I’m not going to lie...

I’m not going to lie, I love getting presents. As I got older, I started to enjoy giving gifts. I like to pick out the perfect gift for a specific person. I watch for a reaction, as they open a present from me.

I still get excited at Christmastime. As a twenty-nine year old, I get excited over different things, than when I did when I was a child.

Now, food is part of what makes this time of year so special. I love to eat the traditional baked goods. My Mom makes shortbread cookies that melt in your mouth. She ices the cookies with white icing and dips them in candy cane crumbs. These cookies taste so good. I’m sure I’ll gain weight during the holidays, but it is worth it.

My Grandma McIntyre used to make gingersnaps. Some people liked them soft and others liked to hear the cookie snap. I remember making these cookies with Grandma & my cousin. Our job was to roll a chunk of dough into a ball. After the dough was in the shape of a ball, we rolled it in white sugar. This made the cookies sparkle. My brother Stu bakes gingersnap cookies every so often. They taste just like the ones Grandma used to make.

My niece will celebrate her first Christmas this year. It’s hard to believe she was not here last year. My oldest niece is two years old. This year she will be an active participant in the gift opening. I love to see my nieces smile. I had lots of fun shopping for them.

It’s Christmas Eve & all the wrapping is done. The house smells of maple & the make ahead veggies are well underway. Tomorrow, my family will gather for Christmas brunch. There’ll be French toast made with special bread, sausages, bacon and sweet bread. In this family, you’ll never go hungry.

As an adult, I have realised that the meaning of Christmas cannot be found in a box or a gift bag. Love is what brings us together. Family & friends gathering together for food & chatter means so much to me.

I am still a kid at heart.

When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

We say thank you to the sales clerk when she hands us our purchase. We say thank you when someone holds the door for us. I say thank you in excess of twenty times a day. We are an extremely polite society, for the most part. What happens when thank you just isn’t enough? There are few words that express gratitude beyond a simple thank you.

I want to take this opportunity to express how thankful I am, to be a member of this family. Without them I would not be where I am today. Around this time each year, we gather with our extended family. I feel so lucky to have such a loving family. I watched the little cousins play with toys from my Grandma’s house. A whole new generation is enjoying toys that are older than me. A recipe for making memories that will last a lifetime!

Recently, I was interviewed by an author for a local paper called, ‘The Bay Observer’. I am feeling the love from family, friends & neighbours. I am so encouraged by the response to the article.

For me, being interviewed was a lot like therapy on fast forward. I started thinking that I could do the interview and keep my emotions from taking over. I soon learned that my emotions were part of the story. Once the interview was over, I felt a sense of relief. I had not talked about Friedreich’s Ataxia with many people before. I had talked about my disorder and nothing bad happened. This has been a cathartic experience for me.

Thank you doesn’t seem enough for what I have gained from this process. I thank you Ben, for being patient and kind with me. You are the perfect tour guide as I take the plunge into the world of writing.

I am not big on labels. I think sometimes people live up to or down to a label. I have no intention of living up to Friedreich’s Ataxia. You might google the name, but that isn’t me. I will not live with the word disabled hovering above my head. I am able in other ways. I refuse to let my disorder rule my life. Attitude is everything!

I am still not as open about my disorder as some other people may be and that is alright.

Christmas Memories...

Every year in December, I reflect back on Christmas’ past.

Every child has memories of a certain toy or gift that made you smile from ear to ear with excitement. There was the year of the Fisher Price kitchen set. I think every eight year old asked Santa for a kitchen set. It was as tall as me and likely weighed more than me. There was a pot of alphabet soup and a kettle that whistled. A toy that does not require batteries is tough to find these days.

When I was a teenager, I babysat for several families. I loved to babysit. To me it was fun to play and read with the kids.

