About a month ago, I bought a new agenda/date book for 2008. I have very specific requirements on the size, shape, and layout of the planner. There’s something swimmingly fantastic about those twelve months - untouched, unsoiled, full of promise and hope.

On the 26th, I took out the black book and showed it to my daughter. We planned out our next day: walk; clean guinea pig cages; clean children’s rooms; take down ornaments; clean red sofa (while I still had access to the Shop Vac I borrowed); rearrange my bedroom to accommodate the repositioning of the guinea pig’s home (stayed tuned on that one. It’s a long story.)

After lunch, we took out the agenda to cross off a few things on our list. One thing. I could cross off one thing - the walk. What the heck else have I been doing? Well, the walk included time teaching my daughter how to ride her new scooter; picking up a few groceries; a stop at the bank; a quick cup of coffee. Then I made homemade chicken soup and washed two loads of laundry. That’s why I shy away from TO DO LISTS - I get depressed at how much I didn’t get finished while I was doing the "little" tasks of life, which seem to encompass almost every moment of every day.

But it’s a new year! A new life to put on the dotted line. And I am ready. The last year was a bit rough around the edges.
I have a lot TO DO, just watch.