Round and Round the Mulberry Bush

No matter what the words of this nursery rhyme mean, I know how the weasel and the monkey felt. Let me explain.

I’ve been working on my tax records for the last couple of weeks. It was a long process despite the records I kept. Words are my forte. Sometimes numbers are too, but records–not so much. The notes I jotted down after selling my novel at book signings were complex to decipher five months or even one month after I wrote them.  My records seemed to reflect an incorrect number of books sold. It wasn’t a big difference, but enough to frustrate me until I figured it out.

Perhaps this was the problem: I started on a Monday morning because it’s when I typically begin tasks that need to be completed. I walked into my office and quickly realized I could never accomplish anything until I organized EVERYTHING. So I started with my desk, which was piled high with Christmas cards, bank statements, and at least a dozen notepads with mysterious notations on them. I settled down with a cup of coffee and read all the Christmas letters I had just skimmed when they arrived. As I finished, I realized I hadn’t made my list of those to whom we will send cards next year, because they sent cards to us this year. When it comes right down to sending the cards, I usually relent and send them to almost everyone I know, even if I didn’t receive a card from them. Usually is the keyword here because I didn’t send any cards for Christmas last year, but back to my organizing.

I dug through my bank records in search of deposits and debits related to book sales. It’s actually kind of fun to relive a year by perusing where and when I spent my money. Well, there went Monday morning, but at least I could see the top of my desk before I looked for my book-sales notebooks. This is when I realized my office would be much more functional if I rearranged the furniture. Of course, the carpet had to be vacuumed before I could reposition anything, but a trip to the kitchen to fetch the vacuum made me realize I had no idea what to make for supper. All my plans to finish my taxes crumbled when I looked in the refrigerator and realized it was time for a thorough cleaning. As much as I regretted leaving my taxes, I spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen with a firm resolve to earnestly work on my taxes the following Tuesday morning.

Um…. Thursday morning, I had every intention to show my tax records that I meant business, but first, I had to make some important phone calls. After I scratched that chore off my list, I decided that as long as I was in my office, I should check my emails. There were a lot there, and I noticed that there were quite a few that really should be deleted. And, of course, it’s always a good idea to regularly check your junk mail folder– there just might be something important. I rewarded myself for a productive morning by playing a few games on the computer.

Have you ever noticed how quickly time flies when you’re on the computer? By the time I figured it out, it was too late to start some serious bookkeeping. I still had a few days next week before our tax appointment, so it could wait until Monday.

Over the weekend, I had a revelation. It just popped into my head! Sticky notes and colored highlighters were the keys to organizing my information. If only I had known that sooner, I could have finished much faster, but that’s a tale for another time!

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 ESV

May you go about your day with joy, no matter how busy you are. There is always something to be grateful for.