There’s no escaping it…..a new year is upon us.
I was talking to a friend awhile ago and she remarked that she no longer intends to make New Year’s Resolutions and instead will make a “Bucket List”. I’m not sure where the phrase bucket list comes from and I’ve never seen the movie, but I assume it’s a list of things you’d like to do before you “kick the bucket”.
Regardless the idea resonated with me. As the self designated chair of the sniffin’ 60 club I’m a lot less resolute these days anyway. The truth is, as of recent, my personal quest has been focused on becoming more of myself than becoming who I think I’m supposed to be. My past new year’s resolutions often felt like things I should do as opposed to wanted to do. Thus, my bucket list was formed with an eye to things that bring me joy, enrich my life and are just darn fun. Here’s the short list:
Stop counting calories, aches and pains and count my blessings instead.
Lecture less and listen more to my amazing kids, because they are now adults with insightful and imaginative thoughts to share.
Throw more impromptu get togethers because I truly believe that a hectic house is a happy house.
Eat a bit of chocolate everyday because NOTHING gives me more instant gratification.
Go night time skinny dipping in a warm pool as I did as a kid because there is nothing quite as freeing.
Wear a bikini one more time even if I don’t take off my coverup and still insist on standing in the back row for photographs.
Do tequila shots with friends and not worry about how I’ll feel too hungover to make my workout the next day.
Sing Karaoke with abandon. (Maybe after the tequila shots)
Play more and workout less. You get the same result and have so much more fun.
Stay home on a snowy day and watch endless episodes of Glee and Parenthood while making chocolate chip cookies and eating the dough, knowing I won’t stop until I have a full fledged stomach ache.
Watch Ted Talks videos (ted.com/talks) often not only because they’re interesting but because they are so very inspiring and give me hope.
View more youtube videos of comedians Jon Pinette and Loretta LaRoche because a good belly laugh is worth everything.
Would love to hear from some of you as to what’s on your list.
Here’s to a year filled with bucket list moments!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
THE BITCHES ARE (NOT BACK) BUT HERE TO STAY
The emails read “Hike Smuggler 10 AM who’s in?” Or “Fri. Bike Bells 9 AM then lunch at Peaches for Sally’s B-day”. Yes it’s in shorthand but it doesn’t matter because we tend to finish each others sentences anyway! These communications come minimally once a week. My girlfriends are a big part of my life. When life allows, I probably spend as much time with them as I do with my family. One of them remarked that with this group of friends, she’s had the longest, enduring and most constant friendships of her life and I think that holds true for most of us. We’ve shared kids woes, marital woes, weight woes, hormonal woes and vacations and celebrations too numerous to count with and with out our spouses and families.
How do I know that these friendships are authentic? Well, for one thing we keep one another’s secrets and confidences, which is a whole lot easier these days as we all tend to forget a lot and seem to be losing our minds together! We check in with weekly stream of consciousness phone calls, talk about the same things over and over that take up way too much of our day and that our spouses are not even remotely interested in listening to. And even though we know we should get off the phone, we always have just one more pressing thing to say! We all believe that through our collective wisdom we can solve just about anything the world throws our way. We take the time to make one another feel special. We celebrate all of our birthdays together. It’s often times just a simple walk and meet for coffee but no one is forgotten. Like all women we can be insecure, petty and judgmental at times but we all know with complete certainty that if there is a need we’d be there for one another at the drop of a hat no questions asked.
The dynamic of the group is interesting as well. We all have different personalities and backgrounds. Some are native “aspenites” and others moved here from other parts of the country, married and ended up raising our families in this glorious place. We are together, crazy, intense, competitive, caring, fun, needy, supportive, curious, creative, complicated, gracious and so very fortunate to be a part of one anothers lives.
We spur each other on to be more, do more and be better women and friends. Through it all as we’ve grown together I’ve learned to judge less and understand more. Because of my girlfriends I laugh harder and with abandon from experiences shared over years that are treasured.
