I (too) like to kick, stretch, and kick! And I'm 50. 50 years old. So last night I went to Fitness Yoga to stretch, and this morning I'll Turbo Kick off my birthday at the Y. Why do 50 new things for my 50th birthday? So I wouldn't become a stodgy old fart who won't try anything new. And because I want to show our 3 daughters not to be afraid to try new things. The whole list is at the bottom, but here are some highlights: Winter brought curling on a COLD White Bear Lake, part of the ice shanty project. Sadie is posing here with Bobby Bear, our first snow sculpture (named for my aunt Bobby Roecker). We spent nearly 2 hours just packing the pile of snow before we started carving him out. We actually had to carve out a lot more a few days after the first attempt, since my daughters said they didn't want a snowbear with a "Nicki Minaj butt" in the front yard. Another favorite was trying sushi for the first time with my dear friend, Kari - I even tried a floral flavored saki with it (which was a little odd, but okay). John Green's book, The Fault in our Stars, inspired two entries. I'd heard my older girls raving about his books and wanted to read one, and loved TFIOS. I enjoyed his Facebook updates last fall when they were filming the movie adaptation. (My favorite entry was when they were shooting the ending: "Why did I make it so sad?!") It was fun to share the reading and movie premiere experience with Katie and Ellen. |
And then sometimes we just need to reach for the silly. Have your picture taken with a human-sized urine specimen cup...who wouldn't jump at the chance to do that?! And this wonderful Large Green Chair sits on a quiet corner just south of downtown St. Paul, waiting patiently for its next photo opp. Sadie and I were happy to oblige.
And then, of course, there's the panic to get all 50 done at the end. It's no surprise that there were several that happened that last week before my birthday. Cathie Paulus graciously invited us back to her house to try knee boarding; SO challenging to get up, but with her sons' help, I finally found my balance and rode for several minutes. What a gratifying, wild experience - I was laughing and hooting like a kid, while Cathie yelled, "She's almost 50!" to anyone who would listen, as we zoomed across the lake.
Last Saturday morning Sadie and I distributed fliers for our friend, Randy Jessup, a terrific guy who is running for the MN House. Not being very politically involved, this was a new experience for me, but we were glad to help out. We ended our morning with a reward stop at Culver's.
And finally, I tried baking my Grandma Roecker's famous "kuchen" from scratch. This one is a special shout out for my cousin Sara Peters, my partner in pie-making inadequacy. Although I filled it with too much fruit, not leaving enough room for the delicious cream filling, it was close enough to bring back waves of delicious memories of kuchens gone by.
Last Saturday morning Sadie and I distributed fliers for our friend, Randy Jessup, a terrific guy who is running for the MN House. Not being very politically involved, this was a new experience for me, but we were glad to help out. We ended our morning with a reward stop at Culver's.
And finally, I tried baking my Grandma Roecker's famous "kuchen" from scratch. This one is a special shout out for my cousin Sara Peters, my partner in pie-making inadequacy. Although I filled it with too much fruit, not leaving enough room for the delicious cream filling, it was close enough to bring back waves of delicious memories of kuchens gone by.
There's more reflection to be done around all this, but that will come later. For instance, how the best part about doing most of these was sharing the experience with friends and family. I also need to post on the items that did NOT make the list, and why. But for now, it's time to start celebrating. Sadie just began my day with 50 kisses, so it's off to a great start. Celebrate today, think tomorrow - that's where I live.
So, what would you want to try if you were looking for new experiences? What do you do to mark significant birthdays? Would love to hear from you! Thanks!
So, what would you want to try if you were looking for new experiences? What do you do to mark significant birthdays? Would love to hear from you! Thanks!