It's a wrap on "41 before 42"

I've been procrastinating on this post. Partly because I've been working a lot (a good thing for a freelancer!), and partly because I feel like I didn't tick off as much as I had hoped to this year.

But if I'm honest with myself, I did so much more for the first time that wasn't even on my radar that I can't really be frustrated.

As with last year, and likely every year I keep this going, I learned more about what I'm really interested in, and what I'm not. What I wanted to make time for, and what I didn't. What I do regret having not completed — and that just because this particular timeline met its deadline, doesn't mean the pursuit has to end.

Thanks to all of you who keep on following along. I do love sharing this journey, and encouraging others to get out there and try something new!

Below is my "report" (fully completed items have a line through them, some notes on the others) — and soon I'll post my "42 before 43" list. Best.

• 41 Before 42 • 

1. Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) — I've picked the song I want to use and started choreographing. This will stay on my list.

2. Plant and grow garlic

3. Watch every episode of MASH — My parents bought us the entire collection for Christmas so we're moving faster now that we don't have to wait for the library. We're almost done with the fifth season. This will stay on my list.

4. Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks

5. Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat)

6. Attend a Switchbacks match — Ugh. Missed out because I wasn't paying attention to the calendar. Definitely this summer!

7. Try kayaking

8. Learn barista basics

9. Plant flower bulbs this fall

10. Take a birding and/or bird banding class — Pitched a story on this, so hoping for it still to happen as a part of that research.

11. Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333

12. Take French language lessons — Using Duolingo, but still would like to take some formal one-on-one classes.

13. Read at least 75 books (Hey! I hit 81! Gonna up the number again for next year.)

14. Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera — I did get some tips from a photographer friend, but honestly I'm looking at purchasing a new, much smaller and lighter camera to use on my travels so I'm less interested in this.

15. Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit

16. Learn to bake croissants

17. Get will and living will in order

18. Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month

19. Attend a fest in Telluride — I had this on the calendar and then we had some family issues that meant I had to cancel.

20. Take performance driving lessons

21. Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met

22. Stay up once all night until sunrise

23. Perform at a poetry slam/open mic

24. Learn to bake French macarons

25. Attend the Santa Fe Opera — Going, again, on the not-gonna-happen list. Missed the summer season. This year!

26. Be involved with a stage show in some way

27. Bake a pie, with homemade crust, from scratch

28. Visit at least one new-to-me museum— Thanks to my travels, hit more than a dozen!

29. Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month— Watched many more movies this year than I have in a long time so I consider this a success.

30. Play Settlers of Catan — Found friends who have the game and want to play.

31. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray

32. Take an oracle card-making class

33. Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago

34. Travel (again) with a girlfriend

35. Fly a kite

36. Send postcards to friends once a month just because

37. Try fly fishing

38. Visit Shambhala Mountain Center

39. Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — No tour yet, but I did get back to the O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and saw a great O'Keeffe exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

40. Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot — See photo above! I participated in a locals' photography project by Aaron Anderson. It was pretty dang cool. Mainly because he's pretty dang cool.

41. Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine — Have decided NOT to pitch it to O, but am continuing to research options. And I did write another monastery piece for 5280.

The "Miscellaneous Stuff I Did that Wasn't on the List" List

1. Tried archery for the first time
2. Played paintball
3. Rode a horse
4. Stayed at a dude ranch
5. Learned to stand-up paddle board
6. Learned to shoot air rifle with an Olympic hopeful
7. Hiked a chunk of the Appalachian Trail
8. Learned to make tortillas
9. Took a wildflower identification class
10. Sat a few rows away from George R.R. Martin as he honored Gena Rowlands at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
11. Acquired a ukelele for Christmas and have started online lessons
12. Took a Fosse-style dance class
13. Indoor rock climbing — top-rope and bouldering — a few times a week
14. Learning, slowly, to walk a slackline
15. Taught my first two yoga/writing workshops
16. Earned my Relax & Renew restorative yoga certification from Judith Hanson Lasater
17. Started working on a documentary (and helped run a successful crowdfunding campaign)
18. Finally had a slice of pecan pie at Front Range BBQ (and it was good)
19. Started using Trello (which I, um, love)
20. Met President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and America Ferrera
21. Took a couples' trip to California wine country and rode in a bright yellow Camaro
22. Learned to make sauerkraut and cheese while visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first time
23. Travelled for the first time to Crested Butte; Roanoke, Virginia; Santa Barbara, California; Scottsdale, Arizona (where I learned to Arizona two-step); Portland, Maine; Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada; and Door County, Wisconsin.

