mrs. g. thinks she needs to be more specific on number three in the last post
Monday, May 21, 2012 at 8:05PM Mrs. G. WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THIS ONE UP AT THE TOP FOR A WHILE SO IT DOESN'T GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW MATERIAL.
Image from Daily Gratitude Challenge on Facebook
Mrs. G. just read the above on her friend Barb's Facebook page. The sentiment and handwriting are a little SARKish for Mrs. G's taste, but for some reason this really struck Mrs. G, knocked her socks off even though she isn't wearing any. She knows many of us have things we want to do but are hampered by opportunity, nerve, finances, fear, initiative, skill and all the other things hampering hampers. How can we help each other overcome some of these obstacles (especially ourselves) and move forward? Can we brainstorm on this as a community? The hairs on the back of Mrs. G's are standing up, and since there isn't a rabid dog in the vicinity, this is usually a sign of some potentially really good shit in the making. Think on it, would you?
When Mrs. G. initially wrote this, she wasn't sure what she had in mind but it's slowly gelling, especially because of the thoughtful comments left by some of you on the original post.
So here's Mrs. G's current idea to try on for size. There is no shortage of derfs in the United States, and surprisingly many in other countries. What if were to network and see if we are able to exchange wisdom, experience, expertise, unused equipment, guest rooms and _________(fill in the blank). Is this too ambitious? Don't be afraid to say no.
Mrs. G. has never actively written a bucket, fuckit or life list, but she certainly has experiences she would like to give a go. She doesn't even care if they are necessarily successful; she just wants to try.
So here's her crazy thought. Suppose each of us left ten things we would like to experience in the comment section (big, small, tiny -- it's not a contest), and we begin seeing if we can help each other put together some pieces of our desired puzzles. If things start really crackling, we could start a separate blog to widen our net.
What have we got to lose? Besides trying, succeeding or failing. Small potatoes, really.
Who's in?
Reader Comments (146)
Here's my list:
1) I would like to try surfing/body boarding, but really surfing
2) I would like to learn ASL
3) I would like to go to London and New Zealand
4) I would like to start an Iris Garden
5) I would like to design really cool DM t-shirts for all sized women
6) I would like to eat seafood cooked in a pit on the beach
7) I would like a stockpile of delicious, relatively easy to prepare Indian dish recipes
8) I would like to camp alone for a minimum of three days, preferably on someone's property
9) I would like to learn to knit and crochet something other than lame, uneven, too short scarves.
10) I would like to grow this blog to be a larger, more service oriented haven for women of all ages, but particularly women 35 to 100
1 - I want to learn to play the guitar. I can play piano & I once played clarinet. I want to be able to take my guitar places, sit down and sing/play.
2 - I want to become a better seamstress.
3 - I would like to visit London, Ireland and Scandinavia.
4 - I want to write a song. A good song.
5 - I want to take dance classes again.
6 - I want to learn to swing dance. I can fake it but I want to really know the steps, turns, twists, flips (maybe) and so on.
7 - I want to visit Seattle, Austin, Key West (or some beachy, quiet, laidback place), San Diego.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm ready, magic Genie!
Ashley, if you come to Seattle, you have a free place to stay with free meals and entertainment. See, one piece of your puzzle has magically appeared.
1. I want success/respect in writing fiction.
2. I want to learn guitar and/or piano.
3. I want to be fluent in another language, though I think that's unrealistic since I don't plan on living in another country.
4. I want to adopt a cat and not be allergic to it.
5. I want my children to be happy and healthy, but I don't want to feel that my life is run by tyrants anymore.
6. I want to learn the language of wine (without being uppity about it).
7. I want to make enough money for my husband to retire so I can see what he's like when he's not stressed all the time.
8. I want to go on a writer's retreat.
9. I want to get my nose pierced.
10. I want to sell my photos.
10 things I would like to experience:
1) Being in the top 50% of my age group in my next marathon
2) a better understanding of art (I know, pretty broad)
3) understanding what is meant when they talk about different characteristics of wine. (I only know enough to know if I want another glass)
4) More organization in my home
5) Visiting some of the BIG cities - New York, Chicago, London, Madrid etc. And for an extended period of time.