On one Saturday in December, I was asked to babysit for a family with three kids. I loved this family and their kids, so I happily said yes. As it happened, this particular Saturday was during Chanukah. The family was Jewish, so before the parents left, they did the lighting of the menorah. I was not familiar with the words they said. What I remember most about that day, was that when they did the lighting ceremony, they invited me to participate. We held hands around the menorah and the recited a song in Hebrew. I felt so honoured to be included in such a meaningful event. I know that the family never thought twice about including me. I have never forgotten that day.

It did not matter that I was not Jewish or that they weren’t Christian. We were together and grateful for one another.

For Christmas this family gave me Hallmark ornaments of Mary and Joseph. I loved the ornaments when I received them and to this day they remain two of my favourite Christmas decorations.

When someone says ‘Happy Holidays’ to me, I am not offended in the least. It means that they wish me well.

My wish for you is happiness throughout the coming year!

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Happy Holidays to one & all!

Dreams

 

Dreams are the ideals one wants to achieve. I want to be the best that I can be now and always. Dreams change over time and not all dreams come true.

I want to be a good daughter, sister and friend. Doing so, will keep my current relationships strong and help me to forge new relationships.

In order to live my best life, I need to be healthy & strong. I have started physiotherapy to build up my muscles. Due to my neurological condition, it is important for me to maintain my core strength.

I want to be an author. Writing is my passion. Writing about my life, allows me to view my life with new eyes. By writing a blog, I am sharing my life with many people. It is important to me to keep my writing honest. Without honesty, my writing loses a connection with my readers.

I want what most people in my age group want. I want to make my dreams come true. Mainly it comes down to health & happiness. If I am healthy & happy, life is good.

I am not always happy. I try to be happy, but things don’t always work out the way I wanted them to. That’s the way life goes! It’s important to dust yourself off and move forward. Smile on!

If all my dreams came true, what would I dream about? There is always room for one more dream!

Perspective...

Life is all about how we perceive things.

A person’s clothing can be viewed in multiple ways. Today I am wearing denim capris and a short sleeved plaid shirt. To me, my outfit is comfortable and pleasing to my eyes. Some people look at my clothing and think of a farmer. When I think of a farmer’s attire, I think of denim and smooth fabrics that create a comfortable exterior.

When my almost two year old niece comes to visit my parents and me, she plays with the toys that stay at our house. Some days she will pull something out of the toy bin and on another visit, that same toy gets left on the floor. She almost always spends some time in my Dad’s office. There are plenty of books and other things to look at. She likes to sit in my Dad’s desk chair and gaze at all of the books.

A window is a picture frame, containing ever changing scenes from nature. When I visit my Grandma at her care center, we often sit by her window and enjoy the landscape that surrounds her building.

My Grandma has trouble maintaining conversation, due to her memory loss. The view from her window provides her with things to look at and talk about. It is interesting to listen to her perspective. Whether she talks about the Christmas Tree Farm across the street, I find it fascinating to see what aspect of the view, she chooses to focus on.

Art is a wonderful example of perspective. A painting can be seen in many different ways, depending on the lighting and the surrounding environment. A sculpture can be a hunk of clay to one person and a priceless piece of art, to another person

Photography can be seen through many lenses. The picture included, is of my parents looking out over the lake. I used my phone to take the photograph. I have an application that allows you to choose a lens to create different light within the photograph. I think this picture looks like my parents are standing in a field of tall grasses overlooking a lake up north. The light cast on the picture suggests the sun is setting.

My parents are standing on a pile of dirt in the empty lot next to our building. The golden grasses in the picture are made up of mostly weeds. This photograph showed me that there are indeed multiple ways of looking at things.

Another pair of eyes looking at the same thing often yields a different perspective.

What’s in a name?

When we were born, our parents gave us a name. Sometimes a baby is given an old family name, sometimes a baby is named after a family member or friend & sometimes the baby is not named after anyone. Typically, a baby grows into their name.

A child's name will often get shortened. My name got shortened to Meg. Family & close friends called me Meg. I liked my name then & now. In school, most of my teachers called me Megan, unless there was more than student who shared my name. You can’t really misspell Meg. Megan can be spelled so many different ways.