"41 before 42" — three months left

Counting down the months to my 42nd birthday. And once again running through my "41 before 42" list. I still can't believe it's 2016 already. I just took down my Christmas tree!

Anywho ... notes added and italicized where I've started or completed an item.

Read on, friends.

• 41 Before 42 •

1. Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) — I've picked the song I want to use. Time to start working.
2. Plant and grow garlic — Hmmm. Not sure this will happen. Can I plant in the spring?
3. Watch every episode of MASH — G's watching with me, and — SUPER EXCITING — my parents bought us the entire collection for Christmas so we're moving faster now that we don't have to wait for the library. We're into the second disc of the third season. 
4. Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks — Done! May also take some local classes this spring.
5. Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat)
6. Attend a Switchbacks match — Ugh. Missed out because I wasn't paying attention to the calendar. Next year!
7. Try kayaking — Done. Not just once, not just twice, but three times. I've learned how much I love water sports.
8. Learn barista basics — Done! And I wrote a story about it too. Find it here, in the premier issue of Springs Magazine.
9. Plant flower bulbs this fall — Also missed the ball on this. Maybe I'll get some in-house early bloomers.
10. Take a birding and/or bird banding class — Pitched a story on this, so hoping for it to happen in early spring.
11. Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333 — Progressing. Gonna post another update in the next week or so.
12. Take French language lessons
13. Read at least 75 books — To date: 63 books done, re-read one, and in progress on four.
14. Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera — I'm actually looking at purchasing a new, much smaller and lighter camera to use on my travels, so this goal may shift some over the year.
15. Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit
16. Learn to bake croissants — Done! The fabulous Stephanie from Steffi's Bakery & Confections taught me. Now I gotta make them on my own at home.
17. Get will and living will in order
18. Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month — I've had flowers in the house about every other month. I'm good with that.
19. Attend a fest in Telluride — I had this on the calendar and then we had some family issues that meant I had to cancel. Perhaps in the spring...
20. Take performance driving lessons
21. Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met
22. Stay up once all night until sunrise
23. Perform at a poetry slam/open mic
24. Learn to bake French macarons — My croissant-baking friend is going to help me with this as well. Lots of baking this winter!
25. Attend the Santa Fe Opera — Going, again, on the not-gonna-happen list. Missed the summer season. Sigh. Next year.
26. Be involved with a stage show in some way
27. Bake a fruit pie, with homemade crust, from scratch — OK, I have NOT baked a fruit pie yet, but I did bake a pecan pie from scratch (see photo proof above). Thanks, again, to Stephanie. (See #16.) I learned a ton, and I'm planning to tackle a fruit pie later in the spring.
28. Visit at least one new-to-me museum — Visited Taliesan West in Scottsdale. Absolutely beautiful. Also, visited the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Visited the Portland Museum of Art in Maine; Ministers Island in New Brunswick; the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax; and the Sherbrooke Village Museum in Nova Scotia. Also the Pinball Museum and the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.
29. Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month — Saw Pitch Perfect 2! (Laughed and cried.) Tomorrowland, and Mr. Holmes. Also watched Frances Ha. At the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival earlier this month, I viewed the classic A Woman Under the Influence, as well as a bunch of New Mexico shorts and the documentary The Seventh Fire. G and I re-watched all of the Hunger Games movies, and then went and saw the final one in the theater. (So good!) Others we've seen: Spanglish, Packed in a Trunk (doc), Her, and The Way.
30. Play Settlers of Catan — Found friends who have the game and want to play.
31. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray
32. Take an oracle card-making class — Took the awesome Inner Alchemy Fire Cards class, taught online by Mindy Tsonas.
33. Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago — Picked up a few books and watched The Way.
34. Travel (again) with a girlfriend — Travelled to Santa Fe with two girlfriends. So much fun. Visited Brush Creek Ranch with another friend. (Story on this trip ran as the cover piece for the November/December issue of Springs Style Magazine.)
35. Fly a kite
36. Send postcards to friends once a month just because — Doing.
37. Try fly fishing — Ah! Done! And enjoyed more than I expected.
38. Visit Shambhala Mountain Center
39. Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — No tour yet, but I did get back to the O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and saw a great O'Keeffe exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
40. Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot (with Becky)
41. Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine

