Bucket List Update!

Over a year ago I shared a few items on my bucket list. At that time I was about to embark on a new tap dancing adventure! I did in fact enroll in an adult beginners tap dancing class with my friend. It was so much fun that we decided to take the class again and convinced my sister-in-law to also join us! Our dance teacher thinks the "old ladies" are crazy and just to show how nutty we are we chose "stage" names! Well, we are taking the beginners class for the third time and we are now exclusively known by our "stage" names of Angie, Lola, and Chenille. We've even recruited a much younger class member into our trio and she has selected "Jaz" for her stage name. We're having a lot of fun and actually learning new steps even in our repeat "beginning" tap dance classes. Oh, and the wine consumed after class helps to mask the soreness of these old muscles!

Since we last chatted I have crossed off another item on my bucket list! You simply can't have an Irish heritage and never attend a Fighting Irish home football game! Just this past weekend my dream became a reality! We traveled to South Bend, Indiana for the Notre Dame versus Miami, FL football game! The University of Notre Dame and the city of South Bend have it all figured out! We had absolutely no problem with traffic or parking even with over 80,000 fans in the stadium along with several thousand tailgaters. The arrival of the Marching Band into the stadium was exhilarating! Everyone including the opposing team's fans was cheering wildly! So much excitement in the air! After a pre-game performance by this world class marching band the players entered the field in a cloud of smoke! And then it was kickoff! The Notre Dame football team had a losing record prior to this game but they managed to win 30-27! The fans were respectful and very welcoming, and the overall experience is one I will always remember!

Here are a couple of items I have crossed off my list in recent years:

A few years past, we happened to be in Rome on a Wednesday and seized an opportunity to be present at the Papal Audience. I have always wanted to be a part of the throngs of followers to greet the Pope and to be blessed by him. Pope Francis did not disappoint! He certainly seems to be the real deal, very genuine! Our seats were in an optimal location and we were beyond thrilled to be in his presence!

My dad is a WW II veteran. According to statistics provided by the National WW II Museum in New Orleans, LA approximately 620,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were alive in 2016. I really wanted my Dad to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. So we made it happen! My Dad, Mom, and I took a day trip from St. Louis. We flew in the early morning hours directly to Baltimore. To make the trip easy for my elderly parents (and for me as well!) we hired a car service for the day. We began our visit at the Washington Monument on the National Mall. Next, we walked to the World War II Memorial. We spent a lot of time there as my Dad remembered and retold his stories from his time in the South Pacific. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942 with his twin brother. They both served overseas for 4 years before returning to St. Louis following the war.

And here are some of the things I still need to accomplish..

Learn calligraphy! My handwriting is atrocious! It always has been and it's even worse now that I type all the time and rarely use my cursive skills. I've been researching local calligraphy classes and will update you when I am able to cross this off my list!

Relearn to knit! My grandmother and aunt were fabulous at knitting. They could make just about anything! When I was a child I used to knit with them, even made a few winter scarves! I never kept up the skill and now have completely forgotten how to do it! My knitting and crocheting relatives have all passed and now I need to find someone who can teach me this art again!

And finally a few things on my list that I am sure will never happen...

I used to think I'd like to try skydiving. Nix that one! Never gonna happen!

And overcoming my extreme fear of snakes... I will go to my grave still being afraid of them!

What's on your bucket list?