Lists

My life is dominated by lists!
Lists about the immediate future, lists for future events in the near and far future, mental and physical lists about things I need to do before I turn 40, 50, 65 and before I pop off this mortal coil! Sometimes I even have lists reminding me that I've written a list!!

I really do think I need to kick the habit, at least a little bit.

Do lists actually make me more stressed or less stressed? I'm trying to decide whether I feel more irritated by not having done what is on my list by the end of the day or more stressed by getting to the end of the day and having forgotten to do something because I didn't have a list! Maybe, just maybe, I'm analysing this a bit too much lol!

I've started to read "Buddhism for mothers of school age children" by Sarah Napthali. According to Sarah, a mother's main nemesis is time. Time is the root of all evil when you have a list (oops, there I go again) of things to get through in a very precise time slot, when, as a mother you have to organise all the social calendars of all your offspring, occasionally that of your partner AND remember which relative has a birthday/anniversary/christening/bar mitzvah/thanksgiving when, whether the school asked for cakes/tombola prizes/dinner money/milk money/ homework/or your help in person, whether you paid the piano/guitar teacher/ window cleaner/ small child trick or treating/ scout subs/ rainbow fees etc.  to ensure that you're not seen as slack because you *gasp* forgot! Then you actually have to get them to the various events for the right times, get back to put on the dinner, take another child to an after school activity, do homework with child number three, shoot back to pick up number one, drive home to take off the dinner so it doesn't burn, feed child one and three and then go back to get two, get them all fed, send them off for bed, then get out to work yourself... you get the picture. Did I pause for breath there? Sorry people!

Anyway, I have my faith in Sarah that she has the answers to lists and time and possibly whether or not Tony Soprano died!

On other lists of things to do today, I made a start on the Christmas pudding!
I have finally passed over the threshold into the realm of being old enough, or maybe it's sensible mad enough, no...wait...MOTHER OWES ME...to have in my possession my great grandmother's recipe for Christmas pudding. I feel like a mafia mama - it's awesome! Last year, no, scrap that, every year, my mum makes the pudding and sometime in November we are delivered of a beautiful succulent pud with strict cooking instructions for Christmas day. Last year we hosted. Yunno - turkey, veggies, timings of perfection, lists, gifts, decorations, more lists, I was the domestic goddess.  My mum had one job - yes mum, one job - to bring the pudding....luckily the speed-pud from a recipe I found on the internet on Christmas morning midst sticking my hand up the turkey's arse, peeling potatoes with my toes and opening the wine with my butt cheeks, did produce a fairly edible and light pud if not with a twinge of turkey juice and added stress cos it wasn't on my list of things to do - hee hee!

Last week I got a call from mum, she still had the pudding from last year.....WTF? Did I want it? Hmmm did I want salmonella or e-coli?
Dilemma...er, no!
Thanks anyway...as recompense I am now the proud owner of "the family pudding recipe". My little sis is the new owner of Christmas pudding 2009 - she's far less finickity than me - that's another thing she can tick off her list *wink*

Of course, on the recipe, were three lists - each list made a different size pudding. We are now going to be the recipients of a pudding that will feed the five thousand or maybe we can hang onto it for next year ;-)
In all seriousness, it will easily make a large pud and a slightly smaller one, so I think I will see if the food kitchen might take one - better write on my list to call them.