let's learn something new, shall we?

"I wish I could do that!"

"I've always wanted to do that!"

"I should really learn how to do that!"

I've caught myself saying a version of those words more than once lately. And I'm starting to sound like a broken record. A broken record that needs a new tune.

The silly thing? I really could do that. If I tried. If I carved out time. If I learned and practiced and enjoyed. And practiced some more.

And then last weekend I water skied. I learned years ago and each time I pop up out of the water (which is only once or twice a year), I surprise myself. It feels exciting and empowering and new.

So instead of being left with a wasted pile of wishes, I decided to be proactive. I scribbled a manageable, realistic I-can-learn-to-do-this list and a plan to make it all happen. It's not going to happen overnight - it may take me months or even a year to work my way through, savoring and enjoying the new experiences. This is a lovely, slow marathon of I can do that.

There is nothing super extraordinary about this list - I'm not shooting for the moon here. These are simple, happy ways to enrich my life, connect with others, and give glory to the One who made me.

Ok, here I go.....

bake bread from scratch 'Cause I'm all about the bread, 'bout the bread. And butter. I've got my apron tied and a few recommended recipes in hand. My family is pumped.

try my hand at hand lettering There's nothing like a lovely scrip across a pretty envelope. Am I right?! I dabbled with calligraphy for an art class in college and LOVED it, but I've forgotten much of what I learned. I'm guessing with a few new pens and online tutorials and lots of practice, I'll be able to fancy up the Christmas cards I send out this year.

understand a card game A person should know how to play cards. And I know nada about card games. Bridge! Euchre! Cribbage! Hearts! There's a group from our church that gets together for cards every Saturday. They don't know it yet, but they're going to teach me how to play a game or two.

drive a stick shift vehicle One of our vehicles has a, you guessed it, manual transmission. And I haven't the faintest clue how to operate it. The chances of me absolutely needing to drive it are very slim, but when you can't even move the truck that's blocking your mini van in your own driveway....then that's a problem. So my hubs is going to give me some lessons. In an empty parking lot. When no one else is around. Oh boy!

speak very basic Korean My son was born in Korea and spent the first 10 months of his life there. We always and forever want him to remain connected with his heritage and culture. Our wonderful Korean American friend has agreed to give our boy Korean lessons and I'm going to sit in and soak up some of the language. Fluency is not my goal at this time - I'd be tickled to simply have a pocket full of basic words and phrases that we can use at home....and take with us when we, God willing, travel to Seoul again in the future.

dust off my sewing machine I can sew on a button, but give me a loose hem and I'm at a loss. To be able to whip up some curtain panels would be dreamy. I have a slew of wonderful ladies I can ask for tips on this.

basic car repair I'm clueless about vehicles, but even a clueless gal should know how to pop the hood and locate the window washing fluid thingy. My hubs has been recruited to give me the run down in this area. Change a tire, jump start a battery, check oil and other fluids. This is all way out of my comfort zone and isn't the least bit exciting, but I'm willing to try.

photography  Taking photographs makes my heart sing. I've been feeling the urge lately to push myself to learn more about my camera and other aspects of photography. I'm going to take a class and read and keep on click click clicking.

knit or crochet Every time I see someone working with yarn and needles, I wonder why I haven't learned that yet. It seems so relaxing and productive and rewarding! I have a friend in mind to guide me and get me started. I've heard, too, that YouTube has an incredible amount of helpful tutorials.

play a round of golf This one is for my hubs who is always thinking of ways we can spend quality time. One of his favorite things in the world is golf, so he's convinced I need to learn to play so we can hit the links together. He says I have a decent swing, which makes me a tiny bit confident that I might be able to pull this off. If anything, it's fun to drive the golf cart. :)

Whew! What a list. I'm excited to get started and learn and try and practice. I'll keep you posted on my progress. This is going to be good.

How about you, my friends?? What is something you have always wanted to learn, but haven't tried yet? Let's chat about it! I'm here to cheer you on.