The LIST -- 101 in 1001

101 THINGS IN 1001 DAYS
(143 weeks/33 months)(Begin 7/1/10 – End 3/27/13)

HOME ORGANIZATION
1. Catch up on newspapers; Keep no more than 2 weeks (unless after vacation)
2. Finish sorting & organizing sewing room by 7/9/10.
3. Put up shelves etc. in sewing room.
4. Organize 3rd floor, sufficiently for a bedroom, by 7/21/10.
5. Empty storage space by 9/1/10.
6. Organize basement.  Spend minimum of 2 hrs. per week until complete.
7. Get rid of at least one thing daily (discard, sell, or donate).
8. Get Besta cabinets for DVDs from Ikea, preferably by 7/21/10.
9. Deal with books (discard, sell, or donate).
10. Deal with vintage clothes (sell or donate).
11. Clean out garage by 12/31/10.

HOME IMPROVEMENT
12. Finish small things around house (towel racks, clocks, etc.) by 7/21/10.
13. Paint D#2’s room.
14. Fix plaster & paint my bedroom.
15. Re-paper bathroom.
16. Have lamps in bathroom replaced by electrician.
17. Plant shrubs around front porch & more perennials/shrubs in back yard.
18. Have deck power-washed and stained.
19. Have chimney flue for furnace relined.
20. Have electrical work done.
21. Purchase gas stove and have it installed.
22. Reopen door to powder room from kitchen.
23. Remove carpet from basement and basement steps.
24. Remove carpet from rest of house.

FINANCIAL/LEGAL
25. Sort and file all bills and papers by 9/1/10.
26. Keep up with filing monthly.
27. Enter checking account data, balance accounts, close old checking account. 
28. Keep up balancing checking account at least bi-monthly.
29. Get divorced before end of 2010, before mid-November 2010, if possible.
30. Make a will.
31. Get car & health insurance and cell phone plans separated from H..
32. Monitor mortgage interest rates; refi (15 yr?) when fixed rates drop.

HEALTH
33. Exercise at least 2 times weekly.  Increase to 3 times after 6 or fewer months.
34. Check out nearby fitness centers.  Join if OK location with reasonable fees.
35. Purchase stationary bike & cheap television for basement.
36. Resume taking vitamins daily.
37. Schedule overdue colonoscopy before end of 2010.
38. Stop at doctor’s office for cardiogram. 

FAMILY/FRIENDS
39. Cut and mail senior pictures – both D#1’s and D#2’s.
40. Write catch-up letter to distant friends before Christmas 2010.
41. Help D#2 get her driver’s license.
42. Help D#1 get her driver’s license.
43. Attend last A.University “Family Weekend” (Fall 2010).
44. Attend “Family Weekend” at M.College(each year).
45. Attend D#1’s college graduation (2011).
46. Attend Godson’s high school graduation (2011).
47. Make photo collage of D#2 for Dr. S.

ENTERTAINMENT
48. Watch 125 movies/DVDs.
49. Read 60 books, including at least 30 that I currently own and 10 from the library.
50. Take D#1 and D#2 to Chick-Fil-A and movie at least once a year.
51. Go to movies alone at least once a year.

RECREATION
52. Go to shore for at least a day each summer.
53. Go dancing with A.M.
54. Go to NYC for play or musical at least once a year.
55. Go to a concert other than C.A. at least once a year.
56. Go on one pleasure trip of at least 5 days by myself.
57. Take D#1 alone on trip to a new place for at least 3 days.
58. Take D#2 alone on trip to a new place for at least 3 days.
59. Take both on trip, maybe to new place for at least 3 days.
60. Eat at restaurants with 3 new ethnic cuisines: Moroccan, Ethiopian?, Turkish?
61. Go to Paducah, KY for big quilt show.
62. Attend a Phillies game.
63. Visit Mutter Museum.
64. Visit University of Pennsylvania Museum (Egyptian section at least).

HOBBIES
65. Catch up on birthday blocks and stay caught up.
66. Finish baby quilt for Mr. S’s daughter.
67. Finish baby quilt for Mrs. M’s son.
68. Make baby quilt for A.M.’s granddaughter.
69. Make quilt for C.B.
70. Make 3rd curtain for my room & for D#2’s room.
71. Finish t-shirt quilt for D#1.
72. Make quilt for D#2’s new room.
73. Make t-shirt quilt for D#2.
74. Make quilt for sponsored child from ChildFund.
75. Cut scrap fabric into usable units (strips, blocks, etc.).
76. Make new quilt and curtains for my bedroom.
77. Set 1 set of swap blocks into quilt top.
78. Make 1 quilt top from scraps.
79. Buy a “jelly roll” and make a quilt top from it.
80. Bring quilt photo albums up-to-date and keep them current.
81. Make quilt for Godson for graduation (2011).
82. Give all the Uvulati a small gift.