My older brother Andrew calls me, ‘Nerd’. I return the favour by also calling him, ‘Nerd’. It’s not meant to be mean. He was never called, Andy. When he got to high school his friends called him Drew. Ever since then he has gone by Drew. Our family still calls him Andrew from time to time.

My oldest brother Stuart was called Stuey as a baby. By the time I came along, he was Stu. He usually calls me Babe or Baby.

I usually call my mother, Mom or Ma. I always call my father, Dad. Now my parents are grandparents. Their oldest grandchild has named them. Even though we refer to them Grandma & Grandpa, Sophie has her own names. She calls my Dad, ‘Campy’. We think she means Grampy. Sophie loves her Campy. My Mom has been patiently waiting for Sophie to call her by name. The other day it finally happened. Sophie proudly said, ‘Bye bye Gamma’. It was a cool moment to witness.

Sophie calls Stu & I by our first names because our names are easy for her to say. We always refer to Stu’s wife as Auntie Michelle, but that is still too hard for Sophie to say.

A name is important. Naming a child is a big responsibility because it sticks with a person for life.

Why?

I have had this blog post partly done for at least a week.

The idea came from a book my Dad was reading. The book was about Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest persons in the world. Warren describes the “Ovarian theory”. He believes he won the ovarian lottery. He means by being born into his family, was a lucky day. Warren could have been born in a third world country, to a family who did not have the means to support him in any way.

The following questions & answers are based on my interpretation of the “Ovarian theory”.

I hope the post was worth the long wait.

Why am I me and not someone else?

My life is definitely complicated by the neuromuscular disorder that I have, but I would not want to be someone else. It might also be that I am meant to stand as an example to future generations. Perhaps I have a disorder, so that future members of my family can be tested to see if they carrier the disorder. All of these answers are valid points.

I could just as easily been born as another person, free from my condition, but I wouldn’t want to be someone else. I’d be lying if I didn’t dream of one day walking down the aisle with my Dad at my side & the man of my dreams waiting patiently to marry me. I wouldn’t want to be anyone, but who I am.

Why was I born into such an amazing family?

I believe I was born into a loving, supportive family because together we are a strong unit. We protect each other.

My doctor says that the cure for my disorder will not be one specific drug, but rather many factors that come together to complete the puzzle.

I know he is right because without my family, I would not be where I am today, physically or mentally.

I was born into this family because they are emotionally strong enough to handle anything & everything.

My parents are so strong when I need them to be and I am strong when they need to be.

I come from a family with a clever sense of humour. We laugh every day. Sometimes I laugh when I am not suppose to.

My brothers have been known to make me laugh. I have always been the little sister who they protect at all costs. I was meant to be born after my brothers. There is enough of an age gap that we never fought.

My brother’s are both married. I now have the sisters I asked my parents for when I was younger. I am so blessed to have sisters in my life.

My cousin who is closest to my age is great. Our relationship has grown over the years. We are more like sisters than cousins. We will go months without seeing each other & yet when we do get together, we never miss a beat. I am so thankful to have her in my life.

Why do I have the friends I have?

I believe my friends are meant to be my friends. Without them, I would not be where I am today, emotionally and socially.

Friends share the good things in life. True friends are there for the hard times. A friendship is a relationship of give & take.

My best friend has been there for me, since the day we met back in grade nine. We’ve both had some hard times in our lives, and we support each other, no matter what. Yes, I use a wheelchair, but that doesn’t much matter to my best friend. I am appreciative of the fact that she sees me for who I am. All we need is a bag of ketchup chips & a cheese covered pizza and we are set for an evening of storytelling & gossip.

My friends are all special to me. All of my friends have cars or SUV’s that fit my wheelchair in the back. It is never a problem. They get me in the car & put the chair in the back. One of my competitive friends times herself & tries to beat her previous time.

I am with my friend for the long haul. We have many adventures together & we have many more to come. Usually our stories involve food!

Why was I born in Canada and not in a third world country?

