On my 59th birthday last year, I thought about what the year may bring and the fact that the “big 60” is only a year away. Today is the day, my 60th birthday. Here is how it went:
I started making a list of sixty things I want to do before I turn sixty on August 15th, 2024. It is rewarding and challenging to compile the list and to check things off the list. Honestly, I don’t have sixty things on the list yet and some things will not be completed by August. But a surprising amount of things are getting checked off and it is fun to see the progress.
And then I broke my ankle :-O
Everything progressed nicely until I broke my ankle at the Centre of the Universe. Suddenly life came to a screeching halt and so did the progress on the 60/60 list. On the other hand, it also allowed adding a few unexpected items to the list.
#1 Come up with 60 things and do them.
It turns out, that coming up with 60 memorable things and doing them in just a year is quite the challenge. We started out with about 20 items and added to the list. Some of the items that are not completed will stay on my list and I discovered that celebrating all those little things you do in a year is very rewarding.
Click on each item to learn more!
Complete
- Finish PIDP
- Convocation
- Run a 10 km Race
- Inktober 2023
- Indigenous Learning
- Career Change
- Sliding Shelves
- Bloganuary
- Meditate
- Adopt Another Cat
- Provincial Library Card
- Inktober 52
- Craft Brewery
- Blogging
- Boat ride
- Develop Course
- Sketching courses
- Opus challenge
- Centre of the Universe
- Kelowna Museum
- Gondola
- Sculpting
- Baseball Game
- Stairs
- Write a poem
- Plein air
- Plant a Tree
- Art Show
- Blacksmithing
- Online Course
- Pride
- GoByBike
Provincial Instructor Diploma
This is the biggest one! When Michele suggested it I thought it would be impossible to complete the Provincial Instructor Diploma within the year. But it took only about six months to get all the credits I needed.
To celebrate we went to Vancouver for the commencement ceremony. It was an event I will remember for a long time.
Run a 10km race
The last 10km race I ran was the Okanagan Marathon in 2019 and after that some injuries, COVID-19 and wildfire smoke prevented me from training. I carefully trained with a training program this year and completed the Hungry Half 10 km.
Drawing is a fairly new hobby to me and I enjoy it more as my skills improve. Every year in October we challenge ourselves to draw from a prompt every day. This year I made it and drew something for all 31 days.
Learn more about Syilx culture and colonial history
I took a very interesting and at times challenging course with two Syilx elders this year. It taught me a lot about Indigenous world views, colonial history and the way Canadian law and governments still abuse the rights of Indigenous people.
Make a career change
For three years now I have been working toward becoming a full time instructor in the Okanagan College Women in Trades program. While being a sub in the program was deeply satisfying, this change was not to be (yet).
After six years in the motor vehicle toolroom, I felt that it was time for a change so I decided to make a lateral move to the Electrical toolroom. I’ll have different tasks and more things to learn. I am looking forward to the change!
Build sliding shelves for the pantry
When we built our house five years ago, we got a nice kitchen with a pantry cabinet. But it was hard to see what was stored in the back of the deep cabinet.
I converted three of the pantry shelves to sliding shelves. Michele is particularly happy about this! The space is so much easier to use now.
Forming habits takes persistence and this is a perfect example.
Mediation has helped me be much calmer and less reactive in daily life for the last few years.
I used to meditate as part of my morning routine on weekdays but I wanted to extend this.
So I set myself a goal of meditating every day for at least thirty days.
As you can see, thirty days turned into almost three hundred by June 2024.
Meet Stanley
This one was easy, turns out that there are no provincial library cards anymore but you can request books from other libraries and they can be brought in.
Unfortunately that also means that I don’t have access to audiobooks and electronic media.
I have consistently drawn a picture according to the Inktober 52 prompt that is published every Thursday.
Visit a different craft brewery every month.
This was one of the challenges that was the most fun!
Thank you Cate for being my accountability buddy and coming with me every time. Even after I broke my ankle, Cate made sure to bring me beer from Nelson.
Publish at least one blog post every month
This one seemed big but wasn’t. First of all, I posted an Inktober post every week, and I also launched the Sourdough.guide website and published several posts, recipes, and courses.
Go out on a boat at least once
In April we went to play tourist in Vancouver and enjoyed using the little water taxis in False Creek.
Develop at least one general interest course for Okanagan College
Turns out that this was a very ambitious goal ….. long story 🙂
I will be teaching how to make a charcuterie board in September and December. And that counts 🙂
Take two sketching courses
I have taken several sketching courses in person and online and it has helped greatly in adding to my skills and confidence.
Opus Daily Practice Challenge
I have taken several art challenges and this one was fun!
Go to the centre of the universe
Turns out the Centre of the Universe is north of Kamloops BC.
We had a great time (until I broke my ankle).
Tap on the picture to read more.
Visit the Kelowna museum
I went to a sketching meetup with the Okanagan Urban Sketchers and quite enjoyed the experience!
Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola
Our holiday in Squamish was wonderful and riding the gondola was a highlight.
Try sculpting in clay
Wow I loved the session at the Kelowna Art Gallery and I was surprised how well our first sculptures turned out!
Go to a baseball game
We went to one of the first games of this season to see the Kelowna Falcons.
Build a set of stairs
Mom’s stairs got a little raggedy and unsafe so I replaced them.
Write a poem
I didn’t really want to do this but then I wrote a Haiku that was even published in the Solitary Daisy.
Squamish summer
taking selfies
from the gondola
Draw outside
I went to draw outside several times this year. One time I took part in an event by Opusartsupplies.
Plant a tree
Well, I helped and that counts 😉
Mom and I planted a beautiful Dogwood tree in the front yard.
Try Blacksmithing
I enjoyed blacksmithing but I won’t make it a hobby 🙂
Learning What a Blacksmith Does
Launch an online course
I am excited that I could use so many of the things I learned in my Instructor course to launch two courses on my site Sourdough.guide. More to come 🙂
Participate in Pride
I am happy that we could organize a booth for Okanagan College at the 2024 Kelowna Pride Festival!
Organize a GoByBike celebration station
For years, I wanted Okanagan College to have a celebration station for GoByBike week. This spring I finally contacted the College Relations people and we pulled it off 🙂
Incomplete
Partly because I broke my ankle but also because I ran out of time there are several items still left on the list. It is good to have things left to do and I learned how to add more all the time.
- Carve a useable spoon
- Bake bread with spent grains
- Bake crusty buns
- 3D printing at the Library
- Cricuit machine at the Library
- Bake bread on the BBQ
- Learn how to bake brownies
- Make homemade jam
- See a movie in a movie theatre
- Learn some guitar
- Try yoga
- Sell pipe-organ tools
- Weigh 160 lbs
- Go camping
- Try glassblowing
- Go to Seattle
- Learn screen printing
- Participate in a parade
- Build a platform for the BBQ
- Fly a kite
- Take a course in paddle boarding
- About the Author
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I am an uninvited guest on the unceded (stolen) land of the Syilx Okanagan people.
Since I no longer have to worry about reach, clicks and SEO, I can just share what I want. I am passionate about adult education, sourdough and improving my art. But I am known to write about anything I feel like 🙂
I am also the Guide at Sourdough.Guide
