Lofty Plans

Okay, I'm going to give you a look at my planner, but you have to promise not to laugh.

Seriously. I mean it. Do NOT laugh at me.

Okay...here goes:

Y'all! I mean it! Stop laughing!

It may be the most chaotic-looking Moleskine planner in the world, but in my own defense, this isn't my crazy-manic list of a billion appointments that HAVE to be kept and a billion things that HAVE to be done. It's mainly a crazy-manic list of possibilities, and plans, and notes to myself.

On the calendar pages, I tend to write down both appointments that have to be kept and everything that's going on at any particular day, just in case we feel like going to something. So, for instance, I kept our appointment at the orthopedic clinic for the big kid, and we went to see The Little Mermaid at the library, and I taught a cloth diaper workshop and picked up our county fair entries, but I don't think we did anything else--we didn't go to the Civil War encampment, or any of the concerts in the park, or storytime at the public library. I knew about it all if we wanted to go, but we didn't.

The list pages are a little wackier. There I keep notes of things that I MUST do--register for Strange Folk, call Pappa--and things to check into--Is the once-yearly sale at Learning Treasures happening yet? Is the registration info for Pre-College Ballet up on their web site yet?--and activities to suggest to the kids--microscope, balancing butterflies--and priorities for the next craft fair--I Spy quilts!--and grocery lists and web sites or books to check out and stuff to plan for--garage sale!--and stuff that the kids express an interest in that I ought to get on--playdates, temporary tattooes, etc.,--and chores--can the peaches, can the tomatoes, hoe the garden, harvest the basil--and post ideas for Crafting a Green World--school supply round-up?--and stuff that I happen to think about that I want to do so I write it down in case I get some time or it strikes my fancy--sprout some more seeds, sew a new camera strap, etc.

When I've done something or I decide not to do it or I didn't do it I mark it out, and I tend to flip back and forth through a month's worth of pages at any given time, if I'm trying to remember the name of the horse book that the big kid saw at the bookstore and wanted to get from the library, for instance, or if I bought the whole wheat pastry flour last week or not, etc., so it's not like I'm trying to do all that business every single week, or anything. It's mostly just that every passing fancy or little idea gets out of my head and into that book before it goes away.

See? Once I explain it, then it makes so much sense, doesn't it? Right?

Fine. It looks crazy, I know it. But, you know...

Welcome to my mind.