College Rooms...Then and Now

 

Last week, as I perused some blogs, I ran across Brendt’s post about setting up college dorm rooms/apartments for her daughters. You should look at the pictures in the post, because they are beautiful.

                I confess, though, I had to giggle right out loud, because I thought back to my own dorm rooms and they looked n.o.t.h.i.n.g. like the pictures in Brendt’s post. Not even close!

                I loved my dorm rooms and (most) of the experiences I had in them. I am sad that it was the era of real film that cost money to develop, and I hadn’t yet found my love for documentation. Most of the pictures are from move-in days or specific events, and there are some rooms I really don’t have any pictures of, because they’ve either gotten lost along the way, or I never took any. (That hurts to write.)

                But since my college years were before the years of blogging and social media, I thought it would be fun to share those pictures with you now! Vintage Bekah coming your way! 😊

                These pictures are from move-in day my freshman year. Like I said, the rooms look nothing like Brendt’s inspirations!

                For those of you who might be new here, I went to Indiana Wesleyan University, and my freshman and sophomore years, I lived in Evans Hall, up on the third floor. I LOVED the third floor. My parents did not love it on moving days. (I’m trying to remember if they had elevators. I’m not sure they did! If so, we didn’t get to use them for moving.)

                I had the bottom bunk in all my Evans Hall rooms, and this first year, my roommate’s name was Christi. (Fun fact: she lived in Florida for a while, so she was at our wedding, and Ryan and I visited her when we went back for our 5^th anniversary. If you’re a longtime reader here, you might also remember that about fifteen years ago, I went to Florida with friends, and I met up with Christi and ended up having an only-Bekah run-in with security whilst running around in my swimsuit/coverup.)

                Mom and Dad came to visit after we had our room all set up and decorated, so here are a few pictures from that day. Ahhhh, the denim jumpers. I know they’re back. I can’t. I just can’t. I do still have that necklace, though!

                Check out the boxy desktop computer!

                We had a futon for our couch. I spent a lot of Friday nights on that futon, watching reruns of Andy Griffith, eating ginormous slices of Sbarro’s pizza, and drinking 64 ounce Mountain Dews.

                VHS of Mark Lowry for the win! (I had an enormous crush on him in those days.)

                The second semester of my freshman year, Christi and I joined up with new suitemates. Christina and Jenny are both still friends of mine, and I am so thankful for both of them. (Hi, Christina, if you happen to be reading today!) I was a bridesmaid in both their weddings, but that was before blogging days. 😊

                I think this picture is one of the few I have from my sophomore year. Christi moved home that year, and I was matched with a roommate randomly. She was a nice girl, but we had nothing in common, and that was a really rough year. I was grateful Christina and Jenny were still there, because I fear I might have utterly fizzled out of school without them!

                My junior and senior years, I lived in an on-campus apartment suite that had four bedrooms (eight girls) with a common living and kitchen area. That building (Eastburn) has since been torn down, but I loved living there. Jenny and I were roommates all but the last semester, when we each ended up with our own rooms.

                Here are a couple of pictures from those years. I’m not sure which picture goes with which year.

                Those last two years were tumultuous for me. I had love life drama, friendship drama, work drama, and the drama of having no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up.

                The Lord was faithful to carry me through the hard days. And I smile now when I look back at this one picture…with the Siesta Key shirt? That was a souvenir my sister brought back from vacation. Little did I know that a dozen or so years down the road, I’d be in Siesta Key…in a wedding dress!

                My dorm rooms may have lacked the sophistication today’s rooms have, but they were places of growth and learning, and I’m so thankful for the friendships formed within them!!

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

What a week it has been! We’ve had a sampler platter sort of week: lots of fun and lots of unexpected. Here’s just sampling of the sampler!

Last Sunday was a bit exhausting. Both Ryan and I were still struggling with our summer cold, we’d had a very long day Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon, we were OUT…for the entire afternoon. The naps were good for both of us, I believe! We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and were thankful for Sabbath.

I spent time at church, working on some projects for this fall. I took my work into the sanctuary and sat on the platform, praying over the ministries that will take place. Trusting God to do way more than I can imagine!

We had the privilege of welcoming friends over this week. Back in the winter, one of the teens from our church chose a sunset cruise at the Shaffers as her Bible Bingo prize, and she brought her family along to enjoy an evening of fun! The kids played with lake toys and tried kayaking and paddleboarding, and we all went on a boat ride together! The sun did forget to show up for the occasion, but we loved this evening!