The emails read “Hike Smuggler 10 AM who’s in?” Or “Fri. Bike Bells 9 AM then lunch at Peaches for Sally’s B-day”. Yes it’s in shorthand but it doesn’t matter because we tend to finish each others sentences anyway! These communications come minimally once a week. My girlfriends are a big part of my life. When life allows, I probably spend as much time with them as I do with my family. One of them remarked that with this group of friends, she’s had the longest, enduring and most constant friendships of her life and I think that holds true for most of us. We’ve shared kids woes, marital woes, weight woes, hormonal woes and vacations and celebrations too numerous to count with and with out our spouses and families.
How do I know that these friendships are authentic? Well, for one thing we keep one another’s secrets and confidences, which is a whole lot easier these days as we all tend to forget a lot and seem to be losing our minds together! We check in with weekly stream of consciousness phone calls, talk about the same things over and over that take up way too much of our day and that our spouses are not even remotely interested in listening to. And even though we know we should get off the phone, we always have just one more pressing thing to say! We all believe that through our collective wisdom we can solve just about anything the world throws our way. We take the time to make one another feel special. We celebrate all of our birthdays together. It’s often times just a simple walk and meet for coffee but no one is forgotten. Like all women we can be insecure, petty and judgmental at times but we all know with complete certainty that if there is a need we’d be there for one another at the drop of a hat no questions asked.
The dynamic of the group is interesting as well. We all have different personalities and backgrounds. Some are native “aspenites” and others moved here from other parts of the country, married and ended up raising our families in this glorious place. We are together, crazy, intense, competitive, caring, fun, needy, supportive, curious, creative, complicated, gracious and so very fortunate to be a part of one anothers lives.
We spur each other on to be more, do more and be better women and friends. Through it all as we’ve grown together I’ve learned to judge less and understand more. Because of my girlfriends I laugh harder and with abandon from experiences shared over years that are treasured.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Stop Look Listen to One Another and Share!
Sitting at a restaurant last week I couldn’t help but notice the couple at the next table. They both had their smart phones on the table which continually rang, sang to them or buzzed. Out of the 60 min. they were there it’s safe to say that at least half of that time their attention was diverted to their phones. I assumed they both were trauma surgeons because whatever drew their attention from each other surely must have been life threatening!
Technology has certainly made our lives easier in many respects, but I’m not so certain it hasn’t been detrimental to interpersonal communication. It’s tough to complete a conversation, much less a thought with the constant nagging of phone sounds or distraction of texts. Does any of this sound familiar? Mom is on the computer, Dad is on his phone, Billy is watching TV, Danny is playing a video game, Sally is on her ipad and Tyler is listening to his ipod with his headphones on all the while our extra appendages (our phones) are buzzing, urging us to pay attention to them. These are all solo endeavors. If we don’t learn at home, within our own four walls to communicate with one another how the heck are we supposed to learn to connect and communicate with our neighbors or the larger world around us?
There are ways to make connections that occur naturally and often cross inter-generational boundaries. It often happens by way of our passions, hobbies and interests.
We’re defined by these things and sometimes our lives are even altered by them. For example people will say “I’m a Yankee’s fan” or “I’m a skier or cyclist”. I moved to Aspen in the seventies because at that time in my life nothing was more important to me than skiing. I met my husband and raised a family here in the Colorado Rockies and it all came about because I was passionate about skiing!
My daughter attended two different universities until she found the right school for herself. She knew she wasn’t a sorority girl or big partier. And although she didn’t want to major in it, she loved performing and theater. That turned out to be her connection. She joined an improv. comedy club and immediately made a whole group of new friends. In fact today, five years later, they are still some of her most cherished friends although they no longer perform together or live in the same town.
My parents passed along to my siblings and I a love of boating. Every summer while growing up we would head to The Colorado River for two weeks of skiing, tubing, cards, fishing, cliff jumping, games and family time. We now do the same with our kids on Lake Powell and my grown children say it’s still their favorite vacation. I have no doubt they’ll be doing the same with their families.
My in-laws loved to play cards. They had card groups and would meet once a month for an evening of bridge or poker with the same group of friends for years. They indoctrinated our kids very early on as they would patiently play “Go Fish” endlessly. As the kids grew the card games became more complicated and interesting as did the table conversation. Hours of sitting around the kitchen table playing cards led to hours of conversation with their grandparents. They learned their grandfather fought in a war, worked in a dairy, and that he never ran out of jokes to tell! What a lovely way to connect! In case you were wondering…..there were no cell phones ringing or text messages that needed immediate attention!
