JULY BUCKET LIST

American Manicure/Celebrate the Fourth of July/Eat Watermelon

I love the Fourth and all that comes with it. This year my Fourth of July celebrations were not the same exciting and patriotic themed events but I was still festive and enjoyed celebrating our nation.

Make Ice Cream

I’m not a huge ice cream lover but every now and then I get a hankering for some but because that is so rare I do not typically keep any in the freezer so I do the elementary school trick of making ice cream in a zip top bag. The original recipe calls for putting milk, sugar and vanilla in a bag and then sticking that bag inside another one with ice and salt. However, I do not typically keep milk in the house so I just use coffee creamer and it works brilliantly with no need to add other ingredients. It doesn’t make a ton but it’s still yummy!

Read a New Book

I’ve started several books in the last few months that are not quick to read through because they are specifically paced. One is my “Prayers with Jane” that I mentioned earlier and I’ve also started a new book called “How to Talk to Guys” by Stephanie May Wilson which may sound silly but the concept was intriguing to me. If you know me well, you know I LOVE to talk and could easily talk to a wall if given a topic of conversation but it might surprise you that I am dismal at small talk. I’ve never done well with basic chitchat because I feel awkward, my mind goes blank and I panic. I’d rather walk barefoot through a field of Legos that to be stuck in a conversation with a stranger so while Mrs. Wilson's focus is with guys, I think this applies to any situation requiring small talk. Ultimately, she uses her book to explain some of the ways she overcame this issue plus the book has a 14 day prayer guide for single ladies. I’m really enjoying it thus far!

Spend the Day with Family/Mother/Daughter Date

Even living in the same city as my parents, I often find that I am so busy that we see each other in passing so one of the great things about the summer is that I can spend the day at their house. We typically lounge about, watch tv or research genealogy. My Daddy loves to cook all kinds of delicious meals and Mother and I typically just chat for hours. Of course, the Boys are there to partake in all and to cause a bit of mischief!

Bake Bread/Make Butter

I love bread and made enough to feed and army at the beginning of the quarantine so I only made a baby loaf this time. Also, if you’ve never made butter it is very simple as long as you have a mixer. Just beat heavy cream past the point of whipped cream where it splits. The butter can be drained and then you can customize your butter. Add herbs, salt or make it sweet with cinnamon and sugar.

Try a New “Old” Recipe

As part of our Harry Potter marathons, I decided to bake pumpkin pasties because they are always mentioned in the books and pasties aren’t really an American thing. I made some of the sweet delicious “movie” version that were based on what’s available at the Wizarding World but I also want to make some that were more traditional so I found a recipe for a savory pie. It was delicious and by far my favorite with its sage and thyme. It tasted very much like the fall which is my favorite time of year. Both were a perfect touch for our marathon.

Complete One Bucket List Item

I have a bucket list I created in a journal when I was like eighteen and while I’ve marked many things off, I’ve come to realize that many of the items on the list are out of my control. Age and wisdom would have me alter my list but if I’m honest I’d like to take some off because they are so far outside of my comfort zone. However, I decide to accomplish one of these tasks. I will have a blog post about this little adventure in a few weeks so I will leave it for now.

Watch an AFI Film

Speaking of bucket lists, watching all 100 of the American Film Institutes’ Greatest Movies of All Time is on my list. My issue is that I’ve watched most of the films that interest me. The ones left on my list are either difficult to find, think hundred year old films, or they are movies I do not want to watch alone, think “Silence of the Lambs”. I decided to re-watch one of my favorites on the list and in general, “Singing in the Rain”. I love Gene Kelly and this movie is definitely one of his best! Add the precious Debbie Reynolds and the hysterical Donald O’Connor and you can’t help but love it! (Side Note: I can't tell you how many times I've nearly put my eye out trying to do Gene's umbrella flip.)

Random Act of Kindness

I love that you can do little things that add sunshine to someone else’s day. It’s fun to send someone a gift card to a coffee shop or to pull up your neighbor’s garbage can or write your pastor’s wife a note that tells her how she amazes you. You never know what a little bit of kindness can do for someone. It’s even better when they don’t know it was you!

Anne of Green Gables Marathon

If you’ve been around C&C for long you will know I love Anne and Gilbert. I love the stories, humor, adventures and sentimentality. I fell in love with the movies as a kid and the books as an adult. Avonlea and all its residents are like dear friends to me and I love going back to visit them whenever I get the chance!

Do a Jigsaw Puzzle

I’m going to be honest, I just didn’t do this because I didn’t want to do it. I don’t have a ton of puzzles at my house and the one I do have is the nightmare puzzle from last year. I refused to do that one again!