About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

The Bucket List

Could you please tell me where the phrase kick the bucket originated?”
[A] There are two main theories about this one. One suggests that the word doesn’t refer to our modern bucket at all, but to a sixteenth century word that comes from the French buque, meaning a yoke or similar piece of wood. It is said that the word was applied in particular to the beam from which a pig was hung in order to be slaughtered. Inevitably, the pig would struggle during the process, and would kick the buque.


The expression is attested to in particular by a citation in the Oxford English Dictionary: “The beam on which a pig is suspended after he has been slaughtered is called in Norfolk, even in the present day, a ‘bucket’. Since he is suspended by his heels, the phrase to ‘kick the bucket’ came to signify to die” (I can’t give you a date, as the editors just say it comes from a “modern newspaper”, a rather sniffy annotation they used a century ago for sources not considered quite kosher. But it was probably in the 1890s).

The other explanation, much less credible, is that the bucket is the one on which a suicide stands when hanging himself — kick away the bucket and the job is done. I’ve even seen the story attached specifically to the sad end of an ostler working at an inn on the Great North Road out of London. Don’t believe a word of it. I got this from
here.
There's a movie coming out soon called "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The "bucket list" is a list of all the things their characters would like to accomplish in their remaining months (before they kick the bucket) and with one's wealth, the two end up touring the world, skydiving and racecar driving. As their list of goals begins to come to an end, they realize how much they've truly lived just in the last few months alone, and how much their short friendship has impacted their lives. Read more about the movie here. Sounds like it'll be a fun and crazy movie but most of all, it has prompted me to think about what I'd put on my list. I had to really think hard and wanted to share my top 10:

Tour the coast of Wales in the summertime.
Finish the renovations in my house.
See my book published successfully.
Go on a safari in Africa.
Go by ship to Australia and New Zealand.
Reach 10 lbs below my goal weight and stay there.
Go sailing and canoeing.
Ride in a helicopter.
Drive Route 66 in the USA.
Live long enough to have and know my great grandchildren.

One thing I thought would be awfully nice would be to meet and marry a wonderful man who would give me the freedom to live as I dream, who would be with me when I wanted him to be and to leave me alone when I wanted him to. I didn't put it on the list, though, because I think it's more of a pipe dream. ;D Have you ever thought about what you'd like to accomplish before you "kick the bucket?" Feel free to share right here. Maybe you'll give me some more ideas and I can add to my list.

9 comments:

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Well, I never knew where the expression came from! That sounds like a plausible explanation. I'm with you on your wish in the last paragraph! Love from Sicily x

Jo said...

Well, I know this is completely out of the question, but I have always wanted to climb Mt. Everest. Not going to happen. A more realistic wish? I guess it would be to get rid of my fear of flying, so I could go anywhere I wanted to go. Then, I would go to Antarctica, because I have always wanted to go to the South Pole. What is it with me and cold???

Leslie: said...

Well, I'll go to the southern tip of South America with you. There are supposed to be penguins there that I'd love to see.

Trubes said...

Hi Leslie: I`d like to visit the Galapago Isles. I once read an article about them stating that they are the most beautiful place on earth.
How does one define beauty ? It`s said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", so, I guess I`d just like to check that one out !

Smalltown RN said...

First off Leslie...I am hoping that young daughter of yours is doing....I hope recovery is going well....

Now as for my list...you know Leslie my list was much longer before I met my Doug....oh my gosh girl...in the short time we have been together he encouraged me to push my envelope....on two occassions we rented a small plane up in Tofino and just went out whale watching...just Doug and I and the pilot...we flew so close to the grey whales it was amazing...then there are all the road trips we took....doug would just say road trip....no idea where we were going....north or south....once that was decided we just drove till we didn't want to drive anymore...those trips took me to Port Hardy, Thasis,onto the ferry over to Powel River and Lund, Demand Island and Telegraph Cove for more whale watching on a boat...I have gone sky diving, parasailing, horseback riding, go cart driving, zip line, canoeing in the Broken Islands, got my mustang up to a speed of 220km on a straight stretch...I have experienced Hadrian Wall in northern England, and many castle one in particular Fortheringghay where Lady Queen of Scots was beheaded

so here is my list....

-Hike the Lake District in England
-Go to my fathers place of birth Dubrovnik
-be in a plane with Doug as the pilot
- Drive to Alaska highway
- Hike the Chilchotin trail like they did back in the time of the gold rush
- Go downhill skiing in Sudden Valley
- and yes..experience the joy of holding a grandchild for the first time....

Leslie: said...

Hi Trubes! Friends of mine who live in Andover went to the Galapagos and had a grand time. I saw their photos and I'd have to say I'll add that to my list (I'd forgotten about it).

Leslie: said...

Hi Mary Anne - gosh I LOVE your list and just think of all you've already done with your DH. You helped me remember another thing I've wanted to do - sledding down the sand dunes in Namibia! The lake district in England is beautiful, even in the rain (when I was there).

Nancy said...

Great post and thanks for the research on "kick the bucket"! My life is so good right now that I'm not sure I would do anything else except maybe make one last contact with everyone I love and let them know how much they mean to me. Maybe I could even write them a special letter or come up with something to give them that would remind them of my love for them, after I left this world.

The movie sounds interesting.

Liz Hinds said...

Come and see me! I'm on the coast of Wales!