6) The bottom of my yarn basket
7) Bruce Springsteen , Carole King and James Taylor in concert - not all together....
8) Learning to sail
9) Buying several really good pair of shoes that are beautiful, fit and do not cost an arm and a leg (I have size 11 feet that are narrow)
10) a garden full of flowers, not weeds
Mrs. G, we can help you grow the blog. And you can camp in my yard if you want, but I don't think it's the kind of 'property' you had in mind. :0)
Angie, do you have a spot where you sell your photos? Give us the link if you do.
momwhoknits, have you every watched the Sister Wendy Art Series. It's a good start in my opinion. She's an odd bird but she knows her art.
I love this idea!
1) I want to go to Poland, to where my grandma's family is from
2) I want to see the Arn family estate in Switzerland (where my other grandma's family is from)
3) I want to get my grandpa's materials in order and make him a family tree, and a family geneaology book a la that PBS show with celebrities ( can't remember the name right now). I have no idea where to start!
4) I want to drive for a week and just stop in places that look interesting
5) I want to do my tarot readings at a party...for people I don't know.
6) I want to publish my Grasshoppers short story
7) I want to go to a retreat in a convent that has one of those mazes...can't remember the name of this either, but it's a special maze you walk and....the wine is making me forget. There's a name for it!
8) I want to read War and Peace
9) I want to go out on the lake in Michigan in a sail boat. I'm super scared of this, but it would be awesome!
10) I want to figure out who I am. I realized today I've completely lost my identity. At least I have this summer.
Jessie, do you have a copy of War & Peace? I have an extra one and I am happy to send it to you.
@angie--there are books that have ideas for creating writing retreats where you are, or even taking a mini-retreat. A girlfriend and I last summer took a mini-writing retreat to my aunt's house. We wrote all day, then swam in her pool in the evening. Maybe a hotel?
@momwhoknits--my mom also has size 11 feet (but hers are wide). She buys all her shoes from Nordstrom Rack--like a Nordstrom clearance store. Is there one in your area? She has shoes that she's bought but can't wear because they have turned out to be too thin as well...let me know if you're interested in lightly used shoes (I know not everyone likes that idea) jessicaab87@gmail.com.
1. I want to travel around the country and around the world.
2. I want to experience being in love
3. I want to be a mother
4. I want to really learn crochet and get good at it. Also to actually finish my knitting projects.
5. I want to get back into camping
6. I want to be able to grow most of my food
7. I want to find good true friends where I live
8. I want to have a healthy body And feel good about it
9. I want to learn a musical instrument
10. I want to take dance classes
9.
@mrs. g, I actually gave away my copy two summers ago when I thought I would just never get around to it. I haven't been able to justify buying it again for myself, so I would love to take you up on your offer. I'd be happy to pay for shipping. Thank you!
Jessie, email me your address. I can afford book rate shipping, it's the only one that's still reasonable.
Mrs. G, what do you mean by service oriented? My social worker ears are perking up.
The notion is still percolating. I feel like I did before we started the Women's Colony. It's time for a change...but still with stories and mancake.
Mrs. g I can help you with irises!!! I'll have a post coming up soon!
1) I want to really become fluent in French
2) I want to travel the world. (I could cheat and list each country separately, but it wouldn't be fair)
3) I want to learn how to paint in watercolor
4) I want to write something that really gets published.
5) I want to be a grandmother someday
6) I want to get back into really gardening
7) I want to be financially secure enough to quit my job
8) I want to spend more time at the beach
9) I want to START some projects that have been percolating in the back of my mind for a while.
10) I want to help my husband lose weight.
I'm still not ready with my list, but I can offer my help for free with french since it's my mother's language (I'm from Belgium). I can imagine answering all your questions and eventually we could have skype conversations. I'm living in Germany so we would have to do a bit of time-zone juggling.
I also have a guest room for all willing to tour Europe at some time. I live in the western-south area of Germany, 20km from Switzerland and 20 km from France. (hmm Google tells me it's about 13 miles..). With very good train connections.
Have a nice day all of you and let's get started!