This week has also been filled with house projects. They’re stories for another day, but let’s just say we’ve had LOTS of messes. LOTS of dust. LOTS of modified schedules. Ryan has rolled with it better than I have, but I also recognize I’m handling the upheaval better than I would have in the past, and I celebrate that.

Ryan had the chance to serve as grill master at Swiss Village’s company picnic, and he had so much fun. He enjoyed working with the others who also helped with the grilling palooza, and according to my mom, he did a fantastic job making the best burger ever.

The work on the house made Lexi pretty anxious, so she stuck closely to me whenever I was home this week. Sweet girl. She really did try so hard, and I was proud of her for that.

Ryan and I love doing life together, and it’s rare that we do days apart, but yesterday was just such a day. He helped a friend move, and I took the morning to thrift and grocery shop. I had the best time slowly picking my way through the store, and I found a lot of great treasures!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Good morning! Happy Saturday! Ryan is helping some of our friends move today, and we’re all hoping they’re able to get the bulk of the work done before bad weather moves in. We’ve had quite the week here at home, and I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow, but for today, I’m thankful for some rest and creativity!

                And here are some things for you on this fine Saturday!

Once upon a time, Ryan and I dreamed of running an ice cream shop. In retrospect, it’s probably good for my long term health that we didn’t. I would have taken sampling to a whole new level. 😊 But I do like to still dabble in the dream, at least in my mind, so you can see why I paused to look at this homemade waffle cone recipe, right? I’m not really into adding unnecessary kitchen gadgets, BUT….a waffle cone iron would be fun…

I’ve been watching some (but not much, unfortunately) of the Christmas in July movies airing right now. I’m still fully embracing my warm summer, but there is something delightfully cozy about those Christmas movies! So stumbling upon this Christmas movie cookbook made me smile! This book isn’t geared toward Hallmark or other TV movies, but if you want to make the foods of some of your favorite Christmas movies, here you go! You can host an entire party revolving around your favorite movie! (BONUS: This cookbook does seem to lean more toward the TV movies, if you prefer!)

 Look at Kari Anne’s book themed shower! It is absolutely adorable. I love the photo wall made of books! I’ve never been to a book themed shower or party, but I think it would be quite fun someday! And the food themes are so clever.

A tutorial on drying herbs for future use! I am happy to report that the herbs I bought for my little indoor herb garden are thriving since I moved them to a different window, and now I need to cut back the thyme! It’s spilling over! I plan to do this so I can keep them for the future!

When Ryan and I moved to WillowBridge, we downsized our bed from a king to a queen, which meant we had to get new bedding. Our beloved quilt took a real beating between three years of an elderly cat and three years of a puppy. Quite some time ago, I put a new quilt on my wish list, and it went on a great sale during Prime days, so we purchased it. I’ve been looking at bedroom layouts on Pinterest to see if I can make our overall room look a little cuter when we switch out the quilt. I found a lot of fun ideas here! (BONUS: Speaking of downsizing, here is a great guide on how to downsize without moving. If you feel overwhelmed by clutter, you might find inspiration in here to make your current space better!)

Audrey always has great advice for looking and feeling your best in the clothes you wear. This week she did a whole feature on how to solve common issues with summer clothes, and I thought her thoughts were perfect! I especially loved the ones about the short sleeves that feel like tank tops. I have come to really love little flutter/cap sleeves, not so much because I dislike sleeveless, but more because I feel like it gives them extra class!

50 Before 50 List...Part Seven

 

Over the past week, I’ve been sharing with you the ideas I’ve come up with to experience and experiment with over the next two and a half years, as I approach the milestone of turning 50. The things I’ve put on this list are fun to think about and will hopefully be fun to consider.

                Truth be told, they may not all get accomplished. I might miss the mark on some entirely. But I’m excited to think about the fun they can bring…the ones I do get to try.

                Today I offer you the conclusion of the list, which is short, but it focuses on our home and maybe a little thrifting!

1.      Get rid of 50 things that do not fit our life here. We’ve lived in this house for over two years now, so we’ve started to accumulate, as people tend to do with time and putting down roots. While I don’t feel we’ve collected too much, I want to be intentional about what we have within the walls of our house. As I sort and clean in the short term future, I want to pull out things we don’t need or use.

