My Month of Lists

November is my month of lists.

I make lists for Thanksgiving menus as well as for the day after. Leftovers make great meals, but I always need something to fill in. Then, of course, I have to make lists of presents to give and presents to make and buy, greeting cards to purchase and send, foods to serve at our Open House, and people to invite, chores to do to prepare, and check calendars for different holidays we celebrate, and music that’s appropriate for each get together and music to cook by. These are only some of the lists that I make. I can’t even count the number.

Each year, I promise to purchase a special notebook for my lists. Indeed, I should have a special notebook for the presents I give. Isn’t that a middle-of-the-night scare – did I give that to the same person last year? But I tend to write on whatever is near. Old envelopes, edges of newspaper pages, paper with uncertain origins or purpose, and so on. It’s a potpourri of garbage paper that I religiously carry around with a paperclip, also of uncertain origin.

Around December 1st I begin to worry that I don’t have enough wrapping paper. More to upset me is to catch one of those great ladies who do homemaking and crafts on television and realize that I have purchased the wrong materials for wrapping. Why didn’t I put stencils with special stamp ink on my lists? I could be making my own wrapping paper with darling designs that are particular to my hobbies myself while baking cookies from dough that I froze in October knowing that I’d need the dough to defrost and decorate for the holidays. What was I not thinking? Off I go to Amazon to get odd wrapping paper that I’ll keep for at least 4 months standing like a soldier in my closet, falling over while I try to retrieve my shoes. It’s all part of my tradition – each year.

Next year I’m buying a notebook. It’s on my list for possible resolutions for the new year.