Intrepid possibilities: summer wrap-up and autumn reveal
“Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.”
~V.S. Naipaul
As you may recall, I chose INTREPID and POSSIBILITIES as my 2025 Words of the Year. These two words together describe my intention for the year.
One way of putting that intention into action are my Possibilities Lists. With that in mind, I’d like to offer a quick final recap on my Summer Possibilities, followed by the unveiling of my Autumn Possibilities list.
Summer Possibilities list
1. Girls trip at Bryce Canyon. Mission accomplished! For a full description, including photos, see this post.
2. Have my annual exam. Set new health goals as appropriate. Mission accomplished, including the related new health goals:
- Meet with a dietician. Mission accomplished last month.
- Begin taking an iron supplement (ferrous sulfate) three times a week and refrain from donating blood until I have my levels rechecked in three months. My recent follow-up blood work shows me back in the normal range, so mission accomplished.
3. Have my DEXA Bone Scan. Mission accomplished. I talk about the experience in this blog post and this YouTube video.
4. Complete Orangetheory PUSH 30 Challenge. Mission accomplished in July.
5. Finalize fall Mazatlàn travel plans. MIssion accomplished. We’ve confirmed our dates and our dog sitters.
6. Research the best time to start collecting Social Security. Mission accomplished last month. I have decided to wait until next year when I turn 65 and can apply for Social Security and Medicare together.
7. Learn more video-making skills. In progress. I’m still a beginner, but this video from September received my most views and likes yet. Of course, who wouldn’t love Buddy Dog?
8. Visits with various family members. Mission accomplished. We finished off the summer season with a visit from one of my sisters and her husband.
And I couldn’t resist sharing a photo of this delicious sea bass and pasta I had when we went out to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
9. See The Wizard of Oz at Tuacahn Amphitheater. Mission accomplished. My sister Cindy went with me. The show was excellent, and of course, we had a wonderful time together.
10. Check out Dixie Meats. Mission accomplished in July.
11. Hike to Lion’s Mouth Cave. Did not do. The hot weather made this undesirable, so I will carry it over to my autumn list.
12. Hike to Elephant Arch. Did not do. The hot weather made this undesirable, so I will carry it over to my autumn list.
13. Take a golf lesson. Did not do. The hot weather made this undesirable, so I will carry it over to my autumn list.
14. Visit St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site. Did not do. No excuses, just didn’t make the time. I will carry this over to my autumn list.
15. Maximize pool time. Mission accomplished. While the hot weather was a deterrent to several other possibilities, it made this one all the more enjoyable.
16. Visit YouTuber, Matt’s Off-road Recovery. Mission accomplished in July.
17. Complete the Orangetheory Fitness Marathon Month challenge. Mission accomplished!
That’s a wrap on summer!
Autumn Possibilities list
In no particular order, here are my autumn possibilities so far:
- Get my annual mammogram.
- Go on a leaf viewing drive or hike.
- Hike in Zions National Park.
- Prepare yard for winter.
- Complete Hell Week at Orangetheory Fitness.
- Visit friends in Mazatlan, Mexico.
- Complete Christmas shopping.
- Hike to Lions Mouth Cave.
- Hike to Elephant Arch.
- Visit St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site.
- Take a golf lesson with Larry.
- Complete Halloween and autumn jigsaw puzzles.
- Enjoy some pumpkin treats.
- Make homemade soup.
That’s all for now. I’m sure I will be adding more possibilities as the season progresses.
Your turn
- What are your plans for this new season? If you have a bucket list, please link up with us below.
- What is one thing you did in September that made you happy or that you are particularly proud of?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Look at all those “Mission Accomplished” tags! You did great. I feel like I have been ticking so much off my to do list this month; mostly in regards to my youngest. As homeschooling mom/teacher/guidance counselor/school administrator, etc. it falls to me to help get all his paperwork in order to start applying to colleges and we’ve been ticking off so many steps that I think we’re actually really far ahead of where we need to be right now.
Thanks Joanne. You are wearing many hats, so it’s extra impressive that you are ahead of schedule. Good luck to you and your youngest on this new adventure.
Hi Christie, I so admire the amount of ‘mission accomplished’ you achieved for the summer season! I made a bucket list ages ago and have not checked in with it for a long time. You’ve reminded me that I should do that. Oops! Well done to you and I love the list you’ve got started for the next season. Thank you for linking up and sharing with us at #WWWhimsy xo
It was a good summer, Min. I’d be curious to know how many of your bucket list items you’ve accomplished without intentionally ticking things off. Thanks, as always, for hosting the #WWWhimsy linkup.