2.      Thrift 50 things on my wish list (instead of buying new). I already have three things toward this list! I carry a wish list of things I’m looking for, and my hope is to find what I need without buying new.

3.      Get a turquoise table for the porch. Remember when I read The Turquoise Table? Oh yes. We need a turquoise table on the porch!

4.      Go to the garage sale in the church in Chicago. I shared a while ago my memories of shopping at a massive garage sale held in a church up near Chicago. I saw on their site that they now have TWO sales per year, and I think it would be so much fun to go with Ryan to shop it again!

 

Thanks again for reading along with this project. And thanks for your brainstorms to help me think through some of my ideas!

50 Before 50 List: Part Six

 

Tomorrow will be my final post in my 50 Before 50 List. Thanks for reading along over the past week or so. Today’s list has to do with cooking and baking. I love both as a creative outlet and have a few dreams up my sleeve for them! Here you go:

1.      Learn to make the perfect lemonade from scratch. Back when I was first out of college, I entered the beginning of the 15-year span of misdiagnosed gallstones. They told me I had acid reflux and told me to avoid all acidic food. Unfortunately for me, that meant giving up lemonade. I loved it, but it made me so sick. Now that we know I don’t have acid reflux and we also know I no longer have a gallbladder, I would love to learn how to make a delicious lemonade from scratch – that isn’t laden with white sugar. It’s a lot to ask, I know.

2.      Take a cooking class. Ryan surprised me a few years back with a Valentine’s Date to Sur la Table for a cooking class. We had so much fun, and I would like to try my hand at another cooking class – there or anywhere else. It’s fun to try something different.

3.      Have a Christmas baking day again. When I was single, I spent several years taking one day off each December so I could bake all the Christmas treats for gifts. I haven’t done this at all since getting married, and I think it would be fun to bring this back – at least once.

4.      Make all the recipes on the Unsifted website. Ryan and I have been milling our own wheat for a couple of years, but we tend to stick to the recipes we know. I would love to try them all. I know they won’t all be keepers for us, but I bet we would find some we really love if we would just try them!

5.      Make a signature dish from all 50 states. I’ve seen these on Pinterest and think it would be so fun to try. Make one dish from each state and see if there are any we really like!

6.      Create the Shaffer Coffee House coffee menu. I still haven’t learned to make coffee at home (the fancy way, anyway) and I think it’s time. I think it would be a good idea to learn this skill – and to create a menu of coffee drinks that we love to serve.  

7.      Consider raw milk life – We’ve been working hard over the past few years to clean up our diet, and I have done a fair amount of research on raw milk. I know it’s controversial, and I still have some learning to do, but I am putting it on the table, anyway.

50 Before 50...Part Five

 

We are still trucking along, making our way through my 50 Before 50 list, and today’s section is all about some things I’d like to accomplish. I tried not to make (most of) them too grand. I’m aware I might not get through them all. But I sure had fun crafting the list!

1.      Ride the entire Cardinal Greenway. Indiana has a Greenway that is just over 60 miles long, and while I know I’m not a prolific cyclist, I think (with proper conditioning, of course) it would be fun to ride the whole thing. I’d have to make sure Ryan is on board for this one, as I wouldn’t want to go alone!

2.      Work on a novel. When I was in high school, I only wrote fiction. I assumed writing novels would become my life. Then I took writing classes in college and decided I was terrible at fiction and should stick exclusively to nonfiction. I haven’t written fiction since, but a few weeks ago, I dreamed up an idea for a novel, and I think it would be fun to start working on it. I have no thoughts of publishing it…just writing for the fun of it.

3.      Make my jewelry capsule. A few weeks ago, I ran across the idea of creating a jewelry capsule. Like a capsule wardrobe…but for jewelry. I love this idea and think it would be fun to put together. I would enjoy further exploring my actual jewelry style and making a collection that I could mix and match to wear with the outfits I’ve chosen for my capsule wardrobe!

4.      Make my essential oils capsule. Capsules, capsules everywhere! Selah Essential Oils, where I shop for my oils, has created a capsule list to take the overwhelm out of buying oils. I love this idea, because it is true that the more oils you get, the more paralyzing it can feel to know how to use them appropriately. I love the idea of a small collection that works for the main things you could need!

