Lofty goals, lofty lists

I am looking out my office window this morning after a fresh snow and it is beautiful…stunning really.  White, crisp…I can tell it’s cold and I’m glad to be inside.  I did shovel a pathway for little dog to have a place to “go”  and shoveling is not usually my chore, so it is a bit janky.  When I look out like this, into the woods, it is easy to become a bit overwhelmed by the spring to-do list.  We are taking on some big projects and while I am excited, sometimes I think “What are we doing?”

I have several lists going including construction, landscaping, boating, summer, travel.  Things I want to accomplish or at least consider seriously.  I am an old lady, I think to myself, why am I making such ambitious lists?  I have to admit that I am very much enjoying the planning.  I like making lists, I like adding to lists or taking things off, scratching things out.  I do it with budgets, too, every day.  Most of the time it is helpful, some of the time it is depressing other times, overwhelming.  Like today.

I get so behind and I check the lists.  I use spiral memo books, along with my spreadsheet, for lists.  I have too many of these in current circulation and have somewhat lost control.  I found one the other day that I had started my Christmas list in…not for things I wanted, but, for things to buy others.  I purchased not one of those things for Christmas because I set that memo book down somewhere and started a new one, with a new list, when something occurred to me as a great idea.  You know what? That first book had some really great gift ideas in it, that may or may not hold true for next Christmas, so I set that book aside for later.  Remember how I said I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions? Well, if I did, my 2016 resolution would be to keep track of my memo books!

One spiral notebook I have going right now is from when I talk to a provider of services…particularly the cable company who tends to slam my bill with charges, promises to credit and then never does.  Nor does anyone I speak to there seem to make a note on the account like they promise. Which sets a bad tone for me…seriously bad.  I develop quite an attitude when I call again and no one seems to know what I am talking about.  So, I have a black spiral memo book that I make notes in regarding my calls to the wireless provider, the internet service provider, my doctors billing office…anyone who wants money from me for some reason.  Should I need to call back I am armed with my little black spiral memo book, which is black cause I am serious, like Johnny Cash serious.  Oh, they do hate it when you say “Yes, I spoke with Jane on 12/3/2015 and she provided me this information and promised blah, blah, blah...”  The key here is to make really clear notes because I sometimes doodle and abbreviate or only write down one or two words.  I’ve learned that I cannot remember like I use to, like I use to pride myself on, so write it down, Cindi, write it down.

I had a red spiral notebook for years, and I mean years and years, that held my credit card information.  In 2009, when things got nasty with the whole world’s finances, including ours, I had to make more notes than I care to admit for credit conversations and agreements, who I spoke with, what the deal was going to be.   We are past that now, thank God. I came across my little red spiral notebook, with my account numbers and passwords, and columns of figures for payments and balances.  Pages of notes, numbers and dates.  I considered tearing it apart and shredding the pages, but, it was gratifying to look through and not recognize any of those accounts or institutions, to know that list is complete.   I decided to hang on to it as a reminder as I am adding to my already lofty goals not to let things get away from us.