60 new things to do leading up to 60th birthday

Kathy Freedlund of Batavia turns 60 Monday, but no one could blame her if she wished she were going on 100. It would have been that much more fun.

Why? Because she jammed a “fun thing” into each of the 60 days leading up to her 60th birthday by taking part in something she had never done before.

She called it her 60/60, and she’s covered a lot of ground.

“I wanted to go into my sixth decade by doing something special and maybe even a bit inspiring to others,” said Freedlund, who is a fitness and yoga instructor for the Batavia Park District.

“I’m hoping that my grandkids will look back years from now when reading my blog and have a sense of who I am and what interested me,” she added.

The 60 different things ranged from the sublime of writing a story about someone who inspired her, to taking part in a latest fad by “planking” on her backyard deck.

In between, Freedlund did all sorts of stuff most of us have never bothered trying — riding a tandem bike with her husband Jim, rock climbing, using power tools, taking a ballroom dance class, kayaking, meditating with a Buddhist monk, target shooting, taking a guitar lesson, driving in a T-Bird convertible with the top down, and riding in the rumble seat of a 1930 Model A Ford.

She also did something some might consider fairly daring, but others might say they do every day.

“I ate chocolate for breakfast,” Freedlund proclaimed, making it sound as if it were something she’d not even considered in the past.

“I made my late grandma’s apple pie recipe from scratch, and I volunteered and taught yoga for teens at Mooseheart,” Freedlund added.

In obtaining a skill she figures could come in handy, Freedlund said she also learned how to make jewelry.

There’s more of course, but you’d have to visit her blog at kathyforhealth.blogspot.com to get the full scope of such an interesting and fun endeavor.

Baking for coats: You can help someone in need get a coat before the winter sets in with full force — and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.Revive! Christian Fellowship Church will conduct a bake sale from noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Geneva American Legion, 22 S. Second St.Money raised goes toward the church#146;s winter clothing drive, in which new winter clothing is purchased and distributed throughout the Fox Valley.Popcorn switch: Speaking of a sweet tooth, the Kernel Fabyan#146;s gourmet popcorn shop along Third Street in Geneva is moving to a new spot at 316 W. State St. with a target opening of Dec. 1.It will reopen under a new name, Kernel#146;s Gourmet Popcorn and More, as owners Dann and Cathy Villwock are preparing to offer assortments of nuts and, in the spring, frozen yogurt.#147;We needed more space, and this location will offer that,#148; Cathy Villwock said. #147;We will have more storage space and more retail space.#148;They are hoping for a little more foot traffic along that portion of State Street, compared to being tucked fairly far south on Third Street.#147;We were a little worried about parking, but we think people making their way around town will find us,#148; Villwock said.Pizza switch: It was surprising to see the note on the door of Monterey Place at 7 W. State St. in Geneva announcing it had closed and the location will #147;reopen soon#148; #8212; though it had no mention of what would be reopening.I liked the pizza at Monterey Place, so hopefully something else can try to make a go of it there. Even during a recession, the keys to keeping a restaurant going remain the same #8212; provide good food and good service. I have to say the last time I went to Monterey it was out of some toppings I wanted on my pizza, and the service was not quite as sharp. Those, quite often, are not good signs.Picking our brains: Time to pick our brains again #8212; about all trivia large and small. We#146;ll have our team in place again Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Batavia Moose Lodge when TriCity Family Services hosts its next trivia night fundraiser.We#146;ve come close to winning this fun event, but so far we have not finished the evening by lighting victory cigars.Interested trivia nuts have until Monday, Nov. 14, to sign up, or register a team and reserve a table by calling (630) 232-1070.Even if you sort of stumble around trying to answer questions, you#146;ll learn some interesting stuff in the process. But don#146;t forget, this is just trivia. That means some of it sticks with you, and some of it goes back to its rightful place among the information tidbits you#146;ll never remember nor care to hear about again.dheun@sbcglobal.net 782538Kathy Freedlund was “planking” on her backyard deck rail, one of the things she did during her 60 things in 60 days commitment leading up to her 60th birthday.courtesy of Kathy Freedlund