Canada has an excellent medical system. Canada is home to a top neuromuscular doctor. This doctor has an excellent supporting medical team.

Why was I chosen to have a disorder?

I believe everything happens for a reason. Someone much greater than all of us, has a master plan for our lives. I believe in fate and destiny.

I don’t think it is an accident that I grew up less than an hour from the hospital where I would eventually go to for treatment of my disorder. There is no cure for my disorder, but the world renowned specialist in neuromuscular disorders, is at the head of my medical team.

Life is great!

I do not have all of the answers, nor do I pretend to.

I am happy just being me.

Past, Present & Future

My Mom has always encouraged me to look at the big picture. Where were you a year ago? What was happening in your life? After you’ve looked at your life one year ago, think back to what your life was like five years ago. Is your life better or worse than in the past?

One year ago...

·         I was finishing my psychology courses toward my degree.

·         I was studying for my last exam.

·         I was stressed because exams are not my strong suit.

Five years ago...

·         I was twenty-three and living in the house I grew up in.

·         I was struggling with the fact that my body was not performing as I thought it should.

·         I had started the process of getting a wheelchair. I was reluctant to use a wheelchair in public.

·         I started taking online courses toward my degree.

·         I became increasingly comfortable with having and using a wheelchair.

This past year...                             

·         I finished my final psychology courses toward my degree.

·         I graduated from university. It was a personal goal that lasted nearly a decade.

·         a huge amount of self inflicted stress was lifted from my shoulders.

·         I became a sister-in-law. She is amazing.

·         I became an Auntie to an adorable baby girl.

In the past five years...

·         I learned that it is okay to ask for help.

·         I realised that there was a lot of life to live in the outside world and in order to do the fun things that I wished to do, I needed to use my wheelchair.

·         I realised that nobody batted an eye at the fact that I was using a wheelchair.

·         my parents and I moved from the only home I had ever known. We now live in an apartment style condominium. I love it here. We all love it here. It is a new city, ripe with ever changing possibilities.

In one year I hope to...

·         have a healthier diet.

·         have a physical fitness routine.

·         explore vegetarian cuisine.

·         have a volunteer placement.

·         have a plan in order to get published.

·         explore dating possibilities.

·         cross a few items off of my Living List.

In five years I hope to...

·         have a volunteer or part-time career.

·         be a healthier person.

·         have at least one meatless meal a week.

·         be a published author.

·         be at peace with myself.

Happy Father’s Day

I grew up with a Mom & Dad. How lucky was I to be embraced by such loving parents. I like to tell people that my parents stopped having children after they got it right. In reality, having two older brothers is a pretty cool way to grow up.

I was a bit of a tom boy when I was younger. There t many girls in our neighbourhood, so I adapted. I had my Dad & older brothers to teach me what I needed to know.

I played softball or baseball every Summer until I went to high school. I was not a gifted athlete by any means, but I did have a lot of fun. My Dad would play catch with me, whenever I asked him to. My parents came to all of my games...and I do mean all.

I knew all of the Toronto Blue Jays & their positions. I learned their names while watching them on television with my Dad. I was always encouraged & never discouraged.

Life is not all fun & games, but we manage to find the upside in everything we do.

Live, laugh & love!

For all of the little (& big) things you do, I appreciate you.

With love hugs, on this day & everyday,

Your favourite (& only) daughter xo

Aislyn

A new addition to our family arrived just after midnight on June 3^rd, 2011. Her name is Aislyn Mei Ying.

I am now the aunt of two precious little girls. This is great fun!

Even though life can be challenging, at the end of the day, I love my life.

Wishes

I wish I was more able than I am, but my life does not end because I use a wheelchair. I know that my life isn’t over, but sometimes I feel like I am standing still & everyone around me is moving forward.

I want to have a guy to go out to dinner with. It would be nice to have a guy to go for walks by the lake. That may happen at some point, but right now it isn’t on my radar screen.

