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| Tomatoes! |
What is the title of blog referring to? That forgetfulness I mentioned in the previous paragraph. I missed an appointment with my dermatologist that had been made six months ago. Although I received an automated phone call the week before, I simply spaced it out. I was sitting in my living room thinking that I had that appointment coming up, but when I checked, it had occurred three hours before. Usually I put a reminder in my phone for the day before, but I had made it so long ago that I simply forgot that I hadn't scheduled a reminder. My doctor's office sent me a letter telling me that I'm now on a probation list and if I do it twice more within the next few months, I'll have to find another provider.
Well, I have gone through ALL my upcoming appointments and have set my phone to remind me the day before, and an hour before. Hopefully I won't miss any more important ones. But the thing is, I never used to forget such things, and I realize that my ability to remember has begun to slip. The change I am referring to is to use my smartphone to help me out. Plus I had a really good idea for today's post, but I cannot remember what it was at all! If I had put something in the "Reminder" app on my phone, I'd be writing about it. Hopefully it will come around again and I'll quickly capture it before it goes away.
My memory is very capricious: I can remember some things I wish I could forget, and other things go in one ear and out the other. There is a definite difference in this area during the past few years. That is yet another thing that a blog is good for: it can act as a diary. My friend Judy and I were having coffee this morning and we chuckled over the fact that we are both getting very forgetful. It's nice to have company in this stage of life. How do YOU cope?
:-)
I can relate and sympathize completely. A friend and I were just talking about that yesterday. I told her that someone told me if you forget where your key is, it's natural. If you forget what the key was for, that's bad.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with Kay. If you forget what a chair is for, that's really bad. Lol.
ReplyDeleteSadly, we northern Minnesotans know all to well about ripening tomatoes indoors, on paper bags or sunny windowsills, because it's often the only way to enjoy much of our harvest with our short growing season!
ReplyDeleteVisit anyone with a garden around here in about September and their green tomatoes have all be brought in to ripen in the sun of a porch window. :)
We have a boatload of appointments coming up throughout the next months... I'm feeling forgetful and going to follow suit and go enter them all into my phone!
Well, I came in online to search for something on goggle...got here in my chair and set my fingers to type on the keyboard only to forget what I wanted to search?!! But I can remember my childhood days like it was yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt's all part of life, and I don't worry 'bout it. I just laugh it off.
Oh yes, my mother had partially ripened tomatoes on window sills all throughout the house during the summer. And when [you know what it's like in Colorado, living there before] when the time for the first FREEZE warning, she was out there picking ALL the tomatoes off the vine to bring indoors to ripen.
I put EVERYTHING on my calendar - my laptop synchs to my phone. I've noticed a few changes recently - I could swear I put that bill on autopay, but the late notice arrives. I need to pay more attention.
ReplyDeleteNotes, reminders, and forgiveness is how I cope.
ReplyDeleteRather a lot of forgiveness.
You are sooooo right about tomato taste. The home grown ones taste like a different species.
Bob has a lot of appointments right now. I use a paper spiral calendar that stays by my chair & fits nicely into my purse. You've challenged me to try using the calendar on my phone.
ReplyDeleteYes, tomatoes ripen beautifully off the vine. I LOVE homegrown tomatoes...otherwise, I could leave them.
ReplyDeleteAs to the forgetfulness...for me I can't decide if it's an age-related thing, a too dependent on technology thing, a "I'm too busy" thing or a "the hell with it, I can't be bothered" thing.
Right now, I'm thinking it's a combination of all of them.
I am right there with you! I have forgotten several important appointments lately. In fact, today, I had a very early appointment. I called Jim after the appointment and asked if he'd like to meet for coffee. He did. At coffee, as he rattled off the things on his agenda, I said I thought I'd do a little shopping too. He said, "Don't you have a Landscape Committee Meeting?" He was right. I had a meeting in 20 minutes. Thankfully he reminded me.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way, tomatoes are in the top ten foods that are good for your brain and memory. Eat those yummy tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteI'm an excellent forgetter. I think things are more complicated today.