Mrs G,
I have an ace, tasty and rekatively easy chicken curry recipe if you want it.
Aaak! Forgive the typos, I posted from the tablet and it is stupid and has a small screen with fiddly keyboard. I don't see an i-Pad in my future. So Mrs G, I have sent you the curry recipe and also a simple naan bread one as well. I think the UK/US translations I have made should make sense but let me know if anything needs clarification.
I love this idea! I have to think about my ten things but I'm pretty versed in good wine and I'm not uppity. I can lead some of you to good resources. Susan, urban farming is hot right now and you should be able to grow your own food even if space is limited. I highly recommend the book Square Foot Gardening. I love the idea of sharing my talents as much as I like benefiting from the talent of others.
Mrs. G, I admire you for trying new things on this blog even when they don't always pan out! You're what in my family we call a mensch.
Mrs G, I have been thinking about your knitting thing too. Nothing wrong with a scarf. My recommendation would be big needles and super soft, super fabulous chunky yarn and knit the whole thing in plain stitch. Voila, gorgeous and snuggly and uber-trendy.
I am still thinking about my 10 but to begin, @Mrs. G, I have a chicken korma recipe that I love with a white hot passion but it calls for curry paste. Is that cheating? I will email it to you today.
Also, @Angie, I create a writers retreat for myself twice a year. I am a poet but I speak fiction too. I'd be happy to help you put something together for yourself and help you find a place to go.
On my way out the door to see the doctor- be back!
@ Mom Who Knits, I second the Sister Wendy stuff. I'm an art teacher and have taken some art history classes. Sister Wendy is great. She talks about art very frankly and thoroughly. She does not shy away from any controversial issues and pieces. Wonderful!
Mrs. G: I have loads of irises. Lavender and purple (the sweetest smelling), pale peachy colored, wine colored, and the show-offs of the bunch: tall, stalky white irises.
I'll have to think some on what my 10 things might be...
I live in central Michigan and have a sailboat that seats 4 adults. I will teach all comers! I don't take it out on Lake Michigan basically because I like lazy sailing where there is no danger at all. (Sorry Jessie!) But I guarantee fun. If you will help me set up the mast. I can't do that by myself.
1: I think I want to start a non profit or something. I want to be a motivational speaker. I just have NO idea how one starts on that career.
2: want to learn massage
3: would like to know if they are weeds or plants in my garden
4: I want to figure out how the electrical system in my house works, and learn how to hard wire a light (like a sconce)
5: I want my home to be a hub of my and my kids' activities with their friends hanging out and playing music and studying and cooking and napping
6: I want to figure out how to turn my rambling pointless essays on my blog into something that lots of people would read
7: I want so much to use my skills as a teacher/motivator for adult women, not just kids
8: I want to have psychic powers
9: I want to learn to like olives
10: I want to wear flowy silk skirts and not feel like a dork
Jessie, re: " I want to go to a retreat in a convent that has one of those mazes" - are you thinking of a Labyrinth? I don't know of a retreat with one but there is a labyrinth in the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco if you are ever in the area. There is also a wonderful outdoor labyrinth in Santa Fe. Those are two I've walked.
I have to think about my 10 Mrs. G. I think this is a wonderful idea.
Darla
As an artist and art appraiser, I second Sister Wendy series as a good beginning. And I would be happy to forward good articles along, or good read titles.
On Iris's, how about we set up an iris exchange for this summer? After moving I lost nearly 45 varieties I had, so I am rebuilding. Every decent sized town has an Iris Society, and they have a sale every year. Buy gorgeous flowers for super cheap. I am going to mine in a few weeks, and they will have another in July. But we derfs could offer to share from our gardens if the recipient pays shipping, flower sharing is the best because you think of the kind person it came from when it blooms.
On War and Peace, if you can, get the new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. It really is much better. And don't feel bad about skipping the diatribes about Napolean. Just skip it.
Working on my own list. Giving it thought.
1. I would like to try skydiving, even if it is only of the indoor variety. In fact, that's probably what I should try first.
