Lists

I love lists. I make them, I read them. I am fascinated by them. They bring order to my life, they allow me to take stock. I wish I could take credit for this one, but I cant. This list is authored by Melina Genosa in her "The Fun Book: 102 Ways for Girls to Have Some" published by Simon and Schuster, 1998.

100 things to Do in a Lifetime

1. Buy a gorgeous evening dress without an event in mind.
2. Build the dollhouse you never had as a kid.
3. Buy a chaise lounge and spend an afternoon relaxing on it.
4. Buy a Wonderbra.
5. Take an art history course and make the pilgrimage to your favorite painting or sculpture.
6. Rent the Godfather trilogy. Open a bottle of Chianti and order pizza for delivery.
7. Plan your dream vacation, down to the last detail. Open a secret bank account and start saving.
8. Learn to tango, salsa, merengue.
9. Celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square.
10. Swim with a dolphin.
11. Get a massage.
12. Learn how to apologize.
13. Make one improvement in your diet.
14. Spend an entire day without plans.
15. Learn to play the guitar, piano, kazoo (insert whatever you want to learn to play here).
16. Go on a cruise. Stand on the deck and toast the sunset (or sunrise).
17. Go camping. Toast s'mores.
18. Buy beautiful stationary and write someone a heartfelt letter.
19. Get involved with a cause.
20. Paint your bathroom sun-drenched yellow.
21. Get a makeover at a cosmetics counter before going to a party.
22. Drive a convertible sports car along a coastal highway.
23. Try Yoga.
24. Learn to change the tires (or oil) in your car.
25. Go skinny dipping.
26. Invest in a good camera. Take a photography course.
27. Stargaze from the top of a mountain.
28. Have a bonfire on the beach. Bundle up in blankets and tell ghost stories. Bonus for being on the beach in August, during the Perseid meteor showers.
29. Learn to knit. Make your beloved a scarf. Or sweater. Make yourself a scarf or sweater.
30. Stop blaming your parents.
31. Go to a green grocer and try all the fruits you've never eaten.
32. Commit to your spiritual life.
33. Try a new sport. Take a ski lesson, kayaking lesson, in-line skating, golf, learn to swim.
34. Start a book club and read at least three great works of literature.
35. Buy a new perfume.
36. Try at least one food you hated as a child.
37. Teach yourself to prepare one dish from an ethnic cuisine you've never tackled.
38. Start a daily journal.
39. Pay off all your credit cards. Live within your means.
40. Spend a Sunday reading the paper from cover to cover.
41. Learn the lyrics to a song you've always loved.
42. Put your photos into albums.
43. Volunteer for your community. Convince a friend to do it with you.
44. Fill your pantry with essentials...chocolate and champagne. Get snowed in.
45. Go to a wine tasting party, picky your favorite variety and keep in on hand.
46. Go to the Smithsonian and see Dorothy's red slippers.
47. Send a man flowers.
48. Host a girls only slumber party, put on PJ's and stay up late. Do this in a fancy hotel if possible.
49. Bike through the countryside in the Autumn.
50. Plant a tree on your child's birthday and note it's growth each year.
51. Get to your ideal weight. Better yet, get to your "happy weight"
52. Write a letter to your grandchildren to be read 50 years from now, detailing your life. Keep it with your important papers.
53. Train for and enter a sporting event for fun.
54. Tell you Mom and Dad you love them.
55. Shoot a roll of Black and White film and have the pictures developed in sepia tones. Or hand color them.
56. Really get your financial affairs in order - life insurance, IRA's, will.
57. Stop beating yourself up.
58. Buy yourself (insert that something special you've been yearning for). Enjoy it.
59. Look up your best friend from 5th grade and give her a call.
60. Splurge on beautiful wine glasses.
61. Change your haircolor.
62. Buy stock in your favorite company.
63. Go to a karaoke bar and sing that favorite tune you've been practicing in the shower all your adult life.
64. Buy flowers for yourself.
65. Create a time capsule.
66. Bake chocolate chip cookies and send to a friend just because.
67. Clean your closets. If you haven't worn something in the past year, pack it up for charity.
68. Plant flower boxes.
69. Learn how to make the perfect toast for any occasion.*
70. Wear sunscreen every day.
71. Stand up for yourself.
72. Write down your goal of where you want to be in five years, in your career, you personal life, etc. Be as detailed as possible. Envision it. Live it.
73. Give yourself permission to (fill in the blank).
74. Learn to meditate. Do it.
75. Buy an antique to bring something from the last century into this one.
76. Keep a journal to count your blessings.
77. Take your best friend out to an extravagant lunch, dinner, whatever.
78. Ask for that promotion at work.
79. Memorize your favorite love poem, recite it to someone you love.
80. Find an exercise you can commit to three days a week.
81. Write your siblings a letter telling them how much you love them. Fill it with funny memories.
82. Go berry picking. Learn to make the perfect pie crust.
83. Get season tickets for baseball, basketball, football. Take a kid.
84. Have your astrological chart done.
85. Drive across the country. Blast your favorite music on the radio.
86. Hug more.
87. Quit smoking. For GOOD.
88. Quit complaining.
89. Give people a second chance.
90. Slow down.
91. Buy something made of cashmere.
92. FLOSS.
93. Work less, laugh more.
94. Start Christmas shopping in July.
95. Write a letter to your favorite teacher.
96. Let the answering machine pick up...at least during dinner.
97. Listen. Really listen.
98. Sing in the car.
99. Become a Big Sister or Mentor.
100. LIVE WITH PASSION.

I figure I've done, or continue to do, at least 75% of the things on this list. I happily came to that realization the first time I read this list. Some are a way of life, not just "been there, done that". Some of the things I haven't done simply because I never had the desire to. Life is good.

*refer to "Last Minute Speeches and Toasts" written by my friend, Andrew Frothingham, for tips on how to make the perfect toast.