Other accomplishments not on this list: Tried archery for the first time. Played paintball. Rode a horse. Stayed at a dude ranch. Learned to stand-up paddle board. Hiked a chunk of the Appalachian Trail. Learned to make tortillas with Chef Mica at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Sat a few rows away from George R.R. Martin as he honored Gena Rowlands at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival. Acquired a ukelele for Christmas and have started online lessons. Indoor rock climbing — top-rope and bouldering — a few times a week. Learning, slowly, to walk a slackline. Taught my first two yoga/writing workshops. Started working on a documentary. Learned to make sauerkraut at The Brinery and cheese at Zingerman's while visiting Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first time.

What's on your to-do-that-you've-never-done list for this month or this year?

"41 before 42" — at the half-way point

Happy half-birthday to me!

I could panic a little about how much I've not accomplished on this list for being at the half-way point, but instead I'm just going to celebrate everything I have done. (And I'm going to start contacting some of you who I know can help me with some of these things. <grin>)

Notes added and italicized where I've started or completed an item. Read on.

• 41 Before 42 •

1. Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys) — I've picked the song I want to use. Time to start working.
2. Plant and grow garlic — Gotta get on this over the next month.
3. Watch every episode of MASH — G's watching with me, and we've finished the first season and much of the second.
4. Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks — Done!
5. Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat)
6. Attend a Switchbacks match — Ugh. Missed out because I wasn't paying attention to the calendar. Next year!
7. Try kayaking — Done. Not just once, not just twice, but three times. I've learned how much I love water sports.
8. Learn barista basics — Done! And I wrote a story about it too. Will post when it prints.
9. Plant flower bulbs this fall — Gotta get on this along with the garlic.
10. Take a birding and/or bird banding class — Pitched a story on this, so hoping for it to happen in early spring.
11. Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333 — Progressing.
12. Take French language lessons
13. Read at least 75 books — I read a ton over the past month, and I feel like this goal is within reach if I can keep that pace up. To date: 35 books done, re-read one, and in progress on six.
14. Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera — I'm actually looking at purchasing a new, much smaller and lighter camera to use on my travels, so this goal may shift some over the year.
15. Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit
16. Learn to bake croissants — Set to do this next week with a baker friend.
17. Get will and living will in order
18. Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month — The mums from last month are on their last leaf, so to speak, so planning to pick up something new this week.
19. Attend a fest in Telluride — I had this on the calendar and then we had some family issues that meant I had to cancel. Perhaps in the spring...
20. Take performance driving lessons
21. Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met
22. Stay up once all night until sunrise
23. Perform at a poetry slam/open mic
24. Learn to bake French macarons — My croissant-baking friend is going to help me with this as well. Lots of baking this winter!
25. Attend the Santa Fe Opera — Going, again, on the not-gonna-happen list. Missed the summer season. Sigh. Next year.
26. Be involved with a stage show in some way
27. Bake a fruit pie, with homemade crust, from scratch — See #24.
28. Visit at least one new-to-me museum — Visited Taliesan West in Scottsdale. Absolutely beautiful. Also, visited the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Visited the Portland Museum of Art in Maine; Ministers Island in New Brunswick; the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax; and the Sherbrooke Village Museum in Nova Scotia. Also the Pinball Museum and the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.
29. Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month — Saw Pitch Perfect 2! (Laughed and cried.) Tomorrowland, and Mr. Holmes. Also watched Frances Ha. At the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival earlier this month, I viewed the classic A Woman Under the Influence, as well as a bunch of New Mexico shorts and the documentary The Seventh Fire.
30. Play Settlers of Catan — Found friends who have the game and want to play.
31. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray — Hoping to do this in conjunction with the Ouray Ice Festival in January.
32. Take an oracle card-making class — Took the awesome Inner Alchemy Fire Cards class, taught online by Mindy Tsonas.
33. Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago — Picked up a few books and planning to watch the movie, The Way.
34. Travel (again) with a girlfriend — Travelled to Santa Fe with two girlfriends. So much fun. Visited Brush Creek Ranch with another friend. (Watch for a story on this in the next issue of Springs Style Magazine.)
35. Fly a kite
36. Send postcards to friends once a month just because — Doing.
37. Try fly fishing — Ah! Done! And loved.
38. Visit Shambhala Mountain Center
39. Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — No tour yet, but I did get back to the O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe (which included the stunning-in-person "Above the Clouds I" pictured above), and saw a great O'Keeffe exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
40. Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot (with Becky)
41. Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine

