2026 Baby Bucket List - February Progress

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

I enjoy setting and assessing goals, even when a lack of progress brings discouragement. My husband and I don't have a great track record when it comes to commemorating monumental moments in our marriage (that's a mouthful). For our 25th anniversary, I simply posted our surprise at reaching it and our commitment to fighting for the marriage. I bemoaned our Covid-foiled 30th anniversary celebrations, settling for a list of 30 small things we could do to celebrate. It was, indeed, discouraging that we only completed a handful from the list. While I would have loved to travel to Barcelona, to view the La Sagrada Familia, our 35th wedding anniversary passed unnoticed, as well.

Thus, I don't hold out a lot of hope for this new endeavor, but I'm documenting it (to spur us on to some sort of completion maybe) and tracking our progress, or lack thereof. This year, I made an EASY list. Tempted by advertisements for deals on my Facebook feed, I wrote down ones I'd like to try. These are not typical bucket list locations. Indeed, you won't find any five-star restaurants or places that come to $30-50 per meal. Most of the appeal for me is in the savings angle. Of course, my husband is not a savings nut, so he often negates my savings by selecting whatever strikes his fancy.

For this 2026 Baby Bucket List, I ticked off 23 restaurants, 3 festivals, 4 places, and 7 movies. The restaurants began with a list of specials I had noticed, things like the Beef-a-Roo $5.55 meal, the Red Robin $9.99 Big Yumm Burger deal, the Logan's Roadhouse $11.99 Real Deal meal, and the BJ's Brewhouse $13 Pizookie deal. 

(image from Beef-a-Roo website)

(image from Logan's Roadhouse website)

I also added locations I'd like to try or introduce to my husband, like Ms B's Teas, Brie & Bartlett, and Jagger's. I tried to tally 26 restaurants (an every other week goal), but the last three ended up being events: Amo Fish Fry, Fair-on-the-Square, and the Quaker Days Festival.

For the first place, I selected a new-to-me bed-and-breakfast in Danville, Indiana, called The Marmalade Sky. Next, I'm hoping to book a get-away to the retreat center in Northern Indiana where I used to take November writing retreats, back when I was participating in National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). Third, I'd like to take the Rockin' Thunder river lunch excursion in Madison, Indiana. For the fourth place, I'm hoping we'll head toward Southern Indiana and visit French Lick, Jasper, or Loogootee.

I'm least hopeful for the movies. My husband is neither a traveler nor a movie-goer. He scorns most modern movies because they're full of filth and bad language. But, there are several I hope to see, some way or another. The first I wanted to see was H is for Hawk. We missed it, due to bad weather and dangerous roads. I'm glad I didn't drag him out to see Wuthering Heights, over Valentine's weekend, because I read the movie opens with an explicit execution scene. Why? Why must they trash the classics? I may get my youngest to go see Project Hail Mary with me in March, as he watched Andy Weir's other novel adaptation, The Martian. Then, I'd like to see A Great Awakening (April), and The Sheep Detectives (May). Finally, I hope to watch the adaptation of one of my 2024 favorite reads, Remarkably Bright Creatures, if Sean still has Netflix then (out 5/8/26 and starring Sally Field). Then, perhaps The Magician's Nephew, in November. Don't be surprised if 2026 flies and none of those movies met my eyes (unintentional rhyme).

So, here we are nearing the end of February. We have managed to check off three items. Our first attempted visit to Beef-a-Roo was dashed because some sort of maintenance issue closed the dining area (and I didn't relish eating a gooey Beef-n-Cheddar in the car). Thankfully, we tried again on another visit to our son, and this time the dining area was available. I purchased the $5.55 deal and my husband's meal was possibly 3 times that, ha!

For Valentine's weekend, we booked a room at Marmalade Sky. John has been having further sleep issues (this is becoming a constant and wearing problem), so we requested the Tabatha Room for its king bed. We had lunch at Danville's delightful Bread Basket restaurant and bakery. We've both been there before, but I love their BLTEA sandwich (which adds egg and avocado to the typical BLT). John took the opportunity to buy a small cherry pie and a loaf of honey oat bread. Check out all these bakery items. The food was fantastic!

I will try to re-cap again in May. Hopefully, we will have ticked off more items by then (when the weather is more conducive). I know completing all 37 items is impossible. Still, it's fun to set a goal. 

Have you ever written a one-year bucket list? Do you have a life-long bucket list? Are your items all big-ticket items (like some of the 250 ideas listed in this Cassie Scroggins blog post)? Have you read Brad Fischer's The Sand Bucket List?

Mid-month Mention #2: Russells Point, Ohio

My cousin Karin is the kind of person who senses and seeks to fill a need. She knows many of the details of our struggle with a prodigal and the magnitude of our challenges recently. Thus, she suggested a girl's getaway. With my oldest son's wedding looming, I wasn't sure I'd be able to swing it, but when pressures intensified at home, I knew I needed the break. Karin planned everything and I enjoyed every moment of our overnight to Russells Point, Ohio.

We stayed at a lovely little AirBnB. It was cozy and comfortable, with a room for each of us and an ample living/kitchen area:

After a quick tour of the accommodations, Karin presented me with a girls' weekend gift bag. She knows purple is my favorite color, thus the purple beach blanket and the purple tumbler. Plus, she tucked the adorable bride/groom clothespin in as a special homemade gift:

Our first stop was a lunch trip to the Cranberry Resort lake-side restaurant in Indian Lake, Ohio:

We followed this with a small walk on a nature trail at Pew Island:

Come along and experience it for yourself via this link to a YouTube video.

