My Lenten Firsts

As promised, here finally are my firsts I did for Lent. Starred ones were planned. 
I kept track on a Post-It note calendar so I could move them around as needed.

W 1 Write a veteran.* It was Raymond Odom at Arbor Rose Assisted Living in Farmerville who was in the newspaper. February is International Correspondence Writing Month (I should have searched for "incowrimo"), which means that I need to write 28 letters. Also wrote a letter to the nice Gateway manager who later called me to thank me. STAMPS.

T 2 Left someone random flowers.* $.

F 3 Got first real estate listing. FREE.

S 4 Went to Christian concert. It was loud and not what I expected at all. FREE.

S 5 Quilted.* FREE.

M 6 Made cake from scratch with fresh strawberries. FREE. HAD INGREDIENTS ANYWAY.

T 7 Played in the rain.* FREE.

W 8 Paid it forward at Starbucks. (Tenbucks). $10.

T 9 Listened to a different radio station.* Liberal one. They cussed a lot. FREE.

F 10 Escaped from my car window to practice after seeing it on the TODAY Show. FREE.

S 11 Decorated a cake.* I learned later that a ketchup squeeze bottle can be a free tool and told my friend who taught me. A little knowledge is dangerous. FREE. NEEDED CAKE ANYWAY.

S 12 Drank a Red Bull.* Got criticized for it being unhealthy. FREE. HUSBAND HAD ONE IN FRIDGE.

M 13 Put money in a meter, book I gave away and pocket of clothing donated.*  $. Someone who heard me speak said, "I should have found it."

T 14 Rode city bus.* $1.20. Have a Greyhound story.

W 15 Wrote POTUS.* STAMP.

T 16 Did Twitter detox.* FREE.

F 17 Sent money for cleft palate and dogs for the blind.* $.

SS 18 19 Self-defense class and babysat my godson. Same day, but counting as separate. FREE.

M 20 Looked at Craig's List. Someone was actually trying to sell her house on there. No one prequalified. FREE.

T 21 Why stop with POTUS? Sent the Pope an Easter card. The embassy wrote back! STAMP.

W 22 Practiced Mano Sinistra.* In the words of NC State great Charles Shackelford: "I can go to my left or right, I am amphibious." Someone posted that this can help prevent Alzheimer's. Also helps when you are scared of turbulence. President James Garfield could write Latin and Greek. He could write one with his left hand and the other with his right at the same time. FREE.

T 23 Made beauty scorecard of nature.* Noted beauty and inspiring things. Smiles. Sun. Laughter. FREE.

F 24 Got massage.* It hurt. $50.

S 25 Wore expensive necklace on a regular day and used the china.* FREE.

S 26 Walked with a cane for a day and used no mirror after I fixed my hair.* FREE.

M 27 Hygge. Hygge is a Danish term defined as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. It is pronounced hoo-guh and is associated with relaxation, indulgence and gratitude. These type of people lift their hats to each other and look at a stranger with an expression that indicates they wish they knew him well. The Year of Living Danishly means taking pleasure in the presence of gentle, soothing things, like coffee and cashmere socks.  It's candles, nubby woolens, shearling slippers, woven textiles, pastries, sheepskin rugs, lattes with foam hearts and a warm fireplace. It's a flannel blanket with tea, mulled wine. A songbook to affirm ideas of simplicity, cheerfulness, reciprocity, community and belonging. Kith and kin. FREE.

T 28 Made my own logo.* FREE.

W 29 Walked my dog backwards around the block.* Received some scolding that I could have gotten hurt. FREE.

T 30 Looked at the clouds from the ground.* FREE.

F 31 Escape Room!* $25.

S 32 Ate full meal with chopsticks, suggested from a man on the bus. "You are admired for your adventurous ways" was my fortune. Bus guy also suggested going to the library, playing bingo, doing karaoke, feeding the homeless. FREE.

S 33 Had a Backwards Day.* Stayed in PJs all day, then took shower at night and ate the corresponding meals backward. FREE.

