Autumn Bucket List

Hello Dear Friends....

I hope that God and the weather have been treating you well. It has been hot and steamy here in the Western Wisconsin, forcing many of us to retreat indoors as much as possible. We have had temperatures near 90 degrees with heat indexes over 100 and humidity at 80 - 100%. So much for my natural curls behaving themselves! (Like they ever do!)  Face it, us Wisconsin-ites aren't cut out for 100 degree days! :) Especially us Norwegians!

All this hot, steamy weather has me longing for the cooler days of Autumn. I know, don't rush it right? I mean we have 6 months of winter here, I should be enjoying these hot, sticky days. And I do, but Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year! There is Football and Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards, Cozy Sweaters and Warm Fires - What's not to love? The colors are beautiful, the temperatures are perfect and it's a season of thanksgiving and gratitude!

There are really only two things I am not big on in the fall. The first is Halloween, not the scary part at least. I love seeing the littles in their cute costumes and I have nothing against other's who participate in the "scare-fest." I have just never liked being scared so I have no desire to go to a haunted house or watch scary movies. The other activity I don't take part in is Oktoberfest. I am not a drinker (and let's face it that is what Oktoberfest is all about) and I do not like huge crowds. We have a local Oktoberfest that draws tens of thousands of people and I can't go. Again, nothing against people who partake of either drinking or the festival. It's just my personal choice.

With all that being said, I have decided to make a Bucket List for Fall...I have a life bucket list of places I want to go, activities I want to do and things I want to accomplish before I die, but this is different. As I said in my last post, while I am feeling more hopeful, 2014 hasn't been the best year for me. So I thought, to battle the yucky feelings, I would come up with a ; list of things to do this Fall; activities that I enjoy, places I want to visit, all related to this season of the year.  And hopefully things that don't cost very much money....When winter rolls around, I am  hoping I will have made lots of memories and can look back on the Autumn of 2014 with smiles and fondness instead of the way I look at the beginning of the year. So, here goes...my 2014 Autumn Bucket List...

1. Have a Picnic in the Park
2. Try New Pumpkin Recipes (Done!)
3. Volunteer at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner
4. Knit Something Cozy for Someone (One done...more in process)
5. Decorate Porch and Front Yard for Autumn (Done)
6. Hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve
7. Go to a Football Game (Go Norse!) (Done)
8. Make Gratitude Stones for my Garden
9. Collect Acorns, Leaves and Pinecones for Decoration
10. Jump in a Pile of Leaves
11. Make and Eat Apple Cider Doughnuts
12. Go Apple Picking at an Orchard
13. Make Chili
14. Go on a Fall Color Drive (Photo Safari)
15. Go to the County Fair (Coming up this weekend!)
16. Be Thankful (Ongoing)
17. Go on a Hay Ride
18. Plant Flower Bulbs for Spring Blooms
19. Donate Food to the Food Pantry
20. Go to the Pumpkin Patch
21. Read Books - Lots of Them
22. Go Wine Tasting
23. Write in my Grateful Journal Every Day
24. Light Candles Every Night
25. Wrap up in a Blanket and Sit on the Porch with Tea/Cocoa/Cider
26. Have a Bonfire with S'Mores
27. Invite the Family over for a Packer's Game
28. Have a Garage Sale
29. Roast Pumpkin Seeds
30. Make and Eat a Caramel Apple (Done)
31. Make Apple Crisp (Done)
32. Make Glycerin/Wax Leaves
33. Visit a Corn Maze
34. Make Leaf Shaped Sugar Cookies
25. Have an Adult Girl's PJ Party (Planned for Dec. 6th!)
26. Make Homemade Apple Cider
27. Go to a Craft Fair
28. Create a Thankful Jar
29. Run the Turkey Trot 5K (Planning with a good friend!)
30. Make a Scarecrow
31. Organize my Home Emergency Binder (In process)
32. Can and Freeze Veggies/Food for Winter (In process)
33. Press Leaves in Books (Done)
34. Make Fairy and Gnome Homes
35. Keep an Updated Prayer List (In Process)
36. Autumn Pictures of my Kids
37. Have a "Mexican Movie Night" with Cookie and His Friends
38. Start Making Homemade Christmas Presents (Started)
39. Have a Pedicure Night with Princess Pea
40. Finally Master Knitting Socks!
41. Put Gardens to Bed for Winter (Done)
42. Write Thank You Notes and Letters to Those Who Mean the Most to Me
43. Star Gaze
44. Go to the Farmer's Market
45. Watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"
46. Make Homemade Cocoa Mix
47. Make a Fall Banner
48. Make Goodies for the Neighbors
49. Make Pinecone Birdfeeders with Peanut Butter
50. Make new Hat, Gloves, Scarf, Cowl, Hood, Snood for me!
51. Buy Halloween Candy and Hand Out.  *This one didn't get done this year... :(
52. Bake Homemade Bread
53. Make Beef Stoup

Wow! Look at that List...I'm going to have a fantastic Autumn this year! And many of these items require little to no money! Most of them include the kids, Honey, family or friends. What better way to spend time than with those I love most. Check back often to see how many of these I have checked off and the pictures that will most likely accompany my adventures! :)  

Sending you all God's Blessings!