40 before 40: Progress Notes.

 Almost 5 years ago, I wrote my 40 before 40 list. I have about 4 1/2 years to go. Let's see how I'm doing.

1. Read 100 Years of Solitude. Not yet, and I haven't seen it since we moved.
2. Read The Golden Notebook. Oh, I haven't seen this one either. I hope my bookmark is still in it. It was so convoluted and boring for me. But maybe I can finish it a little at a time over the next 4 1/2 years. 
3. Read the New Testament (if not the whole Bible). I haven't found my Daily Bible since the move. I think I'm stuck somewhere in July. But I plan to pick it back up.
4. Read Dracula. Not yet.
5. Read Frankenstein. Not yet.
6. Finish the Harry Potter series. Done.
7. Write 100 short stories. Well, if I write one per week, I can do it in 2 years. I have no ideas; I'll just have to follow crumbs and see where my subconscious goes. I guess I've written a few in my 30s. Most of them were in my 20s.
8. Write a novel. I wrote a novella--count it!
9. Make a new poetry collection. This is one I plan to work on soon. It will probably be based on my MFA thesis.
10. Attempt to publish at least two books. I plan to send out above collection and try to find an agent for my novella.
11. Try a magnetic nose stud. I tried the real thing! It was kind of a pain, and I couldn't get it back in after I got home from the hospital, but it was fun.
12. Fill more journals than I buy. Hard to imagine, but maybe.
13. Reduce credit card debt by half or more. I already paid it all off and ran a lot back up, so I don't know if this one counts. 
14. Reach and maintain a healthy weight. Well, at least I'm cutting back on soda.
15. See a show on Broadway or at the West End. This seems feasible when Broadway is a thing again. 
16. Visit the UK. Less likely. I may have to add that to my 50 before 50 list. 
17. Keep up with my library's new releases. I love the idea of that. We're closest to headquarters now. I need to ask Josh to check on our cards. Maybe we could go to the library together while Oliver is at ABA. I love the idea of checking out a random stack of books and actually reading them. 
18. Read all of Ann Patchett's books. Oh boy. I think I've read three. No, four. 
19. Visit Ann Patchett's bookstore. It's in Nashville! I haven't been back to Nashville in...ten years? But maybe.
20. Read all Oz books. I've read the first three to Oliver. We have a ways to go.
21. Read all Wrinkle in Time books. Two down, three to go. 
22. Rent a just-right house. I think we're there.
23. Attend touring shows each year. I'm on track so far. I did see one or two last year. I hope they'll be back this year.
24. Take some kind of class. Maybe I'll save up for a Francesca Lia Block seminar or workshop. I could take a con ed class at FTCC. Maybe Josh and I could take it together, and he could count it as professional development. 
25. Try an unnatural hair color. I've attempted to dye my hair green twice, but I don't think I'm willing to bleach it. I'm calling this done.
26. Read half or more of Neil Gaiman's books. I have a couple. It shouldn't be too hard. I want to read the Locke & Key series. 
27. Stay at the Wilderness Lodge again. Not likely unless someone takes us to Disney. 
28. Win or place in a writing contest. I've only entered a few contests in my 30s. I want to get back to submitting work. Somehow, I've been capable of making a lot happen (submitting, writing a novella, reading, journaling, blogging, blogging for IBPF...), so I can do that again, continue it, add to it. 
29. Read 10 or more Pulitzer Prize-winning books. This shouldn't be hard. I've read Native Guard (and Olive Kitteridge, but that was in my 20s). I have gathered eight or nine on a floating bookshelf in my room, so I just need to read them. 
30. Read 5 or more books of poetry a year (50 total). My heyday was in my 20s, but I read 11 last year, and I've read a total of 60 books of poetry in my 30s! Done and surpassed. Maybe I can get to 100.
31. Try a support group. I think I tried this online in my 20s. This is not my favorite goal.
32. Try Kindle publishing. I may do this if I can't find a home for Break a Wish. 
33. See Sparkle Scribbles to 100,000 views. I'm at 161,282! If I get serious about it, I may be able to double that too. 
34. Read all Austen books. Yikes. Still only 2. I've got to get to work. I think I own all of them.
35. Read all Bronte books. Exactly like Austen.
36. Read all Jeffrey Eugenides books. I think he has 4 or 5. I've read 2 and have another 1 or 2. Bruce and I read Fresh Complaint this year.
37. Make daily use of my lovely secretary desk (from Mom and Shane) and denim chaise (for which I taught an extra summer class). I've got to clean off the chaise (I've made some progress on that) from moving first. It's a tough goal, but when Oliver's at ABA, I can start making more habits. This will get easier when I stop going to bed so early. I can write letters and stuff submissions at my desk in addition to journaling, and I like stickering journals and scrapbooking on my chaise.
38. Take Oliver to shows. This is another hard one. But he'll be 13 when I turn 40, so who knows? I can see taking him to an outdoor event like something by Sweet Tea Shakespeare or a casual concert. 
39. Gain more control over anxiety, fear, and dread. I'm in a decent place with this right now, and I take a Xanax once or twice a day as my doctor prescribed. 
40. Continue to sparkle, even if I'm "too old." I haven't been enjoying makeup and jewelry as much as I should, but I want to change that. I'm definitely not shying away from glitter.

So I'd like to be further along, but I am making progress.