40 before 40 Update.

I have just under three years left for my 40 before 40 goals. I'm not as far along as I'd like, but I am making progress. 

1. Read 100 Years of Solitude. I still don't know where this book is. I've considered listening to the book on CD.
2. Read The Golden Notebook. I found the book! It got lost in our move for a while. But I'm not looking forward to reading it. I think I got about one third of the way through it. It sounds like a great book, and it's one I've wanted to read since I was a teenager, but I don't actually like it. I need to start working on it a little each week. 
3. Read the New Testament (if not the whole Bible). I found my Daily Bible, and I'm somewhere in August. I was doing well with reading it every day for a while, but I've fallen off that. I'm stuck in the Old Testament, Jeremiah. It's not a good place to be stuck. But I still want to try to finish the Bible this year.
4. Read Dracula. Not yet.
5. Read Frankenstein. Not yet.
6. Finish the Harry Potter series. Done. Bruce asked me to read it shortly after we became friends. I enjoyed it. 
7. Write 100 short stories. I'm nowhere near this. I've probably only written several stories in my 30s. 
8. Write a novel. I wrote a novella--count it!
9. Make a new poetry collection. I finished two books of poetry, and I'm working on a third. I also finished two chapbooks.
10. Attempt to publish at least two books. I have my first two books of poetry under consideration now, and I've sent out the two chapbooks.
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. This is probably happening this year since it's a NoBuy. I've gotten about five journals this year as presents or with birthday money, and I've filled more journals than that so far this year. But I still have a ton of journals, which I like. 
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. I'm working on paying them down, especially since I'm doing NoBuy2022. We'll see where I am when I turn 40.
14. Reach and maintain a healthy weight. I've lost 15 pounds in the last couple of months, so I'm making progress on this one. 
15. See a show on Broadway or at the West End. Done! I saw three shows on Broadway last Christmas. It's one of the coolest things I've ever done!
16. Visit the UK. This is unlikely to happen. I may add it to my 50 before 50 list.  
17. Keep up with my library's new releases. I have been checking out some new releases that look interesting, so this one is in progress. 
18. Read all of Ann Patchett's books. I think I've read four (Patron Saint of Liars, Bel Canto, Truth and Beauty, and This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage). I have about...nine to go? Oh dear. 
19. Visit Ann Patchett's bookstore. This is in Nashville. I don't have plans to go, but I'd like to.
20. Read all Oz books. We've read seven! So we have eight left.
21. Read all Wrinkle in Time books. Done! I read the Time Quintet to the boys.
22. Rent a just-right house. Here we are. 
23. Attend touring shows each year. I've done this every year despite COVID (just two shows in 2020), and I plan on keeping my season tickets!
24. Take some kind of class. I totally did this! I took a ten-week Healing and Writing class with Francesca Lia Block, a four-week magical realism class with FLB, a con ed drawing class at FTCC, and a four-week YA novel writing class with Emily Colin--all last year!
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. Okay, he has a lot of books. I've read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, The Sleeper and the Spindle, and Study in Emerald. I own Fragile Things and Trigger Warning. But I have a long way to go.
27. Stay at the Wilderness Lodge again. This probably won't happen. Maybe 50 before 50?
28. Win or place in a writing contest. I've entered several contests in my 30s but haven't won or placed yet. 
29. Read 10 or more Pulitzer Prize-winning books. In my 30s, I've read Break the Glass, Late Wife, The Underground Railroad, NIckel Boys, Native Guard, American Primitive, and Stag's Leap. So that's seven! 
30. Read 5 or more books of poetry a year (50 total). Done and surpassed! I've read 105 books of poetry in my 30s.
31. Try a support group. I haven't really done this, and I don't really want to. I have done group therapy...does that count?
32. Try Kindle publishing. I doubt I'll do this one before I'm 40. 
33. See Sparkle Scribbles to 100,000 views. I'm at 171,169!
34. Read all Austen books. I own all the novels, but I still have to read three of them. I'll probably try to read the stories as well. 
35. Read all Bronte books. I've read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Professor (Josh and I read that one together last year). So I still have three novels, and I may try to read Emily's poetry. I own all the books.
36. Read all Jeffrey Eugenides books. I've only read The Virgin Suicides and Fresh Complaint, so I have a few to go. 
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 mostly use my desk to store stationery and ink, so I use it often when I'm writing with fountain pens. I play with stickers on my chaise. I need to use both of them more. 
38. Take Oliver to shows. This may not happen, but I'd like to try if we find something informal. 
39. Gain more control over anxiety, fear, and dread. I've definitely done this since we are in our new house (no more angry neighbors) and Oliver is in a good school (no more virtual learning...or at least very little). Anxiety is still a problem sometimes, but I am much less fearful, and while dread was a daily feeling, I rarely feel it now.
40. Continue to sparkle, even if I'm "too old." I'm sparkling at least as much as ever! I just got some more glitter for my birthday. And I plan on sparkling for the next three years and beyond.

So that's 15/40 with some progress toward more. I have a lot of reading to do. 

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.

Looking Back: 30 before 30.

I looked at my "30 before 30" list and found that I'd accomplished very little. But when I see what I have done, it does feel impressive.

• Publish a story
• Take Oliver to an aquarium
• Teach a literature class
• Teach a creative writing class
• Have long, black Snow White hair
• Use every room in my house
• Read tons of short stories

I'll try to continue working on that list as I work on my "40 before 40" list.