Things to do

You would think that, being more or less stuck at home, one would be able to knock out all the tasks on one's task list. Not at all.

Aside from the books calling out to be read or re-read, and I can see about a hundred just from where I'm sitting right now, there is the constant flow of periodicals into the house (even if we let them age on the picnic table for a day or two to let lingering coronavirus concerns abate).

There are the long-deferred home maintenance tasks, including the black stuff on the metal roof, the grout in Graham's bathroom, hanging pictures in our bedroom, some boxes of stuff that have been pushed into the corners for years. Of course the pollen needs to be swept today -- this will be an evergreen task for a couple of months now that must be attended to weekly if we want to use the porch.

There are years of files to be gone through and purged (including tax stuff -- through which I hope to document the bases of my and Mary's Roth IRAs -- just in case).

Really I need to inflate my soccer balls so I can go outside and juggle -- even though it must be done only on the patio, not out in the park behind my house, since I have led the effort to close the park to free play in keeping with town ordinance. There is of course no public health risk from me juggling a soccer ball -- but how do I as Vice Chair of the Board explain to teenagers passing by what is an acceptable exception to the rules and what is not. Mary, incidentally, after talking about playing badminton for years and playing it once in a decade, now insists that it is the perfect time to play. Right after we closed the park.

But now it is time to go close the windows as the day heats up, to keep the cool air inside.

(came back after 30 minutes cleaning up the kitchen mess Natalie made while prepping an extra-delicious breakfast)

Ultimately, I am reminded, that all of this striving is bound up with the ultimately futile task of trying to control things in an atmosphere and at a time when things are as scary as they have ever been. On the other hand, if they help me get through the day while doing no harm and, perhaps, offering some insight, and they help me sleep through the next night, that's OK too.