To-Do List

            I am a big fan to the to-do list, both as a means to plan my time and, perhaps more importantly, as a way to measure my achievements. I’ve been known to put items on my list that I’ve already done, just so I can experience the satisfaction of crossing them out. Once I put “make to-do list” on my list.

 

            In any case, here’s a current list. These are all real.

 

·      Cut fallen branches now in a pile into fireplace size pieces.

·      Move small stones from the beach to skirt around house.

·      Rake beach (daily).

·      Sweep or blow off porches and decks (daily – did not realize this until reminded).

·      Move newly planted birch tree to where it will get more sun.

·      Water all the trees, flowers and bushes we have planted this spring. Kim now does almost all the watering as I do not do it properly.

·      Spray stuff on bat house that is supposed to attract bats.

 

·      Reorganize bird feeders for summer mode.

·      Clean feeders we will be putting away in garage.

·      Install shelving in garage.

·      Decorate garage. Really.

·      Update Facebook and Craigslist ads for bed and desk, so we can get them out of the garage, so we can organize and decorate garage.

 

·      Send Declarations Pages of our old State Farm policy to our new insurance company. (Every time I see a commercial for an insurance company, I think, “My premium paid for that.”)

·      Get witness to our signing forms telling our State Farm good-bye.

·      Update list of items to be insured, in case fire means we need to replace them.

·      Photograph interior rooms of the house.

·      Take photos and inventory to safe deposit box.

·      Find safe deposit box key, which keeps moving around.

 

·      Close checking account that I have not used for three years.

·      Decide where to put that $5,000.

·      Open “Payments Due” file on computer to see what’s coming, when.

·      Get money from our granddaughter’s college account – she’s going soon.

·      Explain to my granddaughter what a “check” is. (May help to spell it “cheque.”)

 

·      Reorganize closets for summer.

·      Decide clothes to donate. Donate them.

·      Set up garage sale (hoping our neighbor doesn’t again steal our signs).

·      Shine shoes (annually).

·      Find shoe polish (probably petrified).

 

·      Call guy (again) who is supposed to build boardwalk over our unsafe sea wall.

·      Call guy (again) who was supposed to trim trees months ago.

·      Meet guy who will repair woodpecker holes in our bark siding.

·      Meet with architect.

·      Make decisions about how to fix our porches that are not up to code.

 

·      Dust and wipe all baseboards.

·      Clean shower so Kim doesn’t do it, making me feel guilty.

·      Check dryer vent for lint.

 

·      Critique Ron’s poems.

·      Edit Phee’s novellas.

 

·      Exercise.

 

·      Write blog.

 

            I confess that I have completed some of these tasks since my first draft of this list, but I chose to leave them on the list. (Yes, surprisingly, I sometimes write more than a single draft.)

 

            Now, if you have read this far, you know more about my life than you care to know. Now, think of the inspirational people you know, if only by reputation. Do you think they had lists like mine? If not, why not?

 

            Kim is too busy to spend time making a to-do list, but if she had one, it would be longer than mine.