Eventually I’d love to have a baby. Not an unreasonable dream considering that I am twenty-eight years old. I want to have a family of my own someday. It may be more complicated because of my condition, but that is no reason to give up on a dream.

I’d like to have a career. One that paid me money for doing something I love to do. One step at a time I suppose. Volunteering is the next step.

Not everybody knows how to react to a person in a wheelchair & that is okay with me. I cannot expect everyone to automatically know how to act around me. I hope people can learn something from interacting with me.  Not everyone is as they might first appear. Please don’t stare; your children are watching everything you do.

These are my hopes & dreams for the future.

Dream Big!

Mom...

I am sure when I was little, I called my mother Mommy, but her name changed as I grew older.

I followed the lead of my brothers & began to call my mother, Ma. It was always used affectionately. My Grandma thought it was funny to hear her daughter called, Ma. I often hollered Ma, if my Mom was not where I thought she was.

During my high school years, I tried to be as independent as a sixteen your old can be. One night a bunch of us were out & the topic of pets came up. I proceeded to tell the group, that my Mom had a monkey at some point when she was growing up. Everyone thought my Mom was cool. I wasn’t quite sure why.

I get it now. Mom means the world to me. The way she opens her arms to all of us makes me smile.

I love you more than words can say.

Baby Name Game

My brother Stu & his wife Michelle are expecting a baby girl in June. They know the name, but are not telling us until she is born.

My Mom & I had a list of guesses when my niece Sophie was born. We are now compiling a list of guesses for Stu & Michelle’s baby. Stu has said that the name has six letters, but he may be trying to throw off our game.

Who knows what her name will be? One thing is for sure, this baby will be much loved. Head to toe, what a perfect addition to our family.

Summer Traditions

It is definitely not Summer just yet. It is supposed to be Spring, but it is still fairly cold & wet outside. As I look out my bedroom window, I see low clouds & a rainy mess below. I am hopeful, that the sunshine will find us once again & lift our spirits.

For me, the Summer is filled with so many wonderful traditions. We were always doing fun things in the Summer.

When I was two & a half, my parents had an in-ground pool put in our back yard. We swam nearly every day in the Summer. One year we had swimming lessons for the neighbourhood kids in our pool. I didn’t continue with lessons for long enough to become an expert swimmer, but I do have fond memories of backyard lessons.

During the Summer, we sometimes camped out in our own backyard, complete with a camp fire. I loved to roast hot dogs & marshmallows. My cousin & I would sleep in a tent, just a few feet from the house.

Near the beginning of Summer, our local park hosted a carnival. We could hear the loud speaker standing in our front yard. Every year we would pick a day to go over and ride the rides. I remember riding a spinning ride & screaming. My neighbours & I were so light, that at every turn, we would slide across the seat of the ride. We always had a great time.

I played in a girl’s softball league & my brother’s played baseball. We were always at the ball park. I loved buying penny candies at the canteen. After a ball game, we would often go to Dairy Queen for ice cream.

I loved the jingle that the ice cream truck made. It got stuck in my head. It was a novel idea.

Summertime meant that it was light out later than usual. I played baseball on the crescent until someone suggested we have a swim.

On a hot Summer evening, a couple of Mom’s would walk us to the park nearby. There were big trees towering over the play ground that kept everyone cool.

When Andrew began to play travel baseball, we would go away for the weekend tournaments. I would play the other kids who had a brother on team.

I loved going to the library with my Mom because there was a particularly good fry truck & a bakery that had all kinds of sweet treat. I have such fond memories of eating super hot salty French fries.

Positivity

Regardless of your personal situation, there is a bright way to look at life. It is so easy to be negative. It is so simple to complain about what life has thrown your way. It does not require much thought to blame someone else for what is wrong with the world. Positivity requires a choice & hope.

My life is not what I thought it would be. I could choose to be depressed about my life or I could choose to move forward with a smile on my face. Like everyone else, I have days or periods of time where I do not feel like smiling. I choose to find happiness in my life.