Hi Christie (I had to be careful there after two Cindy photos!) You’ve done well with all you accomplishments and there’s a great variety that you’ve ticked off. You must be particularly proud of all that you’ve done through Orange Theory. I don’t do bucket lists, but next Monday I’m sharing my three delights from September – very small in comparison, but I love my small, happy life. xx
Nice work on not falling in the “Cindy” trap, Leanne! 😊 It was a full and enjoyable summer over here. I always enjoy your Three Delights, so I am looking forward to that.
Congratulations on all your achievements! You accomplished so much! I had intended to wait until I was 70 (or is it 72) to get the maximum benefit for Social Security. But, Mike calculated it, and it really wasn’t worth the wait. I did wait until 66.5 to get my full benefit, though. It did make applying for Medicare a bit of a pain at first.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I did some calculations too, Marsha, and came to a similar conclusion. I’d rather collect a portion of what’s coming to me up front, especially with the political and financial uncertainty surrounding Social Security.
Wow you are doing very well indeed Christie. The scary one is about Christmas being close, but we cannot change that time thing, right?
Take care and I loved your checklist good news about your health too.
Denyse x
Thank you, Denyse. I can hardly believe that Christmas is quickly sneaking up on us. I try to get my shopping done before Thanksgiving, so I can relax and enjoy the season. Of course, the truth is since our grandchildren are older now, and I do my shopping online, it’s pretty straight forward…not too stressful.
For the new season I’m in waiting and working to maintain stability mode. Knee replacement surgery is on the cards, but there’s stuff getting in the way of scheduling it.
I’m proud that I’ve managed to keep on keeping on daily with mostly good emotional balance, also that I’ve made good progress with the winding up the company work for my part-time employers while maintaining strict boundaries over my working days/hours. Thank you for the opportunity to reframe, it was needed today 🙂
You’ve done remarkably with your Possibilities list – look at all those items achieved!
Maintaining and balance are remarkable accomplishments under the circumstances, Debs. I hope you can get your knee issues resolved sooner rather than later.
Thanks Christie – I appreciate that 🙂
You’re welcome. Take care.
Congrats on doing all the things you did on your summer bucket list. You certainly managed to see many places and have fun in the process. You rock possibilities like no one else I know.
I don’t do bucket lists so no answer about my fall one. Unless you’d be willing to count my goal is to live happy. Maybe I just have a small bucket!
It was an enjoyable summer, Ally. I managed to do the things I most wanted to, and I don’t feel at all bad about the things I pushed off. That’s the beauty of looking at them as possibilities. As for your “small” bucket, if you’ve lived happy this summer, I call that a fantastic win! That’s really all you need.
I got all of my yearly appointments taken care of the past two months! I am looking forward to some fall activities and getaways and of course cooler weather!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Congratulations on getting your yearly appointments completed, Mireille! It’s always nice to have that behind you. Here’s to a fabulous fall!
I didn’t know you did this link up. Will try to get something together. Loved The Wizard of Oz. None of the kids wanted to go so it saved us a tonne of money but my husband did and he rarely wants to see musicals, so it was a double win! #WWWHimsy
I’d love to see your fall plans, Lydia. This production of The Wizard of Oz was fabulous. Like you, my husband wasn’t keen on going, but my sister was, so that worked out perfect.
You have done amazing on all the possibilities you’ve completed. ! I like that they’re not “goals” you have to feel pressure to accomplish, but rather ideas to enjoy.
I’ve enjoyed time with you in St George, including the Play. Also a large family barbecue, hiking and having one of my grand daughters sleep over. September was a good month!
Thanks sister! You helped me fulfill several of my possibilities this time. It sounds like September was lovely for both of us. Here’s to a delightful October as well!
Hi, I have not done seasonal lists in a while. I used to enjoy them because it made me think about they fun things each season has – seasonal foods & festivals. I’ve been doing monthly lists the past few months and it’s beginning to feel stale. So I’m going to read a bunch of the fall plans in this link up and see what fun thing(s) I can add in this fall.
Hello Pat. I think it’s good to mix it up occasionally. I’ll finish the year out with a winter possibilities list and then I’ll probably be looking for a new approach. I hope you get lots of inspiration for fall activities and little pleasures from the link-up.