5.      Organize home storage spaces. The visible areas of our home are neat and tidy, but we have some storage areas that are a little scary. I would love to sort through them, weed out what we don’t need, and better organize them so the things we use most often are easily accessible.

6.      Journal a full page every day. My new way of journaling that I started at the beginning of July is a nod to this goal. I had gotten awfully lazy about what I journaled, and I wanted to do better. I wanted to write more thoroughly the meaningful things of my day!

7.      Create annual recipe binder. I’ve started working on this one! I found this website that has a monthly recipe list, and I’m using it as a spine to create annual menu plans for us! I’m using her recipe ideas and then searching for healthier versions for us.

8.      Work on my website to make it fit this season better. With my new job and school, I’m not able to speak at outside events as often as I have in the past. I need to update my website to reflect some of these changes and just to clean up the busyness it has become!

9.      Do five (fun!) random acts of mail. I saw this idea on some other similar lists and wanted to borrow it. I want to send out some happy mail just for fun: care packages with a theme just to brighten someone’s day. We’ve received a couple over the years, and they are so much fun!

10. Meet an author I love. A few years ago, Ryan and I took an impromptu trip to St. Joseph, Michigan, to meet my favorite Bible study author, Erica Wiggenhorn. She was speaking and signing books at a little bookstore there in town, and it was SUCH FUN to meet her! I think it would be fun to meet at least one more author I love!

50 Before 50 List...Part Four

 

Are you up for some more dreams from my 50 Before 50 list? Yesterday I told you about some ideas I had for dates with Ryan, but today’s list is all about things to do alone or with friends. (I tried to pick the things I knew he really wouldn’t love and put them on this list.)

1.      Go to high tea. I’ve been to tea rooms before and have always loved the food I’ve had there. But I’ve never gone to a proper “high tea,” and I think it would be fun to try. I fully confess I’m not fancy enough to be a “high tea” girl, but I think it would be good to say I’ve had the experience once in my life.

2.      Go to Annie Oakley Perfumery and make signature scent. I learned about the Annie Oakley Perfumery when I worked at WBCL, but I still haven’t been there in person. It’s right here in Indiana, and you can take a tour of how they make perfume…and then you can create your own signature scent! Doesn’t that sound like a unique experience?

3.      Spend an afternoon at a proper used bookstore. I originally intended to trek over to Wabash to the cool used bookstore there, but I see it has closed, and I’m sad to hear it. I will have to find another location, but I want to just get lost in the maze of a proper, independent used bookstore with lots of rooms and shelves. I know this wouldn’t bring Ryan nearly the joy it would bring me, so I won’t make him go! 😊

4.      Watch Gilmore Girls. Many years ago, a friend loaned me the first season of Gilmore Girls, but I didn’t really have time to get lost in a show in that season of my life. I know enough about it to know I’d probably really love it, so I think I should give it another try!

5.      Read Barbara Bull’s novels. A couple of years ago, on our way to Traverse City, we stopped at a cherry farm for a fish boil dinner. It remains one of my favorite things we’ve done, but one of the bonuses was getting to learn about the owner of that farm, Barbara Bull. I learned that she works hard on the farm in the summer, and she writes novels in the winter. Every year, she releases a new novel, and I heard some good things about them while I was there. I’d love to read through all of them.

6.      Scan and reprint traditional scrapbook pages. For a full decade, I did traditional scrapbooking, with the huge 12x12 albums and the adhesive and printed photos and the whole thing. I would really love to invest in a scanner that can handle that large of a page, scan all my pages, and have them printed in books that are more in keeping with the kind of scrapbooking I do now.

50 Before 50 List...Part Three

 

Good morning! Welcome to a brand-new week and a return to my 50 Before 50 list. I have a few more categories to share with you this week, and I hope you have fun reading along with my dreams!

                Today’s category is…DATES! All these ideas are fun ideas I hope to enjoy with Ryan in the next couple of years. This is actually one of my longest categories. Hope you enjoy!

1.      Go to the hot air balloon festival in Angola. Fun fact that you may or may not know about me: I have been up in an untethered hot air balloon! A hot air balloon ride was my mom’s gift to my dad on his 50^th birthday, and as the balloon took off, I decided I wanted to go. Someone lifted me into the basket, and off I went! I’m glad I did it then as a five-year-old, because I’m certain I’d be too chicken to do it now. But I do think hot air balloons are beautiful, and I’d love to see them at the annual festival in northern Indiana. It didn’t work for this year, since it took place this past weekend, but we have more chances in future years!

