Monday, November 6 Organization Helps...

The List

Some of my favorite books as a very young child were the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel in Frog and Toad Together , there's a story called "A List." It is my favourite all time Frog and Toad story. Thanks from Vicki and her Blog to provide some of the content for this posting on Frog and Toad.

Toad starts off sitting in bed making a list. (I do this sometimes). His list begins with Wake Up, which he promptly crosses out, and then writes other stuff. (I love Toad's life: eat breakfast, get dressed, go to Frog's house, take walk with Frog, eat lunch, take nap… Of course all these get crossed off.

Their relationship is all about mutuality and equality -- Toad has a nightmare once when he's really successful and Frog just keeps shrinking away: the message always comes down to the importance of their love and respect for each other. So Toad goes over to Frog's house, where Frog admires his list, and they set off on their walk.

But the wind blows the list out of Toad's hand:
"Hurry!" said Frog. "We will run and catch it." "No!" shouted Toad. "I cannot do that." "Why not?" asked Frog. "Because," wailed Toad,

"running after my list is not one of the things that I wrote on my list of things to do!"

Frog ran after the list. He ran over hills and swamps, but the list blew on and on. At last Frog came back to Toad. "I am sorry," gasped Frog, "but I could not catch your list." In the story, Toad says that since he can't remember anything that was on his list, he has to just sit and do nothing. Frog sits with him (ah, love). Finally Frog says they should sleep:
"Go to sleep!" shouted Toad. "That was the last thing on my list!" Toad wrote on the ground with a stick: Go to sleep. Then he crossed out: Go to sleep. "There," said Toad. "Now my day is all crossed out!" "I am glad," said Frog. Then Frog and Toad went right to sleep.

Lately I have been making a list for this a list for that. I seems that when I am pre-occupied with health matters I don’t want to be thinking and running around asking myself what do? and and what have I forgotten? I just seems easier to make a list. So this is what I do. Please see the Daily Activity Plan to see how much of this information is organized. This is a sample or My Daily Activity Plan that includes a number of the lists below...

Here are some of my lists...
A) I had a list of things to do before I went to work.
B) I have a list of things to do before I go to sleep (the morning protocol)
C) I have a list of things to do when I get out of bed. (the bedtime protocol)
D) I have a list of things that I eat during the day as my dietician wants me to consume at least 1600 -1800 calories.
E) I have a list of things that I drink since I have to drink 2000 ml of fluids.
F) I have a list of all my meds so that I can help the doctors come up with a pain management plans that words for me.
G) I have a somewhat of a list of the number of exercises that I am able to do.
H) I have a list of how much I weigh as this is a very important consideration.
I) I have a list of things that that I need for the hospital.
J) As of now, I even have a list of lists. And as if I don’t have enough, if you have any lists that you can suggest, for me, that are appropriate for a family audience then please send them along ;-)

As the week goes along I will fill you in with my book of lists…

Weekly Postings
Monday: How disorganized/organized can a person be?
Tuesday: Some Lists
Wednesday: Lists
Thursday: More Lists
Friday: Daily Schedules
Saturday: Treatment Update and Effects
Sunday: Picture Gallery