The "to-do" list

is alarmingly long.
I do not write a lot of lists. I try to remember things instead. As a child I had to remember things. The effort of writing things down was so great that I preferred to keep what available time there was (outside school) for the important things - like writing down poetry and stories. Lists were things to keep in your head.
I still tend to do that. Don't use your capacity to memorise and you are likely to lose it, unless of course your are unfortunate enough to get Alzheimer's. So, I think lists. 
Yesterday's list was longer than usual. Four days away from the house meant there were things to catch up on. I didn't make a list but I remembered things, especially things I had promised to do for other people.
I posted a pattern for a Shetland wedding ring shawl off to a friend who has spun her own yarn for one. N....is close to eighty and a "but I am determined to make one in my lifetime" sort of person. Yes, in all likelihood she will get there. 
Then there was the yarn for someone to mend something. I found that. She may or may not turn up at the bookshop group this afternoon. If she does then I will have fulfilled that "promise" as well.
I sent off eleven emails relating to things which had happened at the craft fair. No, I didn't remember all of that - I just remembered to do it.
I needed to go to the supermarket for milk - just a quick in and out. H.... who works in there was just about to close off her till and leave but said, "In a hurry Cat? Come on, it's only milk." Nice of her. I purred my appreciation!
I did other things too but something was niggling me. Was it something I needed to buy? Was it something I needed to do? Was it somewhere I needed to go?
I couldn't think of it.
This morning I was clearing away the pieces of paper and mail that seem to accumulate on the kitchen table and I came across something I had not seen. The Senior Cat or Middle Cat must have brought the mail in on Thursday or Friday of last week and not handed it to me or told me but there it was - a "little dental reminder" as the dental service puts it.
At that point I knew what had been bothering me. I had been expecting to get the card and it hadn't arrived. I had, much as I detest going to the dentist, been going to check. 
My mind feels different now. I know my memory is intact. I couldn't remember what it was because I did remember -  if that makes sense. I hadn't actually forgotten but my loathing of visiting the dentist meant that I had tried to forget.
I'll get more done today. I know I will. I need to convince myself of that because there are times when it seems nothing gets done.
But perhaps it is time to start writing lists? There is an advantage to writing lists.  My doctoral supervisor knew about that. He would come into the office each morning, sit down at his desk and rapidly write a list. He thought about the list as he ran into work from North London. When he had finished writing the list he would go back to the top and cross the first item off. It said "make list" of course. Like him, if I don't get anything else done in the day, I would be able to say I had done one thing on the list.