Consider it DONE!!

I have always been a list maker - literally since the time I was a little girl, I would make lists of things even when I was playing. I have the old notebooks to prove it too! Now, as an adult, to keep sane and organized, which to me there is no better way to keep sane than to be organized, I keep lists - lots of them. I love to write things down - my calender is an invaluable tool in my life. Now, my husband was raised by a woman who goes to the grocery store without a list - and now he is married to a woman who goes to the grocery store with a list that is mapped out in the order of the store. Craig has often been befuddled by my tenacity when it comes to mapping everything out on paper.

There is one down-side to making lists - sometimes the "to do" list gets depressing. . . .too much to do, and not enough time to get it all done. Then, there is the perfectionist in me that sometimes puts more on the list than is humanly possible for one woman to accomplish. A little while ago, I was introduced to the concept of the "DONE" list. Sometimes I don't do this on paper, but mentally at the end of the day - especially at the end of a day that seems I accomplished nothing. It is especially helpful when you have small children - instead of looking at the "to do" list that hasn't been completed, think of all the things that you did do - how many diapers were changed, the meals prepared, the time spent playing with little ones, etc.

I found myself making a "DONE" list today - I write down each year everything that I have canned or frozen during the summer. I love the sense of accomplishment of knowing how much home grown food I have preserved for my own family. Two different kinds of jam, pie filling, beans, tomatoes and apples. . . and I'm not done yet. There is something very gratifying about doing this. There is no paycheck in the world of the stay-at-home mom, but for me, this "DONE" list is as close as a payday comes!