Other accomplishments not on this list: Tried archery for the first time. Played paintball. Rode a horse. Stayed at a dude ranch. Learned to stand-up paddle board. Indoor rock-climbing weekly. Hiked a chunk of the Appalachian Trail. Learned to make tortillas with Chef Mica at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Sat a few rows away from George R.R. Martin as he honored Gena Rowlands at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival.

What's on your to-do-that-you've-never-done list this month?

"41 before 42" — five months in

I'm slowly inching up on my half-birthday. But for a little longer, I'm at five months and counting on my 41 before 42 birthday list. It's been an exciting and busy year. Notes added and italicized where I've started or completed an item. Read on.

• 41 Before 42 • 

1. Choreograph a country line dance (and see if Barb will teach it at Cowboys)
2. Plant and grow garlic — Gotta get on this over the next month.
3. Watch every episode of MASH — G's watching with me, and we've finished the first season. Just picked up the second season from the library.
4. Try aerial yoga and/or aerial silks — Done!
5. Plan my next trip to France (perhaps running a retreat at Little French Retreat)
6. Attend a Switchbacks match — Ugh. Missed out because I wasn't paying attention to the calendar. Next year!
7. Try kayaking — Done. Not just once, not just twice, but three times. Floated the James River in Virginia with Twin River Outfitters just last week.
8. Learn barista basics — Done! And I wrote a story about it too. Will post when it prints.
9. Plant flower bulbs this fall — Gotta get on this along with the garlic.
10. Take a birding and/or bird banding class — Pitched a story on this, so hoping for it to happen in early spring.
11. Continue to reduce my wardrobe, a la Project 333 — Progressing.
12. Take French language lessons
13. Read at least 75 books — Catching up! 28 books done, re-read one, and in progress on seven.
14. Take classes on how to use the manual functions on my DSLR camera — I'm actually looking at purchasing a new, much smaller and lighter camera to use on my travels, so this goal may shift some over the year.
15. Have at least one item of clothing tailored to fit
16. Learn to bake croissants
17. Get will and living will in order
18. Have a bouquet of flowers in the house, fresh once a month — Just bought a small mum plant for the kitchen. It's so cheery!
19. Attend a fest in Telluride — I had this on the calendar and then we had some family issues that meant I had to cancel. Perhaps in the spring...
20. Take performance driving lessons
21. Add a piece of original art to my collection from an artist I have not yet met
22. Stay up once all night until sunrise
23. Perform at a poetry slam/open mic
24. Learn to bake French macarons
25. Attend the Santa Fe Opera — Going, again, on the not-gonna-happen list. Missed the summer season. Sigh. Next year.
26. Be involved with a stage show in some way
27. Bake a fruit pie, with homemade crust, from scratch
28. Visit at least one new-to-me museum — Visited Taliesan West in Scottsdale. Absolutely beautiful. Also, visited the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Visited the Portland Museum of Art in Maine; Ministers Island in New Brunswick; the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax; and the Sherbrooke Village Museum in Nova Scotia. Also the Pinball Museum and the Taubman Museum of Art (photo above) in Roanoke, Virginia.
29. Watch one new-to-me movie and one classic film a month — Saw Pitch Perfect 2! (Laughed and cried.) Tomorrowland, and Mr. Holmes. Also watched Frances Ha. A little behind on this.
30. Play Settlers of Catan — Found friends who have the game and want to play.
31. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray
32. Take an oracle card-making class — Took the awesome Inner Alchemy Fire Cards class, taught online by Mindy Tsonas.
33. Research and read more about walking the Camino de Santiago — Just picked up a few books and the movie, The Way.
34. Travel (again) with a girlfriend — Travelled to Santa Fe with two girlfriends. So much fun. Visited Brush Creek Ranch with another friend. 
35. Fly a kite
36. Send postcards to friends once a month just because — Doing.
37. Try fly fishing — Ah! Done! And loved.
38. Visit Shambhala Mountain Center
39. Do a Georgia O'Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.)
40. Do a not-just-head-shot photo shoot (with Becky)
41. Get off my ass already and pitch the nun story to Oprah Magazine

