Um... What?

I love Neville from the Harry Potter books - he's a sweet kid who's afraid of Snape and his own grandmother, but he's not afraid to stand up to his friends... In the first book, he has what they called a remembrall. It is supposed to turn red to tell him that he forgot something. The wizard equivalent to a string around the finger, I guess. Well, if that were a real thing and if I had one it would be red ALL the time... because odds are, I've forgotten something at any given time. Usually more than one thing!

I really don't mind getting older - I mean, the body things I can tolerate - the grey hair, the aches and pains... But what age is doing to my mind is something completely different.

Last Saturday, Tom and Bill had a hair cut appointment at 1:00. The problem was, I put 1:30 on my calender. I'm not sure quite how that happened, but I can't say I'm surprised. That kind of crap happens all the time to me. I was just sorry that it impacted the hairdresser that time. She was cool about it, though - to my relief. I would guess it's because she's not any younger than me and occasionally experiences that same kind of brain fart. And if we're calling them brain farts, then I'd have to describe my brain as downright flatulent. 

It's pretty bad on a daily basis, and whenever we travel, I forget at least one fairly important item: pharmaceuticals, phone charging cord, deodorant... I've forgotten elements of Bill's lunch, items he was supposed to bring to school and once, to pick him up on an early dismissal day. 

I blame it on age. And on just the sheer volume of stuff I am responsible for remembering. When I was single, it was not so hard keeping up with myself and my own stuff. Then I got married and suddenly had a bit more responsibility ... then came the kid, my own business, and BOOM! The scope of my mental duties exploded! AND just as I was entering my 40s! On top of all the stuff I have to do, I am also trying to make time and space for a few things I WANT to do... like read a book or watch a movie. One mental obstacle I encountered to writing this blog, is this thought: "You already have enough to keep up with; and if you write a blog everyone will know for sure that you are just sitting around wasting time..."

So what would be the equivalent of BEANO for this flatulent brain of mine? Lists? Organization? Believe me, I am trying it all. I am not, by nature, an organized person, so it's been really hard to herd these crazy ducks into any kind of row. I make a list every day, plan menus every week, write myself notes, send myself emails, put bills in a tickler file, set alarms on iCal... But somehow the cracks for things to slip through are still more like canyons... 

If any of the people who are not reading this have any advice for corralling this life of mine, I am open to change. That is, if a person CAN become organized this late in life... I have profound admiration for anyone who keeps their life straight. My guess is, though, that if you are spending time to read this blog, you might not be one of them... unless, of course, you put it on your list...