2.      Do some sort of coffee adventure (flights, city crawl, something). Coffee flights fascinate me, but I’ve never had one. (Or shared it.) Ryan and I once did a mini coffee crawl around Kokomo as part of our alphabetical dates in 2017, and that was fun. I think it would be so much fun to go on some sort of organized coffee adventure date: share a flight, do an organized coffee crawl, or take some kind of coffee class.

3.      Date day at Top Golf. This has been on our list for a while, and we haven’t made it there yet. Neither of us are golfers, and we don’t aspire to be, but we think Top Golf would be fun to enjoy together on a date!

4.      Spend 1 night at JW Marriott. The JW Marriott is a huge hotel in downtown Indianapolis, and when Ryan and I were dating, we had a picture taken with this hotel in the background. We originally intended to stay there on our way to our honeymoon, but then we did a destination wedding, so that didn’t work. We still haven’t been there, and I would love to bring this moment full circle. This hotel is DEFINITELY outside our budget, but it would be fun to say we’ve stayed!

5.      Go to a new-to-us Christmas light display. We’ve been to the displays in Marion, Kokomo, and Fort Wayne, and to some in various states on our anniversary trips but I’d like to find at least one new place to visit. I always love seeing a new display!

6.      Go on a fancy picnic with Ryan. Think of it as glamping for picnics! We’ve gone on picnics before, and we always enjoy them, but I think it would be fun to step it up to super-fancy status. (Think something like this….)

7.      Manheim Steamroller concert. I first learned about Manheim Steamroller from hearing them on WBCL, even before I started working there. I saw that they’re going to be in Shipshewana this December, and I would love to go hear them in person!

8.      Recreate five simple dates we’ve done before. We have done some really fun things over the years. Why do some of those great moments have to be one and done? I’d love to recreate some of our favorites – like the night we went to the drive in and had a whole little picnic in the back of the car!

9.      Try a salt cave. We have a couple of salt caves/rooms around here, but I’ve never been to one. I have heard they have great health benefits and provide a fun experience, so I’d like to give it a try!

10. Find “our” restaurant. I love the stories of people who have “their” restaurant that they love to visit when they celebrate something meaningful in life. For some, it’s the place they went on a first date or the day they were engaged, but it could be any restaurant loved for any reason! Ryan and I have been to many restaurants we like, but we haven’t yet declared one “ours” – to be enjoyed on moments that matter most to us. Maybe, for me, this feels like putting down roots. I’d love to declare our spot!

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

Good morning, friends!! Before I launch into sharing some of my favorite moments from the week, I have to show you a bonus moment from last night. We had some (much-needed) rain in the evening, and when it ended, this stunning double rainbow appeared just outside our home. We stood outside forever, enjoying its vibrant presence and sweet moments with the Lord!

                Now…on to some of the rest of the week’s great moments!

Last Sunday, Ryan so lovingly shared with me the cold he was fighting. I was fine until I wasn’t, and when it hit, I went down hard. I took a three hour nap that afternoon and worked from my pajamas the next two days. I felt miserable, but I remained thankful that the cold was not Bekah-level like they used to be. (If you’re new here, my colds used to last a minimum of six weeks and were 100% brutal at all times.)

I got out for a little bit of fresh air and flower watering on Monday night and look what I found in the nest!! The eggs hatched! Oh my soul. I think this might be the first time in my life a nest has been in view for me, and I’ve gotten to track the egg/baby bird progression. It’s a true wonder.

Started feeling a little bit better by Tuesday, but my sidekick stayed close, just in case I needed extra care. We did lots of projects and reading to fill the work hours while recuperating!

I had to make a presentation to one of the church leadership committees on Wednesday. I went full-Bekah with binders and tabbed sections and everything. My nerdy, organizational heart was so happy.

Ryan and I had to go grocery shopping this week. It had been almost two weeks since our last run, and we were out of everything. We made a date night of it and tried out a new-to-us (and generally just new, I think) restaurant. It’s a walk-up smash burger place, and the food was good! We loved the outdoor seating courtyard, but it sits at a very busy highway intersection, and it sure is hard to hear over semis and motorcycles.

