I've got a little list. (actually I've got a lot of them)

        Tomorrow, Saturday, at 1:00 pm is my daughter Claire's wedding shower.   It's going to be at our house, there will be 17 ladies,  and I'm doing all the cooking - what's left to do, that is; much of the feast is already prepared and chillin' in my freezer.  But there's still a ton of preparation to do starting today, and from this moment on anybody who sets foot into this house is going to be lassoed into the work crew. 
        Claire will fly in  from Chicago this morning and Theresa will arrive from Cincinnati tonight, as will Katie, Claire's friend from Chicago who'll be spending the weekend with us.  Tommy's out of town for the weekend and sadly, Maria can't make it in from Los Angeles.  But my nephew Randy is coming over tonight to ice cupcakes.  Also tonight Theresa will make the guacamole dip (her specialty) and Tom will do the cleaning and I plan to be all tied up (hopefully not in knots!) trying to reproduce a center piece I saw on the cover of a magazine. 
        A few other various and sundry jobs will be passed around tonight, but by tomorrow morning, when every one will be up and at 'em including my friend Marianne who's coming over early to help and join in the pre-festivity festivites,  the place will be in full-tilt-boogie, rockin' and rollin' like a bee-hive on steroids. 
        So while there will be many worker bees buzzing around before our guests arrive, I'll be the one choreographing the activity and making sure the preparations run smoothly and on target time.
        But in truth the key to the success of the whole endeavor will be not myself but the several master  lists I've drawn up.  My lists are at the heart of the operation.  My lists  will run the show.
        Now I'll be the first to admit that I am by nature an anxious, disorganized person.   But give me a list and in a flash the alphabet soup sloshing around inside my brain morphs into a high-functioning, super-efficient IT data processing multi-plex. 
        I need a list to  accomplish those tasks required of me on a daily basis.  Without one in front of me each morning I can't get past the kitchen table.  I usually make up my list the night before for the next day.
        Having a list empowers me, but there's more to it.  I love lists.  I love setting 'em up then knocking 'em off, item by item.  Checking things off a shopping or "to-do" list is supremely satisfying.  And calming.  For me a list gets things done.
       "Got your list?"  Tom's always asking me. 
     Of course a big bash such as this wedding  shower requires several lists  and they will be constantly evolving entities over a span of weeks:  first comes the menu, then numerous shopping lists as I buy and prepare much of the food in advance.  The week of the event I start making my preparation lists of who's doing what when, one list for the day or days before the feast, one for the day of.
        The "day of" list is most crucial.  But I've got it!  I've got them all!  And here they are in all their glory:
   
1.  Claire’s shower menu
    veggie stromboli
    veggie egg rolls
    pasta in tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil
    stuffed mushrooms
    mashed potato casserole
    green beans almandine
    spring salad with pecans, granny smith apples and balsamic viaigrette
    guacamole dip & chips
    veggies & dip
     rosette mini-cupcakes
     cream-filled chocolate mini-cupcakes
     apple pie & ice cream
      berry trifle

2.  Friday
     Clean - Tom
    Bake cupcakes -me
     Make cake for trifle - me
     Set up - me
    Make center piece – me
    Ice chocolate cupcakes – Randy, Claire, Theresa
    Guacamole dip– Theresa
    Cut salad - TBA
    Cut veggies - TBA  
    Make pudding for trifle - TBA
    Mix cream cheese & cool whip for trifle  - TBA 
    Put together potato casserole - me

 3. Saturday    
    6:30:  defrost everything except mushrooms - me
    Put pop on ice - TBA
    9:45:  Make trifle - me
    10:00:  Ice rosette cupcakes – me & Marianne
    Salad:  Marianne
    Veggies: Marianne
    Heat up pasta sauce - TBA
    10:20-11:20:  Mushrooms & potatoes: 400 degrees - me
    11:00: Pasta - me
    11:20-11:40:  Egg rolls:  400 degrees, 20 minutes - TBA
    12:00: chips, salt, pepper, sweet & sour sauce, mustard - TBA
    11:45-12:45:  Stromboli - me
    12:30:  Water, lemonade, ice tea, coffee, tea bags sugar, lemon, milk in small pitcher in refrigerator - TBA

Everyone have a great weekend! 8)

My practice rosette cupcakes

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