Bucket List Revisited

For years and years, pre-satellite TV days, I watched Channel 8 (KAET) broadcast from ASU and was captivated by the Saturday morning line-up of creative endeavors. Okay, so my family wasn't always impressed with some of the recipes I'd try from those programs, but still. Everything from cooking to Sewing With Nancy to The Joys of Painting. I loved those shows! How cool was it that visions of final projects could define the steps and procedures of making that vision a reality.

Okay, I could follow a pattern, too. These weren't patterns being projected, it was concepts ... an idea, a view, seen in the mind's eye. I was, and still am, in awe of Bob Ross being able to create so many inspiring scenes from just a handful of colors and supplies. Forever and ever it has been a desire to try some of the techniques he taught, to put together the visions with the procedures and try my hand at painting some of those scenes. Last Saturday that chance arrived. I was able to attend a five hour class at the PERA Club and use some of the techniques taught by Bob Ross to complete a landscape scene. It is a pretty concept albeit I am bugged to no end on the perspective, the angles and views seem all wrong to me. I've learned a bit on the techniques though and feel confident I will be able to make the changes sometime in the future to give the painting a corrected perspective. And, it was fun. It was fun taking the class, fun learning some of the techniques and especially fun to visit with the others attending the class.

Now, my own Bucket List needs to be revised just a bit. Instead of just "learning a little bit of those techniques" I'd like to learn far more about this painting style and try my hand at several more scenes and projects. The instructers who came up here (thank you!) are based in Apache Junction and do classes down there, too. I'm thinking it may be in the cards sometime in the future to attend some of those classes along with anything that may be offered up here.

Completely New Hairstyle

Revisiting my Bucket List:

Try a completely different new hairstyle.

Check

Sneak Peek:

That Old Predictability Factor

Recently, I posted about the predictability of what I'd order at a steakhouse restaurant and now another incident of predictability has arisen. Mike and I are at John's house (unplanned houseguests) and John picked up The Bucket List for me when he stopped at the store.

Everyone who knows me, or reads my blog, knows I have been waiting to see this movie! Zena even called me - yes, one of those rare occassions when the phone rang and it was a family member on the other end - to tell me she had just gotten the movie ... and would send it to me after she watched it. Of course, I'm still waiting to receive pictures from Heather's graduation years ago - her wedding a while back, newborn pictures of either of her children, etc but I'm certain getting The Bucket List into the mail to me will take priority over all those busy things filling her days and making it neigh impossible to get those pics in the mail.

Okay, so the wait is over. John has loaded the DVD into the player. He's adjusted the overhead lights for that theater effect. He's gotten the surround-sound speakers tuned just right and he's adjusted the ceiling fan to perfect the climate-controlled breeze circulating down from overhead to simulate the ambiance of being at a real movie theater there in his living room. The title screens roll by and in short order the two main characters are both in hospital beds and getting to know one another.

All too quickly, it seems, one character is talking at the funeral of his friend. What the heck? What happened between the hospital and the funeral? Okay ... if you know what happened, do NOT be a spoiler - I do not know. I slept through the movie. That's right. I slept through this long-awaited viewing of The Bucket List.

Quite predictable some would say.

June 10th

For more than 30 years, June 10th has been a special date for me. Dominic was born June 10th making me a first-time aunt! I'm an aunt many times over since then but there's still that first. It's kind of like a first-born, the newness and all. All those following are special but there's only one first.

Now, there's another reason to look forward to June 10th. That's when The Bucket List is released on DVD. That's right, I still haven't seen the movie. The title and plot have been so interesting, given me a lot to think about. I'm somewhat afraid to see the movie now - it'd be shattering if it were a complete flop.

Just one more week!

Bucket List Revisited

Over recent weeks I've had my friend Lorien keeping an eye out for me for the rental release of Bucket List, a film I've been wanting to see since it was released. There is a Red Box in front of Circle K now. I first encountered a Red Box while visiting my friend Glenda in Peoria. It was quite interesting to see a movie vending machine set-up outside a drug store. Now, we have one of our own and I asked Mike to keep an eye on it for Bucket List.

The kids know I want to see that movie, too. Quentin has been here for the weekend and we even had a talk about the movie, sort of. He was chuckling and telling me that when I do get to see the movie, keep in mind that he and Paul Badger had had the very same type of conversations as Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in the movie. I'm not sure just yet what that means but I'm certain it'll make sense before long.

I'm still looking forward to seeing the movie but I think my own Bucket List will undergo a bit of revamping. It isn't so much what I do, but what I convey.

I want my kids to know that I love them; that being their mom has brought me the greatest happiness. I adore my daughter in-laws, love each of them very much and I cherish my little granddaughters. I love to spend time with them. I love seeing the changes in them each time I visit although I do get a bit melancholy for the time I cannot spend with them.

My brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, are a large part of who I am. I love all of them bunches. I am so glad to be living during this dispensation; able to enjoy and appreciate the technology we have available for communicating and imaging. Even during my lifetime, the changes in technology have been amazing. It is always so good to get a phone call or an unexpected note & picture in the mail. Just does my heart good!

Mike is such an important part of my life and I am so grateful for all he does for me. His love and support has given me needed encouragement to undertake challenges and opportunities that I may not have undertaken at all on my own. I love him so much and I am so glad he is part of my life.