After grocery shopping, there was a four-hour date with the kitchen to do some food prep and cooking ahead. I am not cut out to spend four hours in the kitchen every day, but now and then I do love and appreciate a good kitchen fest. Among this week’s creations? Healthy zucchini bread, made with a home-grown zucchini!

Yesterday was busy from start to finish, but the end of the day was extra sweet. Our godson and his mom came to visit, and we had a great evening together. Boat rides and playing in the lake, dinner and playing with Lexi…it was a great way to wrap up a week!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Good morning to you from a busy Saturday here in Shafferland! We have much to tend to throughout this day, so although it won’t be a lazy, jammies-and-couch kind of day, we are excited for all that the day holds. If you do get a jammies-and-couch kind of day, here are some fun things for you to explore while you rest!

A little over a year after Ryan and I were married, we took a week of staycation, right in the middle of the winter. It was so much fun. We had the best time sleeping in, watching movies, and visiting places near home. I’m actually not sure why we haven’t done more staycations along the way. Have you ever tried one? Here are some ideas if you want to start! (BONUS: Here is our recap of our staycation from that week so many years ago!)

You know I’m always fascinated by small living. This itty bitty apartment in New York City is so cute. I love what the renter has done with it…but I am not sure if I could live quite this small! Could you? (BONUS: I thought this article was so sweet. It’s about a family who worked hard to make an assisted living apartment cozy for their mom after she suffered a stroke. I love what they did with it!)

Look at this historic cabin for sale in Indiana! It was built in 1811, which was right before Indiana became a state. (How cool!) While some things have been updates, I love the preservation of the original pieces throughout it. Oh the stories this place could tell…

I have so many friends going through hard stuff right now. Real, deep, gut-wrenching hard. If you are too, or if you know someone who is, read Robin’s words. It’s an analogy I haven’t heard before, and it sure doesn’t make the hard time any easier, but it might bring a comfort to the soul.

If you are a fan of sweet tea, and you have not yet taken a road trip to the Birthplace of Sweet Tea…what are you waiting for? I feel like anyplace that holds that title would have to be a charming place to live, wouldn’t you think? I mean, how could you be cranky when you live in the Birthplace of Sweet Tea? (BONUS: Looks like I could stay in a treehouse in Summerville if we visited!)

This popped up on my Instagram feed this week, and I thought it was interesting/clever/unusual all rolled into one. A professional nanny to tend to kids during weddings…thoughts on that? I know some people want a kid-free wedding, and others want kid-filled weddings. What would you do?

50 Before 50 List...Part Two

 

It was so fun sharing the first part of my list with you yesterday! I’m back today with part two, which focuses on learning. I didn’t love learning for all the years of my life that actually revolved around it, but now that I don’t have grades and tests in the mix, I seem to like it so much more.

                Truthfully, I never want to get to the point of my life where I don’t want to learn. There is so much to know, so much to explore in this world, and I never want to be content with what I’ve learned so far.

                I’ve tried to make my learning goals a mix of short and long, serious and whimsical, and I even threw in one related to school, since that will be part of this next stretch of time for me. Ready to see my learning list?

1.      Learn to play 5 songs on the harp. I have long wanted to learn to play the harp, and now I have the chance to do it! I’m not sure that combining a new instrument and a return to school is the most brilliant plan, but I will set a goal anyway! My goal feels conservative. In almost three years, I should certainly be able to learn five songs. But we also have a lot of life going on around us, so we will see how this one pans out.

2.      Pass (and learn some) Greek and Hebrew. I figured at least one of my learning goals should correspond with the classes I’m taking. I’m most nervous about learning Greek and Hebrew – to any degree at all – so I decided to put this on the list as a goal. As the gentleman from the school told me, I don’t have to become proficient. I just need to learn it for Scripture-study purposes.

3.      Learn how to drive the pontoon. We’ve owned our boat for a year now, and I’ve never learned to drive it. I’m okay with that, since driving anything anywhere isn’t my idea of an amazing time, but I’d like to prove to myself that I can do it. It shouldn’t be hard…right?? Especially compared to learning foreign languages?

4.      Learn to hula hoop. I’ve tried, several times over the course of my life, to hula hoop, and I’ve failed every time. It’s a silly thing to want to learn to do, but I’ve heard it can be a good workout if you master it and get a weighted hoop! I have no idea if I can truly do it, but I’d like to give it a real, educated try.

