Midsummer ~ Buckets and Spades

I have been giving a lot of thought to Bucket Lists and Spade Lists in recent
times.  A Bucket List, which derives its name from that great 2007  film,
starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, is about those things you would if 
told you only had a short time to live.  Thankfully, I haven't been hit with
news of impending death so I haven't done much more than think about Bucket
Lists in an abstract way.

Spade Lists, though,  are of a different order, and for me, they are about
everyday digging. Such digging can be seen as a daily grind or it can be infused
with creativity, colour and connection.  Flashbacks to childhood days on Tramore
Beach, here in Co. Waterford,  with a big yellow spade digging happily, hoping
to get to Australia, but knowing that I was in a race against both the water
coming up from Australia and the tide coming in behind me with its white  lacy
edges.

Those hours kneeling on  the beach, feeling both the damp, heavy sand and
taking time to let the hot fine grains flow through my young fingers were all
about living totally in the precious moments while planning new creations. Go,
gather coloured stones and shells to decorate a sandcastle;  divert the tide
with dams and build bridges from one castle to another to enable the  seaweed
people with their fancy shell bonnets to party with each other.....

Weaving creative wonder into everyday life is not just for kids on the beach.
It's there for all of us if we just step back onto those beaches and use our
bright yellow spades to carve out Spade Lists that will let us savour the magic
that can be there in even the most mundane activities - like doing the grocery
shopping. Hey, see all the bright yellows staring out from the fruit and
veg. What fun to have dinner with a 'yellow' theme!

I'd love to hear about your Spade Lists. What do you do to add creative wonder into the daily grind?