Author: Luisa Perkins
•6:03 AM
I was going to have this post be text-free, but I want to experiment, and I didn't want the experiment to be the fabled 100th post. This happens to be post #99.

I'm dragging my feet over all the things I need to have done by noon on Friday. Why the deadline? Because. So I need to get on the stick. On the dreadmill this morning, I had the bright idea of posting my To Do List here so that, even if I accomplish all of this through the sordid motivations of shame and fear, at least it will be done.

I'll highlight items in red as they are completed.

Finish skirt.
Finish shirtwaist. Took WAY longer than I had anticipated.
Finish sunbonnet. NOT a cakewalk; no wonder milliners were in high demand.
Make apron.
Sew snaps on petticoat.
Sew buttons on P's shirt.
Buy groceries.
Buy diapers.

Check kids' church clothes.
Re-pack church bag.
Wipe out spice cupboard.
Wipe down fridge shelves.

Make whey.
Grind wheat.
Make bread.
Make lentil soup.
Make pasta sauce.
Make cobblers.
Make scones.
Make cookies.
Make muffins.
Pack.
Get out kids' insurance cards and write down emergency phone numbers.
Do laundry.
Send A's package.
Buy J's gift.
Buy C's gift.
Give P her stuff.
Clean up desk.
Get 72-hour kits out from under bed and put on hall closet shelf.
Fix Miss Spider book.
Teach ARP class.
Teach Temple Prep class.
Water seedlings.
Plant cherry tree and sea buckthorn trees. Christian dug the holes.
Spray roses with organic fungicide.
Pick up Tess's ice cream cake. The awesome Julia, owner of Blue Pig Ice Cream, will deliver it Sunday morning.
Wrap Tess's presents. Difficult, since they haven't arrived yet.
Refuse to panic.
Change sheets.
Plant lily and snowdrop bulbs I forgot about until I started cleaning my desk just now.
Make sure car is clean.
Transplant geraniums. (Actually, they are pelargoniums.)
Purge Daniel's drawers of tiny stuff to make room for box of hand-me-downs.
Go to bank. Patrick did this for me.
Go to grocery store AGAIN. Patrick did this. Thanks, hon!
Tidy linen closet.
Tidy bedroom closets.

Have you noticed that I keep adding stuff to the list? No matter; I'll get it done.

Updated 6/1 at 12:04 p.m.: Well, I got close! The bulbs and pelargoniums will keep until I get home. Cross your fingers that Tess's presents get here this afternoon or tomorrow; her birthday is Sunday, and we're having her party right when we get home Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to you all for your encouragement! It means so much to me. I'll be back online Monday morning.
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15 comments:

On 30/5/07 , Jenna said...

Holy frijoles, Batman! You are a crazy woman! I definitely will not be calling you until NEXT week, you poor dear! Wish I could be there to help you. Good luck! And let's have some singing while you work, eh?

 
On 30/5/07 , Brillig said...

Hi. Yeah. I'm exhausted just READING this. Good luck with this list!!! And post #99??? Wow! I'm excited for post 100!!

 
On 30/5/07 , Bill C said...

AAAAAAH! AAAAAAAH! Risk... of... mental contamination... must practice slacking!

 
On 30/5/07 , Anonymous said...

Thanks for your comments, Luisa! You are such a lovey to bother with me in the midst of tackling so monumental a to-do list--my favorite item of which is "Fix Miss Spider book." I know who that's for...

 
On 30/5/07 , Anonymous said...

add another one:

Relax. Drink some tea. Laugh!

 
On 30/5/07 , Jenna said...

Just checking in to see how your list is coming along. I feel so productive just watching you cross things off in red!

 
On 30/5/07 , Sugar Kane said...

No one can ever accuse you of being lazy! What an impressive list. Good luck!

 
On 30/5/07 , Annette Lyon said...

And I thought I was busy. Have to say, though, at "wipe out spice cupboard" at first I thought you were going to zap it with a laser or something. I must be sleep deprived.

 
On 30/5/07 , Luisa Perkins said...

Jenna--I've been singing all day.
Brillig--Ha! You with the four kids under age 5--you should know from exhausted.
RaJ--I'm signing up for your Slacking 101 Correspondence Course as soon as I get back.
Kara--It was a dreamy break spending time on your new blog.
RJL--These are excellent suggestions. I've delegated them to the cat.
Sugar Kane--Thanks for stopping by! Please come again soon; maybe then I'll have something scintillating to write.
Annette--There's a LOT on this list I'd like to zap with a laser...

Everyone, thank you. I can't tell you how having the eyes of Texas, Cold Spring, Florida, Utah, California, etc. (not to mention my regular lurker from Madagascar)upon me has energized me throughout the day. Stay tuned!

 
On 31/5/07 , Anonymous said...

I am watching your progress on the web, my friend, and I am impressed. You are a hard worker! Your items are not just "empty dishwasher," "pick up sock on floor," but rather "make entire wardrobe for all five of my children," "build house using nothing but my bare hands," "solve crisis in Middle East." Gah!

 
On 31/5/07 , Anonymous said...

Stop it, you are making me feel lazy. This afternoon I put on ET for Jasper and dozed off while trying to read. I had Lane's Indian lunch leftovers for dinner and he and Jasper had pbjs. This was partly due to an active morning and some mixed cold remedies last night, but still.

 
On 1/6/07 , Annette Lyon said...

Whoa! I woke up this morning to see a bunch of red had splashed across the list! Way to go!

 
On 2/6/07 , Brillig said...

holy red list!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED!!!!! So SO impressed over here...

 
On 3/6/07 , Anonymous said...

I see a crimson wave of victory -- laurels upon your head! Congratulations.

Hope Tess's gifts arrive soon!

 
On 4/6/07 , Luisa Perkins said...

Thank you all!

Tess's presents DID arrive, but her coveted ice cream cake did NOT. This was very upsetting for us all, though Tess was mostly mollified by the emergency Carvel purchased from Foodtown and sprinkled copiously with Swedish Fish...I have to call Julia and see what happened.