Thursday, June 04, 2009

Beautiful Summer and My Beautiful List

So, we all know that last week (the weekend?) wasn't so hot around Happy Meets Crazy Land. However! This week has more than made up for it.
Our "school" is going fabulous: #3 learned how to measure, #2's reading has already drastically improved, #1 learned that she can use the words "bottom" or "rectum" instead of "private parts" when writing a theme on digestion, and #4 has learned to cut paper. We've been to the BYU's Museum of Art and Museum of Paleontology, the park, the library, and swam and hung out with cousins. We've gone grocery shopping, made grape-sicles, and I allowed the kids to create their own "carnival" in the backyard --you should see their booths and games!

And holy cow, it's only Thursday night. I seriously hope I can keep this pace up!

The best part, though, is how low the stress-level has been. We have had no major commitments, and so everything we've done we've done because we want to and not because we have to. Having a fairly empty calendar has it's perks, you know!

And now, for my next subject: My List.
I have been thinking about my list for a long time, and I actually said it out loud today. And it surprised me, because deep, deep down, I think I've always wanted to do these things. They just never seemed possible because I don't have those talents. I'm a musician. I'm a friend. That's all. I don't do much else. Just imagining myself in these scenarios ten years ago (even two?) was unthinkable! But now? I'm not sure. I can't tell if it's because I've aged (hooray for 30!) or if it's because I'm braver or more humble or more...whatever, but no matter the reason, I now see myself as having the ability to do them all. And I want them!

What I want:
*I want to be a gardener. I want to grow my own vegetables and feed my family from my garden. I want beautiful flowers and trees --not necessarily a perfectly manicured yard or landscaped garden --just a functional one that I can maintain.
*I want to learn how to do all the things I swore up and down for years that I would never want to learn how to do --I want to learn to quilt and sew and can food...I want to be "domestically independent!"
*I want to be brave enough to use a clothesline and create compost and plant an apple or apricot tree in the back yard.
*I want to write poetry under the apple or apricot tree in my backyard.
*I want to finally finish my novel. And then write another one.
*I want to be a Camping Family. I want to hike with my kids and camp for days at a time. I want to show them the breath-taking beauty of the Tetons from Table Rock and the crazy view from Mt. Timpanogos. I want them to love the sound of a crackling fire and the smell of morning dew from the inside of a tent. We've gone a couple of times, but I want to go more.
*I want to be healthy by eating those veggies and fruits from my yard and hiking and being outside --and I want this health for my children.
*But then, I want music and blogging and friends and TV and vacations and Italy and Thailand and the Theater...

Is it wrong to want so much? Especially knowing that it might take another 10 years to get what I want (including the fundage to do some of this stuff)? If you notice, I didn't say "be debt free" or "have financial freedom" because to me, this is obvious --I won't get the things I want above until I have some of that financial freedom. But that doesn't stop me from making the small choices now to get me the big ones later, eh?

What is on your list? What do you want that you have never thought you could have or do? Long-term, I mean? Or within a few years?

8 comments:

Alison Wonderland said...

Oh sweetie, don't get me started on the things that I want. You don't have that much time. But you're right about the getting older thing (hooray for 29. Again.) I am a lot more patient with that kind of stuff now. I've learned about seasons in life and how to embrace them and how to let them go. And I've also learned that sometimes I may as well just go ahead and do the thing that I want to do. Like planting fruit trees, 2 apple, a cherry, and a plum, in the yard of a house that I may very well not live in for the rest of my life. I may not even live there long enough to ever get fruit off those trees. And the people who live there after me may hate them and cut them down. And that's ok.

All of it.

Julie P said...

It's never wrong to want things that will enhance and bless your life (and your family's, too!). Just as long as you understand, and you do, that they'll happen one at a time and over time.

When you get ready to can, call me. My friend in the ward taught me when we moved here and it's a gift I'd love to pay forward. I love canning!

Amanda D said...

I'd like to can my own salsa and spaghetti sauce. One thing that was on my list was actually using my food storage, and I've been doing it!

Never A True Aggie said...

Well, as for gardening, the Square Foot Garden book totally changed things for me. It makes it so easy and cheap. Totally check it out. As for compost, I lucked out last year and found someone's old composter on the side of the road, but from what I have found, it is totally easy to do. You could even use a large box with one side ripped out. You can put anything you want in there that is edible, minus proteins, plus egg shells and tea bags.

I just did my first quilt and it was so fun. You should try it. Joann's fabrics has some kits that are really easy and walk you through it. There are also some really good websites and you tube videos.

I want a lot too, but find I have to balance everything, even the things I don't like, such as housework. Good luck! I am glad this week is turning out better.

Cardalls said...

I too want to be a camping family...but would really prefer to camp inside a cabin, or at least an RV..but since the funds are low, tenting it is it. I did not grow up camping, but did grow up going on cook outs and going to the cabin at Brighton, it's one of my loves and I miss the beauty of it!

Gardening is one of my loves, but i live in a place where it is SO hard to do it, it takes so much effort and time and right now that goes to my kids. I think in the next year I will be able to do it.

I also want to quilt, but no machine makes it a problem.

TO every thing there is a season, in the future when all my kidlets are in school will be the time for all of my time.

Cristy said...

I have lots of plans for my life too and hopes and desires... and that 's when God decides to laugh at me. :) Plans are great, hopes and desires should be kept alive, but honestly, when you've got a gaggle of small children, surviving gracefully is the only realistic goal for me on the table. Not that I don't do anything else, but it's really really hard. I'm trying to keep my expectations low so I don't get too depressed. Working on it!

Sorry about the shampoo incident. Always keep in mind it makes for a great blog entry, and for telling stores someday at their wedding. :)

Anonymous said...

That's quite a list. A nice list. Funny how I don't want to do any of those things on your list. Well, except for maybe that last one. My problem is I don't know what I want on my list. I guess my #1 would be I want to know what I want.

I hope all of your wildest dreams come true.

earlfam said...

I like to jump right in. I have no idea what I'm doing with gardening or composting, but I just do it anyway. And I learn as I go along.

That's my personality and it works for me.

I did thing the same thing with sewing when I was a teenager. The first dress I tried to make I refused to even use a pattern. It was a total disaster. But I learned from my mistakes and by the time I was in my mid 20's I had made several beautiful wedding dresses.

Not everyone can operate that way and that's okay. But if you can handle a little failure at first, it is a valid method for learning new things.