CHARITABLE/RELIGIOUS
83. Have a house blessing ceremony
84. Increase monthly charitable donations by minimum of $10 per year.
85. Donate minimum of $500 to church in honor of C.M. on or before 4/12/11.
86. Donate extra fabric to ASHS.
87. Co-lead D-Circle (Fall 2010-Spring 2012).
88. Do something pro-active for eating disorders awareness.
89. Give blood at least once a year.
90. Read the Bible daily during Lent.
91. Take Stephen Minister training.
92. Write letters to all 4 sponsored children (PLANUSA/ChildFund).
93. Find a place to volunteer and do it weekly for at least 6 months.

EDUCATION/SELF-DEVELOPMENT
94. Take some type of music lessons (voice, guitar, or harmonica) for minimum of 6 months.
95. Take a yoga or dance class.
96. Learn to load music on my MP3 player.
97. Learn to ride a bike.
98. Learn to upload photos and print out selections.
99. Post this “Day Zero” list in a blog & update list at least monthly.
100. Learn how to add photos to a blog; do it.
101. Write and add at least one blog post a month.

What "101 in 1001" is

The name of the original is the "Day Zero" project.  Because of my life situation right now, it seemed to be a good way to help me focus on the future, both big and small things.  I took my time in deciding to commit to it, turning it around in my mind, viewing from all angles, figuring excuses,  and, finally, finding inspiration in the idea. Here's the description from the original website:  www.dayzeroproject.com/about

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities. 

My plan is to use it as more than a "to-do" list but to add challenges -- all achievable, though some may take more effort than others -- and self-improvement goals.  Because of my focus on the next of my multiple "lifetimes", I decided to call the blog "new future ahead".   

Tomorrow [drumroll, please....]:The List

The Women's Table

Had dinner tonight with four other women from the MLC Forum, and a friend of one of them -- an incredible group, all accomplished, intelligent, well-spoken, and funny.   We forum members traded "war stories", demonstrating that all of our stories are the same, and all of them are also different.  There is something so comforting and empowering about finding others who really get it (whatever your personal "it" may be).

A line from Marilyn French's book "The Women's Room" has stayed with me for decades: "Loneliness is a longing, not for company, but for kind."    In the face of all the change that has been forced on me in the past 3 years, I was fortunate to find the MLC forum and the people who were my "kind".  I truly do not know how I would have survived these times emotionally without the wisdom and shared experience of the members!    Though my priority is to look ahead, my past will always be a part of me and must sometimes be acknowledged.

One of my favorite quotes is from Dixie Carter: "It takes a mighty good man to be better than no man at all."   I had one once, but he's gone now and someone else (who I don't know and have no desire to know) occupies his form.   

Step 0 -- Finish list

Have my 101 in 1001 list ready to go, but will wait to post it until June 30.   D#2 left for a month in Europe -- her flight takes off in about an hour.  Starting tomorrow morning, I will be out of town for 4 days for work.  Looking forward to having dinner on Sunday with others from  MLC Forum that saved my sanity when the world as I knew it blew up in my face in mid-September 2007. 

On my return, an empty house awaits me, where I will "try out" empty-nesting for several weeks until it comes around for real in late August.   On the bright side, I already have plans for all but one weekend day when D#2 is gone.  If I can just focus, there are lots of things around the house that need attention where progress can be made in an evening or two. In many ways, I'm looking forward to the solitude and to the lack of demands on me. 

During that time, I will also need to meet with their father to get finances straight and talk about where we go legally, when, and how.   I am ready to have everything done and separated so the only thing we have to do together is pay for their college.   Oops... started to give away a couple of things on my list. 

How did I get here?

"Here" is multiple places!  This place in my life, my current mental/emotional/legal state, this blog -- especially because I never planned to become a blogger.  No matter.  For right now, this place is just for me, for my musings, lists, and projects, since no one knows about it.  Maybe in the future, but not yet.

A major inspiration was the blog of a friend of one of my daughters, who posted a list of "101 in 1001", 101 things to do in the next 1001 days.  I still lack a couple dozen for my list, but hope to finish writing it and begin the project on July 1, 2010.  I have a new life to forge -- at my age -- and this seems to be one way to put some structure on moving forward.