My family got together for Easter dinner. I laughed so hard that I had tears running down my face. It is hard not to laugh in this family. What a happy day. My family is filled with happiness & joy.

To be positive requires a hopeful outlook on life. I am hopeful that one day there will be a neurological breakthrough that will help not only me, but all of the people fighting a neurological disorder.

I have hope that one day I will be a published author. I have made some great contacts within the field of creative writing. With a little guidance, I believe that writing a children’s book is doable.

As I tackle life, I plan to do it with a smile. Positive thinking is catching. Try it out and watch the people around you light up with smiles.

What is Spring...

Spring is more than a time of year. It is a state of mind.

Spring is a time for new beginnings. The flowers blossoming symbolize new growth.

When we flip the calendar over from March to April, it is a sign that snowy days are nearing an end. There is usually a day in April when we are given a sun filled day to remind of what is to come.

Enjoy the sunshine while it is here!

What’s your beef?

Just about everywhere we go here in Southern Ontario, has an automatic door opener or a wheelchair button that will open the door for you. Door openers are so commonplace, that I don’t even think about it.

Since I use a wheelchair where ever I go, it is handy to push a button & enter a store or restaurant. One of my parents or a friend is usually pushing me, so unless there is a third person to hold a door open, it is rather difficult to get into places that do not have a wheelchair button or automatic door opener.

There are quite a few outdoor shopping areas that we like to go to. Each store and restaurant has a separate entrance. On a breezy day, many of the stores will prop open their doors. Otherwise the doors must be opened by the customer.

Other shoppers and employees were happy to hold the door open, so it was easier for my Mom & I could enter the store with ease. We were most appreciative of the help that we received. The odd time, my Mom & I were left to struggle ourselves. Most people would step up & help, but some just looked right through us and kept on going.

There doesn’t seem to be a unified definition of accessibility wthin the state or country. I cannot be the only person who uses a wheelchair and loves to come to Myrtle Beach.

Vacation

Vacation is a break from the everyday routine of our day to day lives.

As a child, we would sometimes go away during the school break sometime during March. My Dad would pack up the car and drive to Myrtle Beach. I was always excited to go away.

Now I am an adult & I went to Myrtle Beach with my parents. We all had a great time. The shopping & eating were second to none.

The weather was not the best we’ve ever had. It was cold & rainy for most of the time we were in Myrtle Beach. We had to be creative with the timing of any outdoor activity we wanted to go to.

There are so many shopping opportunities in Myrtle Beach that we went to a different place each day. There are great deals to be had at many of the shopping malls & outlets.

On one of our cold & rainy days, we toured the aquarium. What a gem this is. We went on a moving sidewalk that went through a tube in the middle of the aquarium tank. I crossed this item off of my bucket list.

While in Myrtle Beach we ate at Margaritaville. What a cool experience this was! Not only was it a fun place to be, the food was great too. The portion sizes were gigantic. We shared a ‘Chocolate Hurricane’ between the three of us and did not come close to finishing it. If you have not eaten at a Margaritaville, I highly recommend you do so. While you are there order a fancy drink. They taste even better than they look.

In Myrtle Beach, they have great wheelchair parking and a beautiful new board walk. There are level beach access areas, so everyone is able to wiggle their toes in the sand. The police department loans out beach wheelchairs, so people who use a wheelchair can go for a stroll on the beach without having their tires sink into the sand. I used a beach wheelchair last year and loved every minute of it. This year, the weather did not cooperate.

There is always next year!

Living...

As part of a project, I created a bucket list. The name is somewhat catchy, but it isn’t so much about death, as it is about living every moment of life to the fullest. That was the point of the project. In creating a list, it forces you to think about your future and what you want out of life.

·         Finish my degree

·       be published

I want to write a book about disabilities. I want to write a book of short   stories. I’d like to write an autobiographical book infused with humour.

·       be a public speaker

I want to bring awareness to neurological disorders.

*Not during a social gathering with family or friends. I know people that monopolize the conversation & talk about how bad things are and I’d much rather be positive.

