With or Without

Jun 20, 2011 | This Life

Pesto and Roses—Kitchen and Garden — The beginnings of a summer list.

Tomorrow marks the Summer Solstice and the official beginning of summer. And as is my custom, I’m crafting my summer to-do list. Typically I’d have a well established list by now, littered with crafty projects and too many baked goods. This year the list feels more nebulous. More like categories of things I want to do, need to do, instead of specific tangible goals.

That scares me. Because I know that without concrete statements and specific goal posts, I’m likely to wile the summer away doing not much of anything. However, those categories, like the “get house ready for the in-laws visit”, seem overwhelming. The amount of items on that list alone makes me shudder.

This is what a year of ignoring your yard and house-hold to-do list will get you. Not that we’ve been in a financial place for action—but last year’s (and we still wait on the bank, in limbo even now) debacle with the bank left us emotionally crippled. It’s hard to consider “doing” when you’re so busy just “coping.”

But this year, spurred on by the specter of my mother-in-law crossing the threshold of this pit we call home, I’m motived. And overwhelmed.  There’s no more time for worry and inaction, pity nor fear. Unless it’s the fear of being deemed an inadequate housekeeper. Then, I say, use the fear! No, instead it’s time to get cracking. (Man, I love cliches)

So, a list. I’m crafting a list today. It’s still unclear to me if that list will be a self-soothing category list because that seems more manageable than an itemized list, which feels a bit like  being attacked by wild cats; or if I will accomplish the impossible and herd the details into submission. But either way, by the end of the day I’m hopeful that I will at least have some direction for the next 94 days. Because summer begins tomorrow—with or without my list.

Do you craft a summer to-do list? What’s on yours?