2. I want to travel to as many countries in the world as I can.
3. I'd like to give money randomly to people who could use a boost, but it has to be unexpected.
4. I'd love to have grandchildren...right now I can only imagine.
5. I want to take a train across Canada
6. I want to be loved and cherished by someone who knows how special I really am, because, dammit, I am!
7. I'd like my back to stop hurting long enough that I can exercise and feel healthy again
8. Gardening, I want to garden again to my heart's content. Said back above is making this very, very difficult.
9. I'd like to read again for pure pleasure, and not feel like I should be reading work related material.
10. I'd like to publish some journal articles based on my dissertation study.
@Jessie, http://labyrinthlocator.com/
Maybe you can find a labyrinth nearby?
1. I'd like to see the aurora borealis
2. I'd like to bag a munro
3. I'd like to buy my clothes at a regular store
4. I'd like to learn to play piano
5. I'd like to see Yellowstone
6. I want to make a real cheesecake and a pan of lasagna
7. I'd like to own a convertible
8. I'd like to make a quilt
9. I'd love to give my kids a big wad of money that they could use now rather than wait till I'm dead
10. I'd like to wear high heels and not have my ankles hurt
A variation on an old joke comes to mind here, because a) I am not sure what to say or ask for, it seems like I have it :) and b) Mrs G, how do you turn this very excellent idea into a forum every day? I hope you can!
OK, joke:
An angel comes down and tells a person: "I am your guardian angel, and you seem to be living a virtuous life. I would grant you one wish! What would you like?" and the reply is
"Thin thighs. That's my deepest desire." and the angel's brow is furrowed
"That seems a little self-centered, not very virtuous at all!" to which the person answers
"OK, fine, world peace and thin thighs for everyone!".
1. I want to be able to knit and sew 80% or more of my wardrobe.
2. I want to travel all over the world. Sure there are specific places I'm interested in but they're too many to list.
3. I want to re-learn/ brush up on my German and find someone I'm not embarrassed to speak with on a regular basis. I was never even remotely fluent and it's been 8yrs since I had someone to routinely talk with.
4. I want to start playing piano on a regular basis again. And I want to learn to play with other musicians.
5. I want to learn to fly fish so that I can fish with my husband.
6. I want to establish a semi-annual retreat for myself a a few other women where we can go somewhere quiet (the beach, the mountains, NOT the desert) and spend a long weekend doing our own thing but with shared dinner and conversation in the evenings.
7. I want to find a spiritual community for myself and my children.
8. I want to learn to dance with a partner.
9. I want to write consistently and in a way that other people might want to read.
10. I want to develop better time management skills
Wow, what an amazing idea!
I'm sure if I sat here long enough, I could think of a billion things I want to do, but here's the short list-
1. Drive. I have my license (even got it renewed a couple of weeks ago), but I haven't driven in over 20 years. I'm not sure how this happened, really. I just kind of let my husband drive when we started dating and that was it. Now, as we're getting ahem, more mature, I know that at some point, I'm going to need to drive. My problem is anxiety. All the other freaks on the road scare the beejeebus out of me. I need real-world practice. The husband is reluctant (something to do with me pulling in to a parking space at 30mph, but dammit, I was even between the lines) to practice with me, and driving school is close to $200 for a 4 hour session.
2. Learn to can foods like salsa, tomato sauce, etc.
3. Learn to make tamales.
4. Really get my Etsy shop going, not just the so-far half assed attempt.
5. Travel to cities that have always interested me- NYC, Chicago (been there before, loved it!), Seattle and Cleveland (RRHOF)
6. Learn to upholster furniture
7. Learn to make clothing patterns
8. Lose 100lbs.
9. Take a swing dance class (after the weight loss)
10. Write a really good short story.
Mrs. G, I have a great, easy recipe for naan I will send to you. I'll probably have to message you on FB because for some reason, my email program doesn't recognize your email address as valid (even when I copy and paste it from here)
Hi, Kate in Michigan, I can help you with your electrical education - I worked as a theatrical electrican for years. And I can help identify the plants in your garden - maybe, that is, with a caveat for regional differences.
What's a munro?
Irises for everyone!!
I'm still thinking about my list but I have two that came to mind right away:
1. I'd like to learn to play the piano
2. I'd like to spend a summer living in the South of France in a house rented with a bunch of fun-loving women. Are you listening, Derfs??
