Amy Shelf - Counselor at Law

I have not written anything here for a few weeks.   One of the reasons I've been reluctant to broadcast news of my web-log to all of my fans is that I wanted to see whether I'd really post regularly.  Nothing is worse than a web-log that is never updated. Except a lot of things, really, but it sucks when you get all into following a web-log and then no one updates it.  Bo-ring.  I've done a moderately decent job of paying consistent attention to this web-log, in my opinion.  I'll probably not post the link to my web-log on facebook or anything like that.  Although facebook is really the only thing 'like that' in my life.

So, in the hopes of getting things going again, I've decided to post a list.  Lists can function in so many ways - and I'm just talking about the way other peoples' lists work, not your own.  The function (or not) of your own lists in your own life is another story altogether.  Or many stories.  But other peoples' lists - back to that.  Other peoples' lists can be incredibly mundane and boring and self-indulgent.  I'm sure this will be one. Other peoples' lists can throw you into a state of anxiety and self-doubt, and can really do a job on your self-esteem, as in "I should do that, but I have so little hope of ever getting it accomplished I don't even put it on my list."  I can only hope I have that effect on people.  Other peoples' lists can also be validating, as in, "wow, they still have yet to do all that shit, I did that yesterday" or "what a good idea!"

My list may make you feel good or bad about yourself and your life. In the hopes of providing some validation to you, I'm also letting you know how long the various items have been on my list.  Some of the items make regular appearances - foods to make, foods to buy.  With these I'm indicating how long they've been my intentions, at least since the last time I wrote a list or had any intention regarding them.

Now mostly my lists are handwritten and usually involve lots of arrows and/or dots and/or dashes for design and overall organization.  And usually my lists are kind of centered around a particular task or focus: what to do to get ready for Huck's birthday party, things to accomplish in the house, what to buy at Trader Joe's.  This one is random - a hodgepodge from all of them.  Enjoy.

++ Make bread - 8 hours.
++ Curtains for the bedroom skylights - 5 weeks.
++ Organize my art area - 15 years.
++ Buy vinegar barrel - 7 years.
++ Weed yard - 2 weeks.
++ Build a closet in the bedroom - 2 months.
++ Build a planting table/organize garden tools   4 months.
++ Learn how to build shit (I should really know this) - 10 years.
++ Make cream of spinach soup - 2 hours.
++ Buy maple syrup - 2 weeks.
++ Deal with the kombucha I started brewing 1 1/2 months ago - 4 weeks.
++ Get bottles for kombucha - 6 weeks.
++ Clean/organize office - 6 months.
++ Deal with headlight and turn signal on car - 2 months.
++ Work on quilt - 8 months.
++ Write for web-log - DONE!

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