ReplyDeleteI am more afraid of forgetting than actually forgetting at this stage. I put things on my phone because I always have it with me, but I also have a weekly planning calendar where I actually WRITE things down and it sits on a corner of my kitchen counter where I can check it often. Beyond that I use sticky notes on the bathroom mirror if it is first thing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed my memory is not as sharp these past few years too. I have a habit of putting things in the microwave, that should go in the fridge, and vice versa :)
ReplyDeleteI have green tomatoes ripening on the counter as we speak, thank goodness we have that option.
~Jo
I can only imagine how good those tomatoes taste! We have one ripe on our plants. I always bring in the green ones, usually I wrap them in newspaper and put them in a dark cool place...they ripen one at a time:)
ReplyDeleteI have a calendar that has all the appointment on it, I check it in the evening so I know what to plan for the next day. It hangs on the wall between the kitchen and the dining area so we pass that way many times a day. That works for us. I don't have a phone to put them in anyway! :)
I don't know if we've forgotten, but who uses big paper calendars anymore? We stopped, but we haven't become consistent either with the phone's calendar...so things do/can get missed. So I'm giving you a pass on the memory issue. ;)
ReplyDeleteEverything is on my e-calendar. Problem is if I do not check it every day I can miss something. It has happened...There is nothing like fresh garden tomatoes. Gave up buying supermarket tomatoes during the off season.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I've learned to cope yet! I need to learn about that smartphone app. Today I thought I had my first cardiac rehab apt and drove all the way to Owen Sound for it (45 minutes). Turns out it's not until Thurs! The letter had said "Tues and Thurs til Nov. 3rd", but I missed the bit about the first apt. being on Thurs. the 13th! But it's reassuring to know I'm not alone. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYour tomatoes look so tempting. I wish we could grow some and we tried, but with no sun they did not grow. Here you can buy green tomatoes on purpose – I do. They are a loved Southern dish called “green fried tomatoes.”
ReplyDeleteI have a paper calendar and I also have my journal. The dentist appt cards go on the fridge as well as those other places. I think often on what I have to do in the next couple of days, writing about it in my journal. This all helps with remembering the events for which I must appear.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting ripe tomatoes from our garden now, and there is nothing like a home-grown tomato fresh from the vine! Yes, I find I am spacing out things now and then....it drives me crazy. I've resorted to keeping lists and writing things on my calendar.
ReplyDeleteI am a list maker. I add to my list at night and then check in the morning if anything applies to that day. Nothing is allowed to be checked off the list until completed. Sometimes things remain on that list for months and months but eventually I get round to them. I also keep a diary which I try and write in each evening. I find that invaluable as my memory fades.
ReplyDeleteI write everything down. How strange that you are on now on probation! I didn't realize doctors do that.
ReplyDeleteYou are so busy too. That might be another reason you forget. Your plate is full of more than just tomatoes! Technology can sure help in that area.
ReplyDeleteI always put the tomatoes I buy on the windowsill to ripen a little more before refrigerating them. They will turn a deep orange. But yes, I agree that home-grown tomatoes are wonderful. We used to have creole tomatoes in New Orleans... huge rich orange ones with a most delicious taste!
ReplyDeleteAnd as for forgeting, I use the *notes* section to keep all info that my mind would never remember... mostly things like last flu shot to drug allergies to Christmas ideas (it's quite a long list), but I have used the reminder app also. I love that I can actually put the doctor appt for "next year" on my iPhone calendar.
And DJan, I have you to thank for us doing more exercise than we would normally do since you mentioned the health app. Now DH and I always compare how many steps each evening (never enough). But... it makes us take more walks, so this is good.
You definitely are not alone. I use my email calendar which has kept my feet to the appointment fire. As retired persons, we lack the structure that made memory easier. Remembering what day it is without work structure is what brings me down. Probation huh? Goodness, they play hard ball but some specialists actually charge you for missed appointments. Hope your system keeps you out of banishment.
ReplyDeleteI choose to think that retirement has made me so relaxed that I just don't care what day it is, was the bill paid, etc. I also feel strongly that over the years we have stored a lot of superfluous things in our memories. And as we age, we run out of storage space for new things. When I think it might be forgetfulness, I laugh and remember that I'm certainly not the only one who has missed an appointment or two ;-)
ReplyDelete