@ Darla and Laura, thanks so much for the info on labyrinths! I looked on the site and what do you know, there's one at my local unity church. I'm going to have to check it out this summer!
@mrs. g, sounds interesting!!
Everyone wanting to learn languages, there are free language learning programs through public libraries called Mango. It's all online and you access it through your library's website. There's another site (that may cost some money) called livemocha, where you can chat with people who speak the language you want to learn (and teach them English in the bargain).
@ Trudy, seeing the aurora on mine and my mother's bucket lists. I'm looking on the web and seeing that it is possible to see them in Michigan http://michpics.wordpress.com/category/northern-lights/...you are more than welcome to stay with us during an active period and we can go looking for them!
@Heather, meetup.com might have some dance groups in your area. I know they do in mine.
Trudy, I can help with the cheesecake! Email me at mommy2kai@yahoo.com and I'll send you some recipes and my cheesecake secrets!
I think my list is held up in moderation; we had a cookie reset issue at work and everything is weird today.
Aunt Snow - I was wondering the same thing. What is a Munro? The term is lurking at the back of my mind.
Trudy - I have straigt forward recipes for both of those tings. How confident a cook are you?
A munro is a mountain in Scotland...http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munro
Gotta think about my list...what an excellent idea Mrs. G!
Thinking...about my own dreams and what I can lend to others in pursuit of theirs...
1. I've always wanted to learn how to sew so I can make clothes for my daughter and me.
2. I want to see the world: Thailand, Fiji, Tibet, Cairo, New Zealand, the Amazon, the Maldives... and I know exactly what I want to learn about each region while I'm traveling.
3. I want to grow my own vegetable garden, which is difficult considering I've managed to kill a mint plant. A fucking WEED. And I killed it. Sigh.
4. I want my very own secret garden as I've envisioned it for so long: the furthest corner in my yard, full of flowers, a wooden bench, hummingbird feeders and a bird bath.
5. I want to learn professional photography and editing. I trinket around with my Nikon and I love it, but I really wish I knew what I'm doing.
6. I want to contribute significantly to the family income so my husband doesn't have to kill himself working. I love that man and I want to see him sit back and enjoy what we have.
7. I want to, once and for all, figure out my family's genealogy. I have no idea where my last name is even from.
8. I want to finish writing and publish my book.
9. I want to do a triathlon.
10. I want to organize an inspiring leadership seminar for the youth in my hometown, with motivational speakers and people of action.
1. Go to Ireland.
2. Live in the third world and to love on children
3. Learn photography
4. Complete an IronMan
5. Only own what will fit in my suitcase
6. Finish school without having a nervous breakdown
7. To be debt free
8. To make a significant impact in the financial futures of my nieces and nephews (most likely paying for their college so that they are not in debt like myself.)
9. Find a four leaf clover
10. Finish all of the crafty projects that I have started over the years.
I have to think about my own list more, but I'm looking through the others to see what if anything I can have a part in. Mrs. G...the secret to learning to knit well is really repetition. I am mostly self-taught. Of course, it helps immensely to have a mentor/teacher. If I was closer to you geographically I'd offer to be that for you. If I can assure that I will be available on June 19, you could plan a stop in Pocatello and I could give you a quick lesson. I promise to look at my calendar in the next few days and see if that can work for me.
Please forgive this too-long post. Anyone who wants more details, email me at oneinthehand.etsy@gmail.com!
Mrs. G, I am with you on the Indian dishes! And I agree with Trash on the scarves – chunky, soft, simple knits are super trendy and one skein will get you a scarf. The chunky yarn also hides mistakes. If I ever come to Seattle, I am taking you up on your offer. :) Thank you!
Angie, I want to get my nose pierced, too. I’m trying to decide if a tiny stud would be appropriate for work since I wouldn’t be able to take it out during the healing period. I have co-workers with tattoos & piercings but they were hired that way, and they’re in roles that are allowed more freedom to be creative. Hmm.