M 34 Wrote Near Death Experience of my aunt. I never knew someone who had one personally. FREE.

T 35 Did creative photography rather than pictures of people.* FREE.

W 36 Wore white shoes before Easter. This got a lot of comments about hoping the fashion police were on a break. FREE.

T 37 I made note of sensory encounters. My friend Kay came home from months of rehab in NOLA. A miracle. I noted flags flying, the smell of bacon, catfish and roses, hearing something on the radio that made me howl and touching my bathed dog. Enjoyed feeling the breeze. This leaves taste. Just glad I have an appetite and food. Nothing special eaten today. Can I count Strawn's pie from last night? Also observed National Caramel Popcorn Day. FREE.

F 38 Went to George's for the first time since my father died in 2005. It was our place. FREE. HAD TO EAT ANYWAY.

S 39 Viewed our birdhouse that had a nest for the first time. FREE.

S 40 Made a cross out of my palm. FREE.

M 41 David had a good one. Don't do anything after work. Don't go anywhere. Etc. FREE.

T 42 Drift Away Float Center!* $50.

W 43 Counting oxygen bar today done yesterday. FREE.

T 44 Had a Purple Cow. FREE. HAD INGREDIENTS.

F 45 Lots of firsts not on purpose today. First Subway drive-through. First time without phone that didn't work for hours. FREE. HAD TO EAT ANYWAY.

S 46 Covered clock while sleeping. FREE.

EASTER

Did not get to do:

Yell timber. Husband wouldn't let me. But later did after a bad day at work.

Someone asked: Have you ever worn a hair covering in church as ladies did years ago?  If not, it could be a first. I have.

Escape from my trunk or binding as seen on TODAY Show. Convertible trunks are too small, even for me.

Have a game afternoon on a Sunday. "My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is." Ron Olson

Make soap.

National Pillow Fight Day and other observances. Note: Use National Day Calendar site.

Watch TED Talk on chemistry or tai chi or philosophy. "We need to start work with the idea that we're going to learn every day. I learn, even at my position, every single day." Chanda Kochhcar

There is a hug drought.  Juan Mann did a free hug campaign. I will not play at tug o’ war.

I’d rather play at hug o’ war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

Learn Four score and seven years ago, memorize phone numbers, etc. Use Gale at www.bossierlibrary.org under research tab for six-week classes or Launch Pad.

Go hunting.

Go on an AC call.

Smile all day.

Make button bracelet, crosses, other things on Pinterest.

Observe National POW Day.

Watch Housewives of NYC on Bravo. Or one of them. There would be a different emotional meltdown every show. Ugh.

Trampoline Park.

Embroider.

Gator Park.

Morse Code. Military Alphabet. Pi.

Don't whine. No negativity. No gossip. No complaining. No criticizing.

Geocache with LaBetha.

Leave a sticky note with an empowering message on a mirror in a restroom.

Shoot a stun gun.

Perfume swap.

Carry goldfish in Barkus parade.

Ideas I got at speech: feed a chicken, do Groupon daily, take pottery class at Noel, read a different book genre.

Second speech: Use a wheelchair. Have Bossier Council on Aging give me a senior proxy. Play the drums there.

Woodworking class.

Learn a good joke.

Meet a band member. Read  Pulitzer book.

Write a commencement speech. This is part of one by Justice John Roberts:

Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion.

Others say you should be yourself. You should try to become something better.

Once a week, you should write a note to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take you exactly 10 minutes. By the end of the school year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel a little more special because you did, and they will think you are very special because of what you did.

Bob Dylan wrote these words for his son, Jesse.

May God bless you and keep you always

May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others

And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

And may you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous

Stand upright and be strong

And may you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful

May your song always be sung

And may you stay forever young

   Take a nap.

Flip through the TV channels.

