Yesterday, we celebrated the graduation of our seniors at my job. Riding back on the bus, teachers relaxed and talked about what we would do this summer. One person lamented that she didn’t know, and I told her how we had a tradition in my house of the list. I know I’ve posted about the list before here, but I didn’t realize how unusual it was until the woman and I talked.
So far this summer, we’ve tried to throttle the season since last year’s June, July and August got cut short. We’ve been to the pool four times. We’ve eaten out. We’ve sat by a fire and watched the stars. We’ve held a party and been to a cook out, seen two movies, gone to the mall and run a 5K. We’ve got tickets to a two concerts and a show this summer, plus a beach house for a week. School hasn’t yet let out for me or three of my kids, but ice cream is on the menu and on the brain. I’ve banged on the drums and my son rocked out his guitar.
Joy is something one has to pursue, to seek. Summer must be embraced as surely as the heat of the sun. I thought about the list. We want the fun that comes from both anticipation and tradition. We had not yet posted it, but habit made these experiences already a reality.
So I promised I would make more of my list. Here’s the more of the list, and here’s the link to the prior list to add onto…https://www.patheos.com/blogs/chocolateforyourbrain/2022/05/not-wading-into-it/.
36. Maintain my title as the unbeatable Bobby Flay of the family.
37. Clean out our closet.
38. Get a pedicure.
39. Sing Karaoke and embarrass the heck out of my kids.
40. Drink a Margarita or Sangria with my husband
41. Play chess round robin with my kids.
42. Make it to the gym four days a week.
43. Make it to daily mass –online or in person, the other six days of the week.
44. go-carts.
45. Bonfire and smores
46. Go to a Zoo.
47. Play Badminton.
48. Foodtruck Day
49. All the Monuments.
50. Skip rocks at a stream with kids.
51. Observatory.
52. Air and Space Museum.
53. Minigolf with all the kids.
54. Chalk drawing all the driveway.
55. Master some of this blogging stuff.
56. Learn how to tango.
57. Eat at a restaurant with a fantastic view.
58. Go to a street fair.
59. Go to the Agricultural Fair.
60. Trucky day –where I rent a truck and load it with all the junk and take it to the junkyard.
61. Learn how to make a curry –and what is a curry.
62. Write a letter a week.
63. Go to a winery.
64. Magic tournament with my family.
65. See a horse race.
Okay, that’s thirty more…will come up with the remaining 35 next week. Bottom line, dream up joy so you can get busy living it.
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