Fall Bucket List

When it comes to podcasts, I might be a little obsessive.

I believe this goes back to my childhood. I used to drive my sister crazy by listening to the same audio book over and over again. (Just ask her about Hank the Cow Dog and see what she has to say). I still love audio books (in fact, I listened to one this weekend), but my obsessive love for the recorded word has transferred to podcasts.

I haven't blogged a lot recently, but in the few blogs I've posted there is a fairly good chance that I've mentioned the Joy the Baker Podcast. This is going to be another one of those times.

Joy and her co-host Tracy are really good at having "bucket lists." (Again, I've mentioned this already). They had one for summer and now they have ones for fall too.

This makes sense.

I've recently (and once again) became very aware of how much of my life is lived on a "time crunch." I rush around (even if it's just in my mind) trying to figure out how I can maximize my non-work hours. It's pretty frustrating simply because it makes life really hard to enjoy when I've put myself on some type of timed schedule. (I can't imagine having a husband and kids  - or even a dog - and trying to juggle those schedules as well. yikes.)

I don't want to be that person. And even though making lists is still pretty close to being "that person," it definitely helps me refocus that rushed energy into something else. Since I didn't start listening to Joy the Baker Podcast until mid-summer, I missed when Joy and Tracy made their summer bucket lists. They recently made their fall bucket lists (which mostly had to do with eating pumpkin-y things, which I totally am for) and I was thusly inspired.

Besides, I want to enjoy fall as much as I can since, for once, Kansas is having a beautiful autumn. And  I just know that the next big wind storm (or just windy day) is going to bring all those pretty leaves to the ground. I need to enjoy it while I still can.

So, here is my fall bucket list, (which doesn't have very much on it. With lists, I sometimes like to aim low so the list itself does not become something I try to fit into my time crunched schedule. Also, it was really hard to make this list not all about food).

1. Make some sort of fall inspired stuff pasta from scratch. (My friend, Annali, said her family makes pasta all the time, so I am really hoping she can help me out with this one).

2. Make some type of pumpkin baked item for myself! (Oh, by the way, I no longer work at Mojo's. Crazy, right? Saturday was my last day. So, I am thinking I might have some energy for baking at home now. I am thinking pumpkin whoopie pies. However, it might be a long time before I get to the point of wanting to bake for fun... We'll see. I do have some pumpkin in my freezer though...)

3. Take photos of my new nephew before all the leaves fall off the trees.

4. Finish "restoring" (or, in my case, destroying) my new dresser before I move to my new house. (I think I am going to paint it because the wood isn't very nice, which I feel kind of sad about because I am a firm believer that wood should rarely, if ever, be painted. However, I cannot decide on a color).

5. Drink homemade butterbeer and watch Harry Potter with friends.  (This one already happened this past weekend, but I am sure it will happen again. The recipe we used was "true to the book" in the sense that it was hot. But I found this recipe for a cold one that also looks good.).

6. Decorate my new room. I am terrible about this. So hopefully, soon after I move in to my new place, I will actually hang stuff on the walls. Then it will feel like real life and not the manse (even though, ironically enough, it will have a sink in it).

That's it. There might be more (one involving nacho cheese), but this is fine. I hope it will help me appreciate the season.

Bucket.