30 Things in my 30th Year

In an effort to make my 30th year one of the best years ever, and in lieu of making trite New Year's resolutions, I've adopted this idea from a couple friends of mine. I made a list of 30 things that I will accomplish in this, my 30th year. My goal is to complete the list by December 31st, and hopefully do a little learning and growing along the way. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Paint the exterior of my house (I started this project 3 or 4 years ago, and am still not finished)
2. Sing in a recital
3. Make bagels
4. Set up irrigation to my peach and pear tree and blackberry bush (I'd really like to have fruit this year!)
5. Sew a dickie (to make those v-neck shirts more modest)
6. Read the Book of Mormon
7. Pay for a stranger's meal
8. Publish my 2010 Blog Book
9. Take an inventory of my food storage
10. Take a family name to the temple
11. Display recent family photos in my home
12. Attend a theater performance
13. Write a children's book
14. Watch a film from the AFI Top 100 list that I've never seen before
15. Make cottage cheese
16. Write the story of how Chad and I met and fell in love
17. Read The Grapes of Wrath
18. Donate used books to my library
19. Write a thank you note to someone from my past
20. Turn off all electronics for 24 hours
21. Bear my testimony in church
22. Invite someone I'd like to know better over for dinner
23. Don't eat out (or take out) for a month
24. Bake and give goodies to my mail carrier
25. Leave a $5 bill and a note inside a library book
26. Make Thai food
27. Surprise Chad
28. Don't complain for a whole week (remember, these are goals, not strict requirements)
29. Make a list of places I'd like to visit during my lifetime
30. Donate blood

And because I came up with more than 30 goals when I originally made my list, I narrowed them down. But I had trouble getting rid of ALL of them, so here are five more that I'll just call my bonus list, to tackle if and when I complete the first 30:

1. Paint a picture
2. Leave sweet rolls on someone's doorstep
3. Attend a temple I've never visited before
4. Start a compost bin
5. Go geocaching

Some of these things will only take a few minutes to finish, some will take hours, and a couple will most likely take the better half of the year. I'm hoping all of them will make good memories.