To all who want to learn more about any one thing, I’d suggest hitting up your library. Ask the librarians if there are good books on your topic, and where in the community to go to learn more. I know that may seem obvious to many but not everyone frequents the library & not everyone knows that librarians know tons of stuff about the communities they’re in, and that libraries host events & information sessions and classes, all the time. Libraries rock!
Also, park districts often offer music, dance, gardening, art, etc classes for low fees, or sometimes even free. In Chicago during the summer there’s a weekly dance series downtown at one of the parks, where you show up, get a dance lesson for that night’s style of music/dance, and then there’s a concert where everyone dances. Totally free! Your park district will have a published event schedule on their website or printed at their locations.
Anyone who is visiting Chicago – I probably can’t offer a place to stay because my husband will freak out that I’ve invited a “stranger” to our home, but I can offer companionship and ideas about where to go, what to see, how to get around.
Jessie – it costs money, but the Ancestry dot com website offers tons of things like the book you want to make. You just fill in the info into your tree & it populates it into the book. There may be less expensive & free versions out there, but for sure the stuff on that site is well done. I also want to do this but don’t have the money right now.
For those interested in learning to garden, perhaps volunteering at a local community garden in exchange for an education? You learn & are able to serve others – win!
Kate in Michigan For learning to start a non-profit, you could go to an Open House for a non-profit mgmt (bachelor’s or master’s) program at a nearby university. It would give you an overview of the things you’d be involved in. Or look at their courses on the school’s website. You could volunteer at a non-profit, perhaps you could find a speaker who needs an intern or help in some way, or just volunteer at any non-profit and learn the ropes that way.
For Kate and anyone else working on style fears – something I tell myself when I want to wear something or be something that I haven’t in the past is that I am the only one holding me back. Why do you feel like a dork in your silk skirts – because it’s not “you”? The “you” everyone is used to? They are only used to the “you” you are, because that is what you’ve given then. Give them something else. What’s the worst that can happen? Someone will tell you boldly and rudely that you look like crap and that you should jump off a bridge. Is that really going to happen? No. Someone might ask why you’re so dressed up, or comment on the “new look”, or give you a look, up & down. And you’ll feel conspicuous. And then they’ll move on, and so will you. As you wear them more often, they’ll get used to it & it will stop being a thing to notice. Everyone else who wears silk skirts did it for the first time, at some point. And then they kept doing it, and now it’s no big deal. (I am preaching to myself!!)
Molly how does one mail plants? I’m a newbie gardener. I would be interested in some type of plant/seed exchange (though I have nothing but $ to offer back).
Deb, I try to keep change & small cash in my pants pockets, coat pockets, so that as I’m walking throughout Chicago on my commute, if I see someone who needs money, I can quickly reach into my pocket & give it to them without thinking too much about it (debating whether it’s appropriate, stopping the flow of traffic to pull out my purse, etc). Whether it’s someone who is asking for change or if it’s someone in a different situation, keep whatever money you’d like to give in an easily accessible place. Then you just have to work on getting up the nerve to give the money to whomever you want to give it to. Or load some money into a PayPal account so it’s easily accessed via email.
I am also always available if anyone has questions about navigating higher ed - deciding on a program, applying, what you need to know about financial aid, advising, how to interact with faculty, how to get the most out of your time in school, what to ask admission counselors when you're deciding on a program, what not to do, what students often don't think about until it's too late, etc.
Mrs. G. - happy to help you along the way to better/different knitting. I have taught knitting for 8 years to newcomers to Calgary (who always want to make a scarf - they have heard about our weather, apparently). Let me know what you want to make and I would be happy to direct accordingly. This could be a "Tutorial over Skype" maybe? This offer holds for anyone who wants to participate.
Thanks for the leads to knowing about art - I had never heard of this series, but it looks like our library has a few of the titles - enough to get me started at any rate. Jessie - I'll be in touch about the shoes. No Nordstrom's in Canada (yet) but I have visited the Rack in Seattle and in Spokane and fell in love.
I also had a thought about the wine - this could be a Skype session as well, with everybody buying a bottle of the same wine - and then getting some tasting notes (if that is what they call it). The only thing I don't know - can you conference call on Skype?
Ok, I was just reading through this, and dang, we are a pretty talented bunch!