a new take on the to-do list...

Every week a to-do list. Every day a more thorough to-do list. Every event a to-do list. Yep, like many others, I'm a list maker. Now, occasionally I'll throw something fun on the to-do list just to make that list look more inviting. Problem with that is that I generally put the fun thing off until last...which means I don't actually get to it at all. Oh yes, it's not news to me--I am my own worst enemy. Well, now I'm going to try to be my own best friend. :) I'm making myself another to-do list, this one entirely filled with fun stuff! (And yes, I know it's not fall yet...but for purposes of this list, fall is September-October, after which time it becomes Christmas season :P )

My Fall Fun To-Do List:

1. take pictures at least once a week documenting the change of seasons

2. add at least three pages to our scrapbook documenting our fall activities

3. get around to actually putting up our fall/Halloween decorations

4. make at least one new fall and/or Halloween decoration for our house

5. listen to "Don't Fear the Reaper" once a day (what can I say--I loved that song when I was about Gray's age and it first came out, and I've continued to love it ever since despite, or because of?, it's morbidness)

6. make and send Halloween cards (however, if this starts to feel like a chore instead of the enjoyable thing it should be--which would only happen because of time pressures--I will simply delete it from the list)

7. cook/bake at least one autumn-ish goodie a week

8. and last, but oh-so far from least, revel in the whole RIP experience, which for me will include:

a. Peril the First--read at least four RIP appropriate books

I can never stick to a list, but these are a few of the books that I would love to get to:

*Monster Zoo by Doug TenNapel (a graphic novel I currently have checked out of the library

*Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial by Mark Harris (a non-fiction book I currently have checked out of the library--I think it's sort of RIP-ish, right?)

*Bliss by Lauren Myracle (Annie read this a few years back and loved it, though she was really creeped out by it)

*One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna (bought this totally on a whim a few years ago and still don't know anything about it except that blurbs on the back use words like "grim" and "creepy" and "disturbing" and "macabre" so I'm guessing it's pretty RIP appropriate :P )

*Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker (name says it all)

*Go With Me by Castle Freeman Jr. (don't really know anything about this one, but it sounds like it's a psychological suspense sort of book?)

*Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (not sure if this is really RIP material or not, but it is a mystery of sorts...so yes, right? *shrugs*)

*Still Life by Louise Penny (mystery, and yep, this one's all on Carl's shoulders)

*Shadow Prey by John Sandford (suspense/thriller/mystery--I've decided to slowly work my way back through his Prey series and eventually get caught back up)

*A Soul in a Bottle by Tim Powers (can't remember what this is even about, but I know Chris read it for RIP one year)

*Hot Zone by Richard Preston (non-fiction bio-thriller, sounds extremely scary)

*The Passage by Justin Cronin (want to read this so much, but admit intimidation due to its length)

*Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie (still haven't read anything by Alexie, and that really must change)

*Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (another author I should be chastised for not reading yet)

*The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (I really only know enough about this one to say it sounds utterly disturbing)

*Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block (I'm not usually drawn to vampire stories, but this is Francesca Lia Block here!)

*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (past time for a reread of this little gem)

*The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (another one of those "how the hell have I not read this yet?!!" books)

*The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (ditto comment for previous book)

*Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (this comics series looks so incredibly creepy...hopefully I'll find out it that's so)

Oh my. I swear I tried to keep this list as weeded down as I could. And still, there's a good chance I shall wander from it...

b. Peril of the Short Story--I'd like to read at least one RIP appropriate short story a week

I have so many appropriate short story anthologies and collections, but I am going to try my darnedest to only dip into ones I've already started...which means I will likely be reading Jackson and Dahl and Poe and King...

c. Peril on the Screen--I'd like to watch at least one RIP appropriate movie/show a week

I really don't know what we might watch (other than Hocus Pocus, which the kids and I watched last year for the first time thanks to Chris's strong recommendation, and The Nightmare Before Christmas). Recommendations appreciated!

***Big enormous heaping piles of thanks to Carl, the ever gracious, generous, and just plain awesome, host of RIP. Love that guy!***

As with my not-so-fun to-do lists, I likely won't finish it all...but I'm going to have a good old time trying!!! And you know, if this works out, I think I'll try it for every "season"!