Thursday, July 27, 2017

2017 Summer Bucket List - One Month Progress Report

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  About a month ago, I posted my summer bucket list.  Today I'm thinking about loud about how I'm doing one month later ~

Make donations to a summer lunch program
Last week I blogged about a summer lunch program we are having at our church.  If you missed it, you can catch it HERE.  We would like to drop off a donation each Sunday we attend church.
I haven't made a donation every single time I've gone to church, but I have a few times.  What a great program!  Hope we do this again in future years.  
Get emails under control
Holy cow -- guess how many messages I have accumulated between my work and personal email accounts - 19,475.  Not kidding.  That's about 19,000 too many!  I'm going to make a true effort to knock that number down significantly.
Currently I'm sitting at 16,431.  I wouldn't say that is under control, but I'm heading in the right direction.  
Read a few good books
Here's a few on my list ~
Camino Island: A Novel by [Grisham, John]
Click HERE to purchase

Into the Water: A Novel by [Hawkins, Paula]
Click HERE to purchase

Lilac Girls: A Novel by [Kelly, Martha Hall]
Click HERE to purchase
Do you have any good books you would like to suggest I add to this list?  
Okay - I'm listening to Camino Island on Audible and am loving it!  I'm also reading The Paris Apartment which I'm loving.  Definitely hoping to get in some reading time on my flight to and from Paris next month.  
Decorate for 4th of July
Since we've moved into this house (which has been many years now), I've wanted to hang flag banners on the front porch for the 4th of July.  This year I really, REALLY am going to try to make that happen!

Click HERE to purchase
Excited to say that this one got a big check mark by it.  I ordered the above mentioned banners and adore the way they looked on my porch.
The inside of the house also got fancied up for the Fourth of July.  I bought a few pieces and mixed them in with some of my old tried and true ones.  




These USA blocks were one of the first projects I blogged about (HERE).  I cringed when I saw the pictures in this old post!   

Work on our French
Eric and I are getting pretty excited about our trip to Paris in August!  Ian and Kayla gave me some tapes to learn French for Mother's Day and we have been listening and learning a little each week.  I don't expect to be speaking fluent French by the time we leave, but I am hoping to know how to ask how much that dress is and be able to order a bottle of wine by the time we land in the city of lights.
Excusez-moi, comprenez-vous l'anglais?  = Excuse me, do you understand English?  I have some great tapes and have been practicing to and from work most days.  I'm still very hopeful that the Frenchmen will take pity on me and just speak English!
Drop a few pounds
Wish me luck on this one!  I love food and hate exercise - not a great combo. 
Haven't lost a single ounce.  Enough said.
Add items to my Etsy page
I've had an Etsy page for quite a while now, but haven't really worked on adding any items.  Hopefully this summer will change that!  One of the items I'd like to add is fabric banners.  They are so fun to make!

Nope.  Hasn't happened yet.  I have a bucket full of ideas, just need to actually make the project and get it listed.  You'll be the first to know when this one is done!
Learn more about my new camera
This new DSLR camera owner really needs to spend some time figuring out exactly how her new camera operates.  I've figured out how to aim and shoot, but that's about it. 
I've been experimenting and having lots of fun with my new camera.  I did sell my old one, so no turning back now.  Honestly I have no regrets buying it at all.  
Get together with my friends in KC
Who doesn't love a girls weekend?!? 
Check this one off the list.  Last weekend was our girls weekend in KC and although it was extremely hot, we had a blast.  As a matter of fact, we have already set the date for our next one and I get to host it at my house.  Can't wait!
Go to an outdoor concert
We have a fantastic venue for watching concerts under the stars.  It's one of my most favorite things to do in the summer.
Check this one off the list too!  We had a wonderful night to sit under the stars for the Eve 6, Sister Hazel and 3 Doors Down concert at Fair St. Louis.  We also popped a squat at the Missouri Botanical Gardens to hear Big Mike Aguirre and the Blu City All Stars.  Hopefully more outdoor concerts to come.
Glad we have a bit of summer still left because, as you can see, I still have some things to do!  How are you coming on your summer bucket list?

So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today?  What's on your mind?  Link up and share.


Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

13 comments:

  1. Hey Penny, let me know what you think of Into The Water when you're done, in curious how it compares to Girl on the Train.
    You got a new DSLR?!? That's awesome. You'll really enjoy that when you go to Paris, which I'm SO excited for you to see. :)

    Have a great day, Penny!

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  2. I haven't had time to do an update on my summer bucket list, but I have a couple things under my belt!!
    The number of emails you have is incredible.....wowza!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  3. Your email list is daunting! Do you use gmail? I love that it categorizes everything into priorities. Your July 4th decorations are so festive! I never decorate for holidays except Christmas.

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  4. You are rocking away on your list! I'm super impressed! We've checked a number of things off our list, I feel like I need to step it up with August being so close now!
    Beth
    www.thebethnextdoor.com

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  5. Man I need to get better with the decorations!

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  6. Love the 4th of July decorations! Especially the little touches inside incorporating tried and true pieces. So jealous about Eve 6, Sister Hazel and 3 Doors Down concert- I love those bands! Good luck with the rest of your goals!

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  7. Your July 4th decorations are so cute. Great job on getting some of your bucket list ticked off. I'm so jealous you're going to Paris. I'd love to visit someday. My sister has been and loves it. I want to say France is pretty good about speaking in English - especially if you try to speak in French first.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  8. Your amount of emails sounds like mine - yikes! It's so hard to manage it all. Looks like you've been having a great summer!

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  9. You go girl. Keep trucking on on that bucket list. You are making great progress. Thank you for sharing your summer bucket list with us as well as your progress. Thank you too for featuring our Easy Cold Strawberry Soup on Friday Favorites

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  10. Awww you are going to Paris!!!! How fun :) one of my favorite places in the world. Say hello to Sacre Coeur and find an afternoon to sit on the lawn and watch the artists/listen to the musicians, if you can!!

    You have some wonderful things on this list. What a great initiative your church is doing and that you are contributing this summer. Giving to those less fortunate fills the soul, eh??


    Okay, I thought I had a lot of emails but dang!!! That's insane momma, lol.

    Xoxo always fun to be here :)

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  11. It looks like you got a lot of stuff done! I went through all of my emails as well. I can't believe that I had a little over 10,000 emails that I never bothered to delete. I'm a little over 100 now.

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  12. Great WORK! And great fun! Your 4th decor is darling. Love the idea of using beans to fill the glass container. Genius. I have a bunting similar to yours. And have recently made my first fabric garland. Would like to make a big one for the stairs for Christmas. Probably need to start NOW!
    Hope you will join us for our update on 8/21 and our fall autumn list reveal on 9/21.

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