Don't use a straw. There is a growing number of restaurants and bars that have united around eradicating the billions of straws discarded every year into landfill. Plastics can’t biodegrade, they last indefinitely – breaking down into smaller pieces, littering our landscapes and oceans, feeding into the food chain and potentially ending up on our dinner plates. Straw Wars.
    
After reading I Dare Me where the author did something new every day for a year, I tried something new for 40 days for Lent (and longer) along with my regular Lenten sacrifice. I'll be able to say BEEN THERE DONE THAT, GOT THE T-SHIRT, WASHED THE CAR WITH IT. And instead of I NEVER…IT'S HAVE YOU EVER?

I don't normally give something up for Lent, well, my cell phone once a long time ago. I do something. I got this book for $2 on bookbub and it changed my life.

In another excellent book, On Fire, the author said our enthusiasm saps out sometimes and boredom seeps in. What people are really saying is they have too many things to choose from and they're lazy.

What have I not been awake for in my life, asked Jennifer Grey during a show I was watching.

I remember seeing monuments in Washington, D.C. for the first time and jumping out of the cab seat. I pointed at every landmark. I felt excited. Awake. Alive. Awesome. Firsts are always memorable. But we later go through the motions, barely noticing what is in front of us. We're sleepwalking and the great adventure of life can mellow. So, my idea is to no longer be an observer, but participate. My father always said you can march in the parade or watch it.

Angelina Jolie says, "If you don't get out of the box you've been raised in, you won't understand how much bigger the world is." I didn't know a poorer side of Shreveport existed until I had a college photojournalism assignment to shoot it. Firsts we remember are: bike ride, school, kiss, dance, driving, heartbreak, job and plane ride. We remember the first winner of Survivor or Celebrity Apprentice or the Bachelorette. Second place is first loser. A penny always loses its shine and the honeymoon always ends.

How many times have you tried to coax someone to go somewhere with you and they don't want to, do and have fun? You never know until you go.

The author went to a theater alone. I used to do this all the time until the Lafayette incident. And parades and an LSU game. Your own company IS good enough. You are enough. It's better to be alone than in the wrong company. Everybody is going to have critics.

"Relax and enjoy," the author said. "Small things can bring freshness.” I’ve eaten and traveled alone. To North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Oregon and Alaska to complete my goal of the 50 states. The world is too beautiful to stay in one place.

Do things you are not a maven of…she said she is now not an opera virgin anymore. People say: I can't, I'm too old, I will look stupid. So what? I have learned not to care what people think of me anymore to a certain extent.

As she met people since she was a reporter, she got story tips on recycling programs, on-campus drinking, a restaurant with a bad report.  Passing info on to people is cool. One friend said my list was gold.

Ben Franklin knew life was a classroom. He invented and created libraries, fire departments, insurance, books, musical instruments and newspapers.

Experiences are like bizarre exclamation points in your life. Those who put on lab coats become much more attentive and studious, the author said.

She survived a large intestine removal at 33, breast cancer at 35 and kidney cancer at 45. Her daughter thought of the first idea and it helped her get up every day.

I love books where people do something for a year--wear a nametag, be biblical, give up something, write a daily thank you, find a new friend, photograph a tree. I have such book ideas myself.

I am blessed to have such firsts as riding in a KC-10, spending the day riding around with a governor, learning how to suture, being a Macy’s parade balloon holder, reigning as Mardi Gras queen, being on the LSU football field during a game several times, finishing the bible, riding a sweet potato picker, speaking at a national conference, milking a cow and piglet, driving a train, completing the Polar Bear Dip, writing a book, ghost hunting, attending a national football championship with LSU in it, reading movie lines, clowning, meeting celebrities, driving a $120,000 car, making a mosaic, learning to make wreaths, painting the eye of the Tiger, being in an apple eating and crawfish eating contest, yoga, skiing both snow and water, running a 5K to prove to a boyfriend, cycling around Cypress Lake--same guy, staying up all night twice, watching a 1,000-year-old Indian canoe get excavated, standing on the stage of Ryman Auditorium, doing every job when I managed the Remington Suite Hotel--even housekeeping, and visiting another religious denomination.