·       volunteer with kids in the hospital, at a school or public library.

I love kids.

·       take a photography class

I love to take photos and to scrapbook them.

·       get married

Every little girl hopes to find her prince charming. I have watched several of my girl friends find their one true love. I have given advice about love that has proven to be helpful. When it comes down to it, there is no manual for how a person who uses a wheelchair is supposed to find love. I keep my eyes & ears open and hope that one day my prince will come.

·       eat breakfast, lunch and dinner out in one day

I put this on my list of things to do because I love to eat out and not many people have done this.

·       have a picnic

I love picnic food.

·       go to the Science Centre & the ROM

I’ve been to both as a child. Now, I’d like to see both from an adult’s point of view.

·       visit Toronto Island

I don’t know that I have been, but I’ve heard that there are lots of fun things to see & do on the island.

·       see a Toronto Maple Leaf game with Kira

I know the basic premise of hockey, but not much beyond that. My cousin is a huge Leaf fan, so win or lose, I'm sure it will be fun.

·       see the Lion King musical

I have always loved the music from the movie.

·       see the bodies exhibit

I am fascinated by the human body. This exhibit sounds really cool. My parents don’t want to go at all. Let me know if you want to go.

·       see a Toronto Blue Jays Game on retro night.

I used to be able to name all of the players back when they won the world series.

·       visit my cousins in Montreal

Montreal is a city with a great history. I’d love to learn about it. It would be great to see my cousins on their own turf.

·       travel east with Kira

Kira & I have travelled together many times. It would be neat to see where she went to university.

·       go on a road trip

Road trips are fun.

·       see a Broadway musical in New York City

I want to see what all the hype is about. I’d love to see Central Park & play tourist in New York.

·       visit Hershey Pennsylvania and stay at the Hershey Hotel

Anyone who knows me knows that I love chocolate.

·       have a chocolate facial at the Hershey Spa

It sounds so yummy.

·       tour the Crayola factory in Pennsylvania.

I’ve always loved the smell of Crayola crayons.

·       tour the Hershey Factory

I want to see the process from cocoa bean to chocolate bar.

·       go shopping in Grove City, Pennsylvania

I have heard that Grove City, is a great weekend getaway.

·       visit Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a city with a rich history.

·       go to the Boyd's Bear factory in Philadelphia

I want to see how the bears are made.

·       visit Carlo’s bakery

I want to try the cakes & pastries, as seen on Cake Boss.

·       tour the Smithsonian

There is something for everyone at the Smithsonian.

·       tour the White House

·       go to Cheers in Boston

I love a Boston accent!

·       visit the Mall of the America

I love to shop. I want to say that I’ve been to the Mall of America.

·       have hot chocolate in a ski chalet in Colorado

I love hot chocolate. I don’t ski, but I might meet the man of my dreams, sipping cocoa by the fire place.

·       have a Chicago style deep dish pizza in Chicago

I love cheese & pizza. Chicago sounds like a neat city to visit.

·       visit the aquarium in Myrtle Beach

We’ve never been & they have a tube, similar to Sea World.

·      visit Disney World in Florida

I went to Disneyland as a child. I want to experience both places.

·       Go to Busch Gardens in Florida

My parents took my brothers before I was born & it sounds like a neat place to go.

·       take a Caribbean cruise

Everyone who has been on a cruise that I have talked to has loved it. There is so much to see & do.

·       have my hair braided in the Caribbean

·       take a Disney cruise

I love Disney!

·       walk through the tube at Sea World

I love creatures that live under the sea.

·       visit the San Diego Zoo

This is the zoo of all zoos.            

·       go to Las Vegas & see Cirque de Soleil

I hear the show is amazing. I want to see the strip in Las Vegas.

I posted this list the other day and it felt unfinished. I realize you never stop adding to the list. If you are like me, you write stuff down that you’ve already done, just so you can cross it off. It has always made me feel like I have accomplished something, even if it wasn’t on my original list.