Apparently, tomorrow is the end of the world. I’d kind of like that. I’ll die in debt and the world won’t owe me a living. I’ll also not have to mark 500 GCSE papers, which is all good since I won’t need to earn cash to pay my taxes. However, it leaves a lot undone. There’s a good few things I need to get straightened out before the end of the world. And a whole world of things I’ve not done. I better get a wriggle on because some of them are time-consuming and kind of important.
I guess it’s time to revamp my consumerist ‘things to do before the end of the world’ list… some of the things are ongoing from my former ‘things to do before I die’ list. So… I’ve still got:
- Read the works of Dickens. I’ve got a bit behind on this one. I’m going to have to pick that up again this summer. Maybe I can do it when I’m doing some others to save time.
- See the works of Shakespeare. Much harder now I’m in the land of Racine and Moliere. However, I could accept defeat on that having seen The Taming of the Shrew by Propeller – by far the best production ever of anything. Ever. Of Anything.
- I’m giving up on India. I wanted to go to it when I thought it was like Kerala, not filled with mobile phones and people called Malcolm. Maybe I’ll go to Kerala.
- I might get my nose pierced again this summer when I come back for marking. As long as they don’t put a nasty stud in it. Which reminds me, I’m off to Afflecks tomorrow to see if I can find Jake a cool earring. It won’t have Nike on it, that’s for sure. I’m not a Nike-herdarista. I’m not an anything herdarista. If there’s a herd, I’m leaping over the cliff.
- I had skiing and skating to do – but my crappy legs are making that impossible. I need to abandon those maybe.
I still have places to see… I feel like there’s a whole load more to see in Africa for me now – and the whole francophone world to explore with my newly ‘okay’ French. At least I don’t mind speaking on the phone now. So out of 44, I have maybe 10 still to do – get a hummingbird tattoo, go to China, own some murano glass or lalique, drive through California and walk in the Alps. However, these are my next 25 things to do:
- Have a year without shopping for clothes
- Get back to living out of a kitbag – minimalism, baby! In the digital age, it shouldn’t be a problem. Well, a kitbag and some boxes. Luckily some important Apple-related people have invented everything I need to store all my precious stuff on a laptop.
- Go solar
- Get some farm animals (other than the chickens)
- Pick up horse-riding again – I’d love, love, love to breed working Shire horses in France
- Travel through Morocco once more – and across to Egypt through the deserts
- Become a herbal medicine Mistress
- Make a patchwork quilt
- Find my alternative roots once again
- Learn another language once again
- Make an outfit from scratch
- Learn how to make the beautiful skirts I have and make my own
- Be one of those clean gardeners who have a pinny and a panier for their mini-harvest
- Sell some art
- Find my niche as an artist
- Learn to crochet
- Live with the seasons
- Live without debt – not a penny!
- Camp on the Cote d’Argent
- Become an Art Deco expert
- Make my own arbor and plant it up with climbing plants
- Create a really big, beautiful garden
- Learn how to propagate properly, including roses!
- See more of France
- Do what I can to live without petrol
Lady Justine's Blog 
Great minds think alike, LJ, although your list is serious…mine isn’t!
#13. A “clean gardener”? In my opinion, if you don’t get a bit dirty, you’re not doing it right!
#16. Learning to crochet is easy…I’ve been doing it since I was 10! My suggestion is to find a friend or a neighbour to show you how.
#20. I love Art Deco (but I’m not an expert!).
#23. I think you’re propagating pretty well already!
Wendy