Next we wandered, looking over the landscape, stopping for a bit of shopping, and exploring a delightful farmer's market at Hurley Farms, in Huntsville, Ohio. During our jaunt out, I noticed a sign for London Bobby Fish and Chips. When we went later to find it again, we thought we were in the wrong place, but learned it is inside an adjoining business called Cassano's Pizza. It turns out, in 2012, 30 years after the London Bobby fish and chips shops closed, Cassano's Pizza decided to bring it back to the Dayton area. You can read about it here.

We followed our evening meal with a trek up the steep Sandy Beach Bridge and enjoyed more lovely views of the water and lakeside areas. What a calming, peaceful location!

Sunday, after checking out of the AirBnB, we returned to Pew Island for a picnic lunch by the water and another trail walk. Then we went back to the Hurley Farms market for more fresh produce shopping and one final selfie together:

This little 25-hour jaunt was just what I needed. I returned home refreshed, filled-up, encouraged, bolstered, and restored. Something about being in nature (and especially around water) just does a body good!

Ah, Fall!

This has been a tough week. Interest in my prodigal parenting book is tapering off and I've exhausted most of the avenues for securing more exposure. My now-adult son asserted his status and independence in two disappointing ways. Good thing my book doesn't claim to provide parenting wisdom. I have none for parenting teens/adults who are intent on making ruinous choices. My book simply expresses the heart cries of a parent leaning into God amid the journey.

Yesterday morning, I came across someone who mentioned a book about walking as a spiritual practice. This is something I've embraced for a long time. So, instead of my usual time on the recumbent bike and treadmill, I braved the cold (32 degrees) and took a walk. It provided exercise and a great time for prayer and reflection. Thanking God that He's not finished with me yet and not finished with my sons yet, either.

As I approached home, I snapped some photos of the beautiful fall foliage. 

(A photo of our long-time neighbor's property - their trees are resplendent!)

(Our house - I love the orange display behind the house - initially blocked by the front yard tree in the first picture.)

How blessed I am to live on a property with such vibrant colors and soul-stirring transformation. It may be fall. I may feel like I'm in the middle of a drought. But perhaps, as in the story of Elijah (see 1 Kings 17 and 18), God is sending the drought to prepare for a magnificent confirmation of His vast power and purpose. Without the drought, the people of Israel might not have been ready for the heart transformation when they realized (after Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal and against incredible odds) that the Lord is the one true God. Elijah had to endure the drought, too. Yet, God was with him every step of the way and met his every need. I'm claiming that for myself and allowing the healing power of nature to soothe my heart and soul.

Scaled Down, But Celebrating Nonetheless

Last year, amid the pandemic and prodigal parenting, we ditched plans to visit Mackinac Island to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I created a list of 30 small ways to celebrate. Alas, we only tackled a third of them. I wanted to be more intentional about snagging even a small way to get out and celebrate our 31st.

Thankfully, school resumed on the day of our anniversary. We were told on-line schooling was no longer an option this year. Thus, both boys headed off to school for the day, Trevor driving them in his convertible. We packed a picnic lunch and drove to Cataract Falls, Indiana's largest waterfall. Ha! Having been to Niagara Falls a few years back, this "largest waterfall in Indiana" was miniscule. Still, it was lovely and peaceful and we had a fantastic day together.

We explored the upper falls and a graffiti-scarred, covered bridge. I found this very disheartening. Why, oh why, must people feel the need to leave their mark on something of beauty? Various names, dates, and declarations of love marred every inch of the interior walls of that covered bridge. Some misguided individuals even attempted to use this criminal activity to pronounce their faith. Seriously? You write on property that doesn't belong to you, saying Jesus matters?? Even worse, those statements were then altered to say "Satan matters" - ugh! John kept trying to get me to ignore the blights, but I was discouraged by those violations.

The weather was perfect. With a cool breeze and a shady picnic table, we ate without being accosted by too many bees or bugs. Then, placing our trash back in our vehicle (another pet peeve, I won't get started), we headed off on a hike to the lower falls. 

It is amazing how many people ignore signage and do whatever they want. We saw individuals wading with their children in the water, stepping behind prohibiting signs to get closer to the falls, and fishing off the other side of the rock walls (how did the guy get there?).

Still, we had a perfect day of precious time together. After all that invigorating exercise, we returned home, and I took a brief nap. We ended the day, with a date night out to eat.

To cap off our celebrating, we drove to Urbana this past weekend for a brief visit with my mother-in-law. We attended a matinee performance of an amateur play based on the Oz stories, but with a feel of fan-fiction. Our friend, Heidi, did a fantastic job as the music director. It was fun to listen to her accompaniment, to see the ballet portion of the performance, and to hear some songs, anyway. We will have to go back again because our brief catch-up with Heidi in the hall after the performance whet our appetite for a lengthier visit. Given the recent uptick in murder and crime in Indianapolis, we delighted in the opportunity to take in a play in a safer environment. All in all, our celebrations outpaced last year!

Recent Sightings

I relish the opportunity to drive my son to his ranch job at Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center four mornings a week. His father drives the morning I have Bible study. It gives us a chance to talk (or equally, silence as he listens to music or texts on his phone). Often, when the weather is decent, the sights are lovely. For now, the leaves render the trees a kaleidoscope and the sun gives my morning a feel of promise.

One day on our drive, we came upon this lovely skeleton pounding out a tune on a makeshift piano:

Usually, I bring my laptop and get in an hour's work while set up at a small table on the office building's porch. The view is stunning, looking out on the horse pastures.

After that, I often retreat to the car to read for an hour. One day, I glanced up to see deer casually grazing nearby.

For now, this job is a tremendous blessing both to Trevor and to myself. A peaceful positive in a worrisome world.

P.S. If you haven't yet voted for Morning Dove in the Harrah's Hoosier Park Breeder's Crown Charity Challenge, please do so today.