Clump #172:  Fly through “Do” pile.

I’m experiencing a bit of whiplash right now.  My younger daughter pounced on the “Do” pile today and said, “Let’s just sort this into different sections.”  Three categories presented themselves: items that could be taken care of in the house (phone calls, etc.); items that needed to be taken care of outside the house (errands); and things I needed to send out.

I thought sorting would be a good start, and imagined chipping away at the pile in the coming week or weeks.  But my younger daughter’s energy and perseverance drove me to take care of most of the pile today!  It was like having a personal trainer by my side.

She even tore through tasks I’ve been meaning to get around to for an eternity.  Here she is entering the packing list for our annual week at the lake into Excel.  She wrote up another list for holiday dinners at my mom’s place. Now we won’t forget that one thing … one year a corkscrew, last Thanksgiving a carving knife, etc.

The mail came in, and we tore through that, too.  I had the perfect file waiting to save instructions on how to handle electronic recycling.  The car registration and sticker went directly out to the … car!  For once, not set aside to fall into the paper void.

I was amazed at how quickly and easily, with the right attitude (okay, the right helper with the right attitude) things I’ve put off for so long just magically got done.  I had cut this article out of The Philadelphia Inquirer ages ago about volunteers who perform Reiki for cancer patients as a part of Gilda’s Club.  I had been interested in volunteering, and suddenly all the barriers to do so fell away when my daughter found the application and background clearance forms.  I was able to get the criminal check done online, almost instantaneously (“No Record”), and could print out the others.

We also resurrected a filing system I’d previously failed to keep up.  It’s sort of a tickler file for items that will need attention in the future, and — ideally — keeps them from becoming lost or forgotten.  The file for tomorrow (eleven) holds a paper that’s a “to-call” reminder for an office that was not open today.  Each day of the month has its own folder …

As do the months of the year, for papers and reminders for the months ahead.  The system is only successful if I consult the the files every day. Will I be able to do it?  We shall see.

While at the post office I asked if they had any pretty stamps.  The postmaster showed me these flowery ones.  I had to get both:

The vintage seed packets seemed appropriate on a day when my daughter and I dug in with a host of actions sure to reward us over the coming months.