This photo is my inspiration for 40. I want to live this year like a 9-year-old on a hop ball. Now that I'm 40, I want to do 40 wonderful things to celebrate. The first 10 will be:
1. walk around Patriot Lake in Shelby Farms
2. blow bubbles
3. buy flowers
4. play with play dough
5. eat lemon head candy
7. dance to disco music
8. get a facial
9. buy a new book
10. hula-hoop.

The next 10:
1. go to an art museum
2. solve some brain teasers
3. work on a quilt
4. take a bath with glow in the dark bubbles
5. drink a smoothie
6. send post cards to friends
7. finger paint
8. paint a cheesy paint-by-numbers
9. play "Perfection"
10. read a Ray Bradbury short story

Followed by:
1. read e.e.cummings poetry
2. look at the moon with our telescope
3. go swimming
4. make some kind of skin potion
5. wear pig tails
6. shop for antiques
7. plant some vegetables
8. chew bubble gum
9. look at art books
10. take my dog to a dog park

At last:
1. play hopscotch
2. watch FOOTLOOSE
3. read Mimi At Camp
4. sleep out
5. buy new lipstick
6. search for treasure with a metal detector
7. pull taffy
8. watch fireflies
9. roller skate
10. play at a park

These are just baby steps to a fully exuberant life. If I could find an adult sized hop ball, I would be well on my way to joy.