5.      Take a glassblowing class. I don’t have a desire to learn glassblowing to participate as a hobby, but I think taking a single class in it would be a lot of fun. There is a place in Fort Wayne that offers classes, and I think it would be a fun date/learning experience!

6.      Finish memorizing Psalm 119. I started doing this a couple of years ago and made some good progress, but I never finished it. (It’s a very long Psalm, you know.) I found songs to learn that follow the text exactly, so it should be doable. I just need to devote time to it once again.

How about you? Have you already mastered any of these?

50 Before 50 List...Part 1

 

Welcome to the beginning of my list of dreams I’d love to tackle before I turn 50! I failed to say in yesterday’s post that while I dearly love to mark things off a list, I don’t wish for this particular list to bring stress to my life. These things are fringe parts of my life, and if God shows that other pursuits should become more of a priority, of course I will honor that. But I know that some of the fun things we’ve enjoyed in our marriage have come about because of dream lists, so I just want to create a space to encourage intentionality!

                Today I want to share with you the travel dreams I’ve created. Some are short in time and miles and others are longer. Some may surprise you and others are probably wildly predictable.

1.    Take a scenic/fun train ride. I’ve ridden a train before, so this isn’t a new thing for me, but my goal is to take a train ride for scenic/fun purposes. (My parents took me on the train from Indianapolis to Chicago when I was in junior high, and Ryan and I took the train from the Chicago suburbs into the city on our 2^nd anniversary trip. This is a little different from those adventures.) But Indiana has some train rides (like these or these or THESE ice cream rides!) that take just a few hours on a weekend afternoon, and I think it would be fun to enjoy a leisurely, scenic ride for a change!

2.   Take a one-day mystery road trip. A few times throughout our marriage, Ryan has planned a mystery date for me. (Our first date was a full-day mystery date. Another one he planned was horseback riding, and he also planned a fun scavenger hunt in Indianapolis.) But I think it would be fun to have a very trusted friend plan a full day mystery date for us both. I say very trusted because I’m looking for a low-key trip, not something that will require signing a waiver of any kind. Ha!

3.   Visit both Gene Stratton Porter Homes – Gene Stratton Porter was an author who lived and wrote in the late 1800s/early 1900s. She was born in Indiana (in Wabash, actually) and spent the first part of her adult life in our very own county! Her home in Geneva has been turned into a state historic site, and even though I live close to it, I’ve never been there. When she moved away from Geneva, she settled in Rome City, and that’s not terribly far from here. The writer in me wants to visit both homes and appreciate more of what she did as a writer!

4.   Go Glamping. If you haven’t heard of it before, glamping is glamorous camping. It gives the illusion of roughing it…with heat and air and indoor plumbing. Glamping sites can involve a super cute vintage camper or a yurt or a regular tent with a real bed inside – and a bathroom somewhere nearby. I don’t have my heart set on any one kind of location, but I’d love to say I’ve been glamping overnight.

5.   Stay in a treehouse. When we were in Hocking Hills last month, we saw some Airbnb treehouses, and they were so cute. To be clear, I’m talking about a real house built up high in the trees, not throwing an air mattress in a kid’s backyard treehouse.

6.  Visit the 6 New England states we haven’t seen yet. That whole corner of our travel map taunts me. I think it would be a marvelous birthday trip next year or the year after that, and I would love to be able to go!

7.  Visit Prince Edward Island. Wouldn’t this make the PERFECT 50^th birthday trip? Turning 50 with Anne of Green Gables?? It would be a splurge trip for us, for sure, but I am putting it on the list, because I think it would be so grand.

So there you have it! The travel portion of my 50 Before 50 list. If you have glamping or treehouse recommendations, send them my way!

50 Before 50 Inspiration

 

Yesterday I shared with you how making both short- and long-term goals help me plan ahead and be much more intentional in stewarding well the time God has entrusted to me.

                Today I want to share with you a specific long-term goal I have created for myself, and I hope you’ll enjoy coming along for the ride as I work on it! The idea is borrowed from many, many others who have done it before me, but this is the first time I’ve tackled a project like this.