Other accomplishments not on this list: Tried archery for the first time. Played paintball. Rode a horse. Stayed at a dude ranch. Learned to stand-up paddle board. Indoor rock-climbing weekly. Hiked a chunk of the Appalachian Trail.

What's on your to-do-that-you've-never-done list this month?

My Project 333 transition month

It's September and I should be starting a new three-month cycle of Project 333 (thanks to the switcheroo of my timeline that I did earlier this year).

But instead, I've decided to take what I'm calling a transition month.

As I dug out my stored clothes for fall and winter, I pulled out lots of items that made me go, "Hmmm." I haven't worn many of these pieces in nine or more months and I honestly don't know if I want to wear them or not.

My body has been shifting — a blend of food-heavy press trips and irregular exercise.

My taste has been shifting — I'm becoming more and more aware of what I really like to put on my body every day.

And my life has been shifting — I picked up an ongoing freelance gig that requires me to have a few professional items, which because I'd gone to working from home and coffee shops two years ago, I'd basically eliminated from my closet.

With that, over the past week I pulled out every item I own and placed each in one of five piles:

1) To swap or donate (I've got a large bag so far)

2) To consign (Another large bag so far, and if my local shops don't want these pieces, they go immediately into pile number one)

3) To store (for a different season — three medium-size plastic bins for this use)

4) To for-sure-include in the next cycle

5) To test

It's pile number five that I'm playing with during the month of September.

I started by making sure everything up for consideration was washed and visible in my closet. This category includes about 60 items right now — and because we're still getting 80-degree days, but temps will drop fast come October/November, it ranges from tank tops to heavy sweaters. My goal during September is to wear each of those 60-some pieces at least once. From there, the item gets redistributed to one of the other four categories.

Just yesterday I donned a denim skirt and a striped flowy top, neither of which I had worn in quite some time. I liked the skirt. It went in the probably-include pile (I need to see how many other denim skirts I end up with first). I did not like how the top fit. It's going to my next swap.

This whole process brings home what becomes more and more clear to me each cycle in regard to a capsule closet or minimalist approach:

You need to make it work for you.

Earlier in my journey, the guidelines and structure of Project 333 were exactly what I needed to get started. Now, I blend Courtney's suggestions with my own, and feel no qualms about the integration. In fact, it's fun.

My goal this month is to get my closet down by about half. I do still use "33" as my guideline. (I've always been drawn to the number three so for some reason it feels right.) I also want to leave a few slots open to add a couple "business-y" items.

Courtney writes in a recent blog post that there are five essentials to a capsule wardrobe:

Peace     ::     Ease     ::     Love     ::     Clarity     ::     Space

Letting go of the mass of clothes I used to mess around with every day has been physically freeing. But perhaps even more so, it's been emotionally freeing. It's not for everyone, but if you think it might be for you, I encourage you to give Project 333, or some variation on it, a try.