How it all began...

First of all, let me introduce myself: My name is Lesley Fleming and I am a long time resident of Bearspaw, near Calgary, Alberta. I was born in 1952 in London , England on July 31st, thus sharing a birthday with Harry Potter amongst others less famous. I am married to Merv, have 3 sons, 1 grandson, 2 granddaughters and a large extended family all of whom live far, far away. I hope they will all follow this, my first attempt at writing a blog.

Today is Tuesday, July 5th 2011 and I am recovering from a difficult long weekend. On Friday we learned that Merv's 17 year old niece Kayleigh had died in a car accident in Manitoba and on the same day I learned that a dear man, Brent Brown, 56, had died from a massive coronary. Both wonderful people, both taken too young and both with so much more life to live. They leave behind devastated families and mourning friends but in both cases, they left behind a world that was better for their having lived in it.

I read Brent's obituary yesterday and was struck by the quotation, "The shame is not how short life is but how long it takes some people to start living". This set me thinking and I realised that as we get older we do more things for the last time than we do for the first time and an idea began to form in my mind... I would set myself a challenge and I would dedicate this challenge to all the dear friends that I have lost over the last few years before they had had time to do all the things they had dreamed of doing. I would make myself a list.

In one month's time I will turn 59, thus entering my 60th year. I have decided that during this month of July I will compile a list of 60 fun things that I have never done before, I will publish the list on this blog and I will spend my 60th year doing those things and crossing them off my list. I will write about each event and maybe do a little philosophizing, ruminating and pontificating as well - wherever my e-pen takes me.

So at this early stage I ask for your help in compiling my list. My criteria are that the events are things I have never done before, that they are fun (or why bother), that they are printable (this is a family blog) and that they are acheivable and measurable. I also reserve the right to choose the events that I add to my list (I will not skydive, feed sharks or eat goldfish). This whole exercise is an affirmation of life and in 30 years time I want to be able to look back on this coming year and say "now that was a great year!

Stay tuned...