                It really is as simple as it sounds: I’ve made a list of 50 things I’d like to accomplish before I turn 50. There are similar lists for other decade milestones: 30 before 30, 40 before 40…you get the idea. And if you’re not close to one of those milestones, there are also 101 things in 1001 days, which gives you roughly 3 years to accomplish a bigger list of goals.

                I’d like to pause in disbelief that I am even close enough to 50 to make this list. I prefer, in my head, to believe I’m somewhere around 30. 😊 But the truth is, I turned 47 a couple of months ago, so I have just about 3 years left to tackle a list of fun goals, while working full-time and going to school. Am I crazy? Probably. Am I excited to try it anyway? Absolutely!

                Over the next few days, I am going to share with you the specifics from my list. I didn’t start with categories in mind, but after I made the list, I divided them into categories. So today I want to share with you the breakdown of those categories. My items aren’t evenly divided among them, but here are the areas I hope to pursue:

Travel: Because of work and school, and because neither of us have a ton of time off stored up just yet, I tried to be conservative in my travel dreams. A few of the items on this list are full trips, but several are just day-outings that I hope we can accomplish on a Saturday here or there.

Learning: One of my goals relates to school, since that will be such a major part of the time frame ahead of me. But the rest of them are just fun-learning I hope to do. Some involve stand-alone classes just to experience something, and others require more long-term learning.

Dates: It is so important to me to be intentional in dating Ryan while the rest of life around us swirls in craziness. His job is busy and so is mine, and it matters to me that we have some fun date goals on the list!

Alone or with Friends: It’s true that I prefer spending my time with Ryan, but I do, now and then, enjoy a little bit of time away on my own or with my friends. I wanted to build in some time for both as I crafted this list.

Accomplishments: This is really just a fancy word for other…ha! This is the category that holds all the things that didn’t fit neatly elsewhere, but also, it holds a list of things I hope to specifically mark off the list as a life accomplishment.

Cooking/Baking: I love both of these and wanted to make some fun goals specifically related to the culinary world.

Home/Thrifting: I also have a few things related to home décor, and as a result, thrifting. I’m excited to see how these pan out as I go!

                Starting tomorrow, I’ll show you the specific things from each list. Who knows!? Maybe you’ll be inspired to make a list of your own!

Planning Ahead...

 

In one of the books I read recently, the author jokingly (though also probably not jokingly) asked if planning is a love language…because if so, it’s hers. I felt so seen. 😊 If you’ve read here long, you know I love to plan, and so does Ryan. We plan our vacations with full daily itineraries – even if the plan for the day is to do nothing. We plan our days, our weeks, our projects, our dates, you name it.

                Some people appreciate our top-of-the-line planning skills, but most roll their eyes and think we are a bit ridiculous. I’m okay with that. I know planning isn’t a love language for everyone, but I also am thoroughly convinced that for us, it makes life run more smoothly, and it actually provides benefits for us that we appreciate. It works for us.

                I’m starting school this fall, so I decided early on that I wanted to use this summer to plan ahead as much as possible at work, in hopes that when fall comes, I’m set up well to move ahead with the things that need to be done.

                I made a list of all the things I needed to work on soon and assigned a week of the summer to each of those things. Each week, in addition to my regular tasks, I work hard on that week’s assigned project, researching, planning, and creating for that item. I know I won’t be done with any of the items by fall. They are ongoing projects for the life of our church. But I do hope that, come fall, I have a good handle on what needs to be done in the short and long term for each of those areas.

                I also made a goal for the summer to read an hour a day for work. I am making my way quickly through my TBR pile, and I am learning so much as I go.

                I’m also making long-term, personal goals for my life at home (marriage/house/dreams) and at work so I have things to look forward to as I go. Ryan and I long ago made a practice of starting to dream of the next vacation on our way home from the last one. Coming home from vacation is always a bit of a letdown, so we thought if we started planning ahead and giving ourselves something to look forward to, it would make the end of each trip a bit more exciting.

                If it works for vacation, why wouldn’t it work for life?

                I’m making long-term plans to give me something tangible to work toward as I go through the weeks, months, and years ahead. In some cases, it serves as a reward, and in other cases, it’s a challenge! God has given me this one life, and I want to live it well and intentionally!

                Over the next few days, I’m going to let you peek at some of the goals I’ve been working hard to set. I may not convince you to adopt planning as a love language, but maybe I can inspire you to someday to plan a fun thing for yourself!