My very first bucket list item – although the term “bucket list” hadn’t yet been invented – was when I was turning 40.  I took a look around my life and decided that I really did want to do something “different” before I turned 40.  And that was to take a cruise.  A Caribbean cruise.  And so, we did.  Three months’ before my birthday.  And on my actual 40^th, Norm threw me a surprise party.

 

Our lives continued on with all four kids graduating high school and off to college.  Life was good.  But, that’s when I started adding items to that bucket list.  Graduating college was one.  Took me nine years and I graduated with my BA five days before I turned 50.

 

Once the kids were off at college or on their own, Norm and I actually sat down and made a list of things we wanted to do.  More travel – to Europe three times – and Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, and most of the Caribbean islands.  Check!

 

Moving into a townhome.  Check!

 

Attending our children’s weddings.  Check! Check! And Check!  I’m still waiting for that fourth check!  (Note:  On July 8, 2017, David married Elyse Niemann in Reno, NV – check!)

 

Having grandkids.  I had no control over that goal, of course, but we do have three grandsons.  Check! Check! Check!  Now, I’d like a granddaughter.  I think that at this time in my life, that’s called wishful thinking. (Note:  Isabelle McGraw was born on July 16, 2019!)

 

Items on that bucket list are being completed slowly but surely.  The most-recent one was to celebrate our 50^thwedding anniversary on a Mediterranean cruise.  So, for 12 days in September, we cruised to Italy, France, Montenegro, and Spain and had the time of our lives.  We came home to our children throwing us a beautiful anniversary party – dinner with our relatives, our original wedding party, and close friends at Buena Sera Italian Restaurant in Champlin.

 

Now, it’s time to work on checking off more items on our list; such as in February when we leave the Minnesota winter for a couple of months in sunny Arizona!

 

While looking at my current bucket list, I see a “theme.”  It doesn’t involve travel to specific countries any more – probably since we’ve been to many of them and health issues are starting to limit what we can and cannot do.  The theme is about me.  Now you might be saying to yourself right now, “Well, it is your bucket list after all!”

 

Right.  But, my list seems to concentrate on what I want my family to learn or remember about me and what I am passing on to them.  Such as:

 

ü  I want to write a short paragraph or story about my jewelry collection.  I have many beautiful pieces from Norm, my mom and grandma.  They may or may not be expensive, however, there is a story behind each piece that I want future generations to know.  And then, I have to decide who gets each one!

 

ü  Photos –not only my childhood photos – and Norm’s -- but all our parents and grandparents photos.  I want to scan the quote “best” ones and send them off to Shutterfly to make individual albums.  Then, I’ll be able to throw away most of the pictures – especially ones that contain pictures of people I don’t know!  Now all I have to do is learn how to scan and use Shutterfly!  These albums are not cheap.  It will take a long time to collect the best ones.

 

ü  Most of you know that my parents owned a roller rink for over 14 years in the 50’s and 60’s.  They produced 14 skating shows with a cast of over 100 skaters in each show.  My dad took several pictures of each skater and production.  They also held a “Skateland King and Queen Contest” with 24 candidates each year.  Forest Lake does not have a city museum.  Washington County isn’t interested in saving Skateland’s history.  I’d like to create a web site dedicated to Skateland with categories for every year.  This is a monumental task – especially since I have no idea how to create a web site.  So, add that to the list of things I have to learn.

 

ü  Next on my list – silver, crystal, china, antiques and other heritage items from our own collections as well as our ancestors.  What to do with them?  Our children have all said they don’t want or need most of our items.  Again – I would like to tape a note on the back of each item to tell a story; such as, the turkey platter that my mom made in ceramics and gave to me to carry on the tradition of hosting Thanksgiving.  I then have to decide who gets what!

 

My bucket list not only is time consuming and probably expensive – it challenges me to learn new ways to accomplish these goals.  Wish me luck!