Muddy Spring

My Final List of 40 Things in My 40th Year

These are things that I have experienced and am grateful for.

Some of them required nothing on my part, others did. In some ways it's my year in review.

1. Published an article (In The Wyoming Woman Summer Edition)

2. Made Lip Balm Today (New Years Eve Day)! (After having the stuff for at least 6 months)

3. Made a quilt top of my own design that isn't squares--rectangles, but not squares. (This is the ocean quilt for Tiny inspired by The Q and U).  The finished quilt:

4. Completed a quilt top from a pattern. (this went off with Granny before I remembered to take a picture, but 2 years into it it's done!)

5. Took a trip to the Northwest to be with my youngest sister on a special day for her and her husband. As a side (and amazing gift) I got to visit with most of my family. Thanks Sean, Mom, Dad and Om for that gift. Better than London. :)

6. On the above trip reconnected with an old friend. What a wonderful time that was!

7. Recieved a silver bracelet as an early birthday present. This is a carved bracelet that has the two love birds (Eagle and Raven) and Raven has a  bentwood box containing light (he is the light bringer). I still can't believe that it's mine. Someone I know carved it and that makes it even more special. To top it off it came from my folks in a wonderful little ceremony that involved my folks and kids. Everytime I wear it I think of them. I see my mother's hands in mine when I look down at it.

8. Drove a 4 Wheeler for the first time.

9. Heard a pack of coyotes singing in the night for the first time. (Even if I mistook them for yipper dogs)

10. Went camping and fishing as just our family for the first time. Memories!

11. Caught a fish and remembered why it was so fun. ("Just one more cast")

12. Started making vinegar (first time and I'm very excited.)  It worked!  Thanks to my sister-in-law for "THE MOTHER".

13. Made a pair of pants!  They didn't fall apart with the first washing this time either.

14. Transitioned baby chicks from their box (in the mail) to their new home. (Thanks to another sister-in-law for the help with all of that!)

15. Held a grown up chicken for the first time (finally getting a handle on the freakiness of it).

16.  Made my way into the murky world of e-readers.  I'm still not too sure about it all--but I'm  learning a lot.

17. Volunteered at a Co-op once in my own town and once in another one.

18. Watched the fireworks from a place where I thought for a moment I was celebrating in Alaska with my little family enjoying it too. (Tiny's "bread" making aside--this included tossing dust into the air or our eyes depending on your point of view)

19. Watched two wild mountain lions cross the road and climb a cliff.
20. Made two bucket hats for my kids.

21.  Bought alcohol for the first time (I know this might be a big deal to most people, but it took me a while to get my nerve up so I'm counting it.)   It made vanilla.

22. Learned how to pressure can and canned 53 pints of beans--among other things this summer including 8 quarts of Turkey.

23. Wrote another article--it will be published next year.

24. Listened as Mowg truly read a book for the first time.

25.  Thanks to a gift from one of my sisters I was able to talk face-to-face to every member of my family.  Technology, though I curse you frequently, you can be an amazingly wonderful gift.   Thank you too dear sister for that beautiful gift!

26. Finished 3 year old Hungry Caterpillar Quilt

27. Spent Thanksgiving with one of my sisters and one of my brothers and got to "see" everyone. Greatest holiday of my life--despite the sickness that confined me to my nieces bed.

28. Started reading stories at the elementary school library once a week.

29. Watched my son and daughter get acquainted with my family this year. Delightful. (Did not get pictures of everyone--at least I can't find them right now.)

30. Helped butcher chickens for the first time--mostly I was the chicken scalder along with the drop-the-chicken-in-the-chicken-plucker person.  I did get to do some of the gutting/cleaning/final inspection/bagging parts too. It's such an interesting process. I still have some squimishness when it comes to the live ones though.

31. Milked a Cow for the first time ever and wasn't nearly as scared as I thought I'd be--it was fun!

32. Made cherry pie filling for the first time AND made a pie with it. I mean I really made a pie.

(picking the pie cherries here)

33. Picked huckleberries in the mountains--my first time for huckleberries, but a delightful flashback to childhood for berry picking and we were able to share that as a family.

34. Took the kids to the Rodeo for the first time.

35. Took a child to school for the first time.  Oh my!

36. Got to visit with some other old friends and learn the reality of what I suspected was my memory starting to go. It was great to see them and meet their kids!  And I'm glad they remembered...even if I couldn't.

37.   Had my first CAT Scan (nothing fell off and they found nothing wrong--great on both counts!)  Part of my gratitude in this one is the display of concern and care my kids showed to me.  It was a last minute thing so they had to be there and when the nurse came in to put an IV in my arm they advanced on me like an army and held my hand to help me get through the "poke". 

38.  Spent a magical day at the eternal edge of the Salt Lake with two mostly naked children (who had arrived in their footie pajamas), their Dad, and myself playing games, running, writing and reading words in the sand and never quite making it to the lake itself.  Proof to me that you can turn a frown upside down and smile that frown away. It also reminded me that sometimes not having the camera with you is a good thing.

39.   Watched the Lunar Eclipse--most of it.  I didn't get to see the full exclipse as it was obliterated by clouds, but it was so fun to watch and think about my dearest watching it from where he was.  Thanks for giving me the moon Babe!

40.   Bought a Christmas tree from a store for the first time ever.  We also had it down and to the city's "chipping pile" by the day after Christmas (Boxing Day!)--a very first for me.  In the past the earliest it's every come down was New Year's Day and often not until February.