I'm going to be a Yes Woman. "Say yes. And you'll figure it out afterwards," said Tina Fey. (Although I'm conflicted because learning to say no is important, too).

Please offer suggestions for next time. The author ate a scorpion (I'm counting someone else in the family for something similar). I won’t do that or bungee jump, ride in a hot air balloon, or scuba or anything in water, so don’t get too excited. I know Peter tried something new when he walked on water, but... Lili Price, who had a leaking brain aneurysm got scolded from her doctor when he heard she went sky diving. But she said, "Aren't we all ticking time bombs with programmed destination points?" Instead of going with the flow, I am the flow, she said. She taps her deepest longings. If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough. The Illness can become WEllness with others.

Quote that captured my attention. Sebastian from NCIS NOLA  on his first day on the job, he got a little excited, couldn't sleep, so came in at 5 a.m. to get a head start on things and unpack his stuff. I'm so nervous, you know? Like, “first day at school and you don't know anyone” kind of nervous, but that's strange, right? 'Cause I, I know everyone here. Never easy taking a new job. Especially on an experienced team. He was told he was there for a reason, would do great and got his service weapon. Then the phone goes off. Four dead bodies... Including a sailor. "Yes! All right. Man, that's insensitive. I 'm sorry. Just first case as an agent, you know?"

More quotes stand out to me: Because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. Edward Hale. When life hands you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make orange juice because being different is good. Andrea Finical
Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live? Caroline Myss

I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine. -Neil Armstrong

Only 3% of the population writes down their goals. The rest of society works for these people. – Brian Tracy

How do you become interesting? According to Jonathan Goldsmith, take chances, don't give up, make courageous choices, say thirsty for adventure.

During my Lenten days, I read a story of kids of a deceased man finding his pouch with rings and trinkets and three pieces of folded notebook paper: "Things I Would Like To Do in My Lifetime!" written at 29, the year his daughter was born, covering both sides of the page. Be interviewed on the radio. Make money in the stock market. Set up a charitable fund. Drive a Corvette. Teach a class about wine. Make a rubber band ball. Pan for gold.  The kids realized they already did some of what he wanted to. Get my picture in a national magazine. The writer daughter did. There were 13 they did, but he only did five. Give my children the most love, the best education and best example I can give. Wasn't checked, but should have been. 

Some of the author's examples can be found at www.Luanncahn.com:

Don’t swear for a day.

Eat vegetarian. Or a foreign food.

Cartwheel.

Mechanical bull.

Spoke to a stranger.

Smoked a cigar.

Shoveled horse manure.

Ate dessert first.

No coffee, no gum.

I came, I saw, I drummed.

Secret Santa.

Hike up Runyon Canyon in the hills of L.A. Go up to the top to see a prayer box created by designer Jeannie Mai. The idea is you put a prayer or a thought into the box, then you take a prayer out of the box.

She said she would sing if someone bid enough on something.

Joined Damsels in Success group. (Tell Ann Marie).

He had me at hello, she said, on one she really wanted to do.

May the firsts be with you is how she ends the book.

The speech was meant to be. Driving back from Waco I heard Darius Rucker's song that said When was the last time you did something for the first time? Let yourself go. Follow that feeling. Let your hair down. Feel alive. Followed by Brad Paisley's Last Time for Everything, mentioning no longer getting woken up at 5 a.m. for Santa.

Who wants to do unimportant and uninteresting things? Upon hearing this talk, one of my Facebook friends sent this: I pray God quickens creative ideas in you to help you prosper, live wisely and share his love.

Holly and Paul in Breakfast at Tiffany's agree to spend the day doing things that each has never done before. They go the library and steal something.

Still is a book where she took a photograph a day of found nature. Love everyday doings. Crabs, wildflowers, sumac leaves, pine cones.

The Bossier Council on Aging listeners said they wanted to be a pilot, travel, stop cussing and ride her bike. I could have some purposely not doing items, too.