Golf has also been an enduring connector in our family. My husband’s dad taught him to play as a child and he in turn taught our son. They took father son golf trips together and today my husband and son now do the same. They not only play but also place small bets on the weekly televised golf tournaments. This leads to weekly calls every single Thurs. night to place their bets. I was resistant to get into golf, until I realized that I’d get four hours of uninterrupted time playing a round with my son. I quickly took up the sport!
My daughter and I share a love of musical theater. We watch the Tony Awards every year to select which shows we’d like to see. Then every couple of years as time and finances allow, we go to New York and see non-stop theater as we connect over great pastrami sandwiches.
So whether it’s fishing, gardening, cooking, stamp collecting, chess or whatever your hobby or passion is, it pays to share it. Enthusiasm is catching and just may shape your life and connect you to others in unforeseen and extraordinary ways.
Technology has certainly made our lives easier in many respects, but I’m not so certain it hasn’t been detrimental to interpersonal communication. It’s tough to complete a conversation, much less a thought with the constant nagging of phone sounds or distraction of texts. Does any of this sound familiar? Mom is on the computer, Dad is on his phone, Billy is watching TV, Danny is playing a video game, Sally is on her ipad and Tyler is listening to his ipod with his headphones on all the while our extra appendages (our phones) are buzzing, urging us to pay attention to them. These are all solo endeavors. If we don’t learn at home, within our own four walls to communicate with one another how the heck are we supposed to learn to connect and communicate with our neighbors or the larger world around us?
There are ways to make connections that occur naturally and often cross inter-generational boundaries. It often happens by way of our passions, hobbies and interests.
We’re defined by these things and sometimes our lives are even altered by them. For example people will say “I’m a Yankee’s fan” or “I’m a skier or cyclist”. I moved to Aspen in the seventies because at that time in my life nothing was more important to me than skiing. I met my husband and raised a family here in the Colorado Rockies and it all came about because I was passionate about skiing!
My daughter attended two different universities until she found the right school for herself. She knew she wasn’t a sorority girl or big partier. And although she didn’t want to major in it, she loved performing and theater. That turned out to be her connection. She joined an improv. comedy club and immediately made a whole group of new friends. In fact today, five years later, they are still some of her most cherished friends although they no longer perform together or live in the same town.
My parents passed along to my siblings and I a love of boating. Every summer while growing up we would head to The Colorado River for two weeks of skiing, tubing, cards, fishing, cliff jumping, games and family time. We now do the same with our kids on Lake Powell and my grown children say it’s still their favorite vacation. I have no doubt they’ll be doing the same with their families.
My in-laws loved to play cards. They had card groups and would meet once a month for an evening of bridge or poker with the same group of friends for years. They indoctrinated our kids very early on as they would patiently play “Go Fish” endlessly. As the kids grew the card games became more complicated and interesting as did the table conversation. Hours of sitting around the kitchen table playing cards led to hours of conversation with their grandparents. They learned their grandfather fought in a war, worked in a dairy, and that he never ran out of jokes to tell! What a lovely way to connect! In case you were wondering…..there were no cell phones ringing or text messages that needed immediate attention!
Golf has also been an enduring connector in our family. My husband’s dad taught him to play as a child and he in turn taught our son. They took father son golf trips together and today my husband and son now do the same. They not only play but also place small bets on the weekly televised golf tournaments. This leads to weekly calls every single Thurs. night to place their bets. I was resistant to get into golf, until I realized that I’d get four hours of uninterrupted time playing a round with my son. I quickly took up the sport!
My daughter and I share a love of musical theater. We watch the Tony Awards every year to select which shows we’d like to see. Then every couple of years as time and finances allow, we go to New York and see non-stop theater as we connect over great pastrami sandwiches.
So whether it’s fishing, gardening, cooking, stamp collecting, chess or whatever your hobby or passion is, it pays to share it. Enthusiasm is catching and just may shape your life and connect you to others in unforeseen and extraordinary ways.
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