Lately I have been thinking of my list of things I would like to learn, try or experience someday. The more I think about it the longer the list grows. There is so much in life I want to try and to experience. Sometimes it seems like one lifetime is not enough!
My list includes such things as learning to cook. To be able to make a perfect angel food cake, a pan of delicious cinnamon rolls, a loaf of whole wheat bread or a tangy chicken korma with jasmine rice would be a nice accomplishment. Then there is the whole world of herbs… to learn how to cook with them would be grand. Imagine a tart lemonade with a hint of lavender, or tea biscuits with bits of rosemary and chives hidden inside. So far I have already learned to make very yummy soups and some nice meals in the slow cooker, but it is time to expand my horizons.
Gardening is another thing on my list. To grow an herb garden, all one needs is some soil and lots of sunshine. Herbs like it dry and sunny, so they are pretty easy to grow. I would have a medicinal garden, a kitchen garden, and a scented garden filled with lavender, rosemary, and chives. Have you ever smelled scented geraniums (although not herbs, they come to mind)? There are all kinds, but I love the rose-scented ones the best.
Spinning is something else I must try. I have a drop spindle and can make a single ply yarn. It is like a true ‘homespun’ yarn- thick and thin, showing my ‘newness’ to the skill. Someday I will knit something with this yarn. But what I really want to learn is how to spin with a spinning wheel. In fact, I have decided that the coming year is the one in which I shall learn to do this. To transform a pile of fluffy roving into yarn that can be used to knit up a shawl or sweater would be amazing. Spinning is a bit like a moving meditation (as is knitting). There is a rhythm to it; it brings me a sense of calm and solitude.
Another thing I want to learn is how to read the night sky. And to be able read it in each season as the zodiac makes it’s way around our beautiful planet. I want to recognize at least 10 constellations and understand the phases of Venus. I want to see Jupiter and the Galilean moons (Io, Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa) and the rings of Saturn. My telescope is still new to me and I must learn to use it better so I can study more closely the surface of the moon. I want to learn about the different seas there and recognize some of the geography without my moon map.
I wish there was a place for grown-ups, sort of like a summer camp, where we could go for a week and take classes on arts, crafts, dance, or cooking, or whatever strikes our fancy. There could also be time for stories told around the bon fire, music to sing to, and friendships to be developed. Methinks a world where grown-ups could learn in an open, welcoming environment would be a very civilized world. It would let us explore interests that have perhaps become dormant through the hustle and bustle of every day life. We encourage our children to explore what interests them, but somehow we have forgotten to nurture this in ourselves.
What would be on your list of things to try, learn, or experience? Be brave and make a list. Do so without censure. Be bold and daring. And then choose one thing and go for it!
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