The List for the week of June 8th, 2009

I am a list maker. I like to make a list of things that I want to get accomplished because they help me to see that I am making progress. This is especially helpful if I am feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that I feel needs to get done.They help me to stay focused and keep prospective in my life.

I rarely plan my mornings out anymore because my plans often end up getting changed. I used to get really frustrated when I would make my list and then something else would come along that would require me to change it. I have learned that being flexible is a necessity if I am going to be happy in life. Life happens and things change so I cannot be so rigid with my schedule.

I still make my lists but recognize that sometimes my priorities on the list must change.

A lot depends on my father and how his night has gone. As his health declines he becomes increasingly confused and that creates problems. He still believes ,for example, that he has his car and that he is still doing carpentry work. Last night he tried to get up and find his car but ended up on the floor next to his bed. He wasn't alone last night; there were five other falls during the night by various residents. I'm sure the change in the weather was to blame for it.
My sisters call every morning to see what I have planned for my day.
If I do not have something specifically planned they are real good about making sure that my time is not wasted. I must admit that there are times when I feel like telling them that I am not going to be at their beckoning call all the time but then I feel like I am not being very grateful for the good health that I have been blessed with that allows me to be able to drive and do the things that I can do. I feel like an ungrateful wretch and so I go willingly to help them. It is not always easy as there are times that i would love to be able to do other things but one day the shoe may be on the other foot and I may be the one in need. I ask myself how I would feel if I needed help and no one was there to help me or if they were but were very begrudgingly doing so. It would hurt and I cannot bear to hurt others and then live with my self-condemnation afterwards.

There are some things in life that are scheduled and I am grateful for those because they give me a sense of stability.
On Tuesday afternoons I go into Farm Bureau and do the cleaning and the filing for them. It isn't much of a job but it gives me a few extra dollars to work with.
Wednesday I will be taking my aunt to her appointment in St. Cloud. This should be the last check-up that she will have to have up there for one year unless she has some problems. I will also be taking her to get her blood checked on Wednesday. That will be done in Litchfield.
Thursdays are devoted to service projects. It most often happens that I spend the day with my sisters and help them get their errands done. It is Cecilia's one day off during the week and like me she usually has a long list of things that she wants to get accomplished. Lately we have devoted a lot of time to redoing her yard and landscaping. It has been a huge undertaking!
Fridays are my typical free day. I don't generally plan anything in particular on this day but will try to prioritize the things that need to get done around home. I might be outside cleaning the barn/ mowing lawn or working in the garden or I could be in the house if the weather does not permit me to be outside.
This Friday I will be with my father at the nursing home as he has an appointment with the doctor who will be there to see him. Most often he sees her in the morning but it all depends on how many patients she has to see that day and what order she decides to see them.
Saturday is my catch up day around home. Whatever doesn't get done during the rest of the week gets high priority on Saturday.
This Saturday however, I am going to go down to the cannery in Apple Valley and help with the dry pack canning. I placed a big order this time and was glad to see that Cecilia also wanted to place an order. I will be helping to get her order processed and picked up as well.