The Evolution of the Day Planner

When I was a young married woman, I was influenced by a book. This book was called “Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman,” by Anne Ortland. I looked on Amazon and it’s still in print! http://www.amazon.com/Disciplines-Beautiful-Woman-Anne-Ortlund/dp/0849929830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336064687&sr=8-1

I wonder if it’s been updated, because I am going to go from there to here.

It was about many “disciplines” of a Christian woman; but the one I want to hone in on was “the notebook.” She knew that women needed to keep everything in one place. Note that you did not rush out to Office City and buy a specific type of planner.  You made it yourself.

A notebook from many years ago.
This is not the first one I had.

Being the organized type that I am, and also the type of person who operates in different “worlds,” I knew this was a good idea for me. I bought a small 5 x 7 notebook and paper, along with some dividers. This was not difficult; making my own calendar took some time. But the idea was to have everything in ONE PLACE! I would take it everywhere with me; to work, to meetings, to church (to church meetings!) and at home it rested on the portable dishwasher which served as my “desk” by the phone. (How did I ever manage without a built-in dishwasher, or desk!)

I used this for many years until the advent of a name-brand Day Planner. Other than the calendar feature, I am not sure it had much advantage of my old stand-by. Both of these types of planners were tailor-made by me for me. They changed with my life changes.

I had a Palm Pilot before I had a cell phone. That was truly cool; but it didn’t replace everything I needed in one place. Actually I have had two Palm Pilots, which now reside in junk hell someplace.

I got an iPod although this was mainly for music, I used it for some other things. I bought a Kindle and felt very smug about saving trees and not carrying a BUNCH of books on vacation.

I got a cell phone, then a smart phone. I use google products and my smart phone syncs my calendar with my computer. I still had things in more than one place though.

Today's Day Planner!

Enter (with a drum roll please) the NEW iPad! Finally I have everything in one place (excepting a cell phone). The advertisements would have you thinking that all we do is watch movies and play games; but my female readers know that is not MY life, although I am something else at solitaire!

I got the big one: 64 Gig. I don’t want to even think about it, although I know there is a day, just as with our computers, we need more because we store more. But I think it will be awhile.

I have an easily accessible “Grandma’s brag book.” The iPad has a great camera, but I brought over some historical pictures too, just to have there. I have almost all my music on it. I have books from Kindle, books from iBooks, and some stuff from iTunes U, which is actually classroom learning. I have several Bibles, a Strong's Bible concordance, and several commentaries ON the device. I have a dictionary and the “free” Encyclopedia Brittanica. These are what are important to me.

Then there are the apps that I need to be “connected” to use. I did not get 3G because I want to keep harmony in my home; but I have learned that if I need to, I can pull up outside McDonald’s and check in. (Get as close to the building as you can). Someday I will revert to a “stupid phone” because I don’t need the smart phone. I can check my regular email, Facebook, Linked-In, Pinterest, Fairborn71 and Gmail.

I have the app I am using for weight loss. I kinda hope the fitness club gives me their wireless code when I don’t have the smart phone, and I can just log it in before this old brain forgets the numbers. If NOT, I will use the notepad!

Speaking of the notepad, I use it for everything from sermon notes to product information. The calendar serves for other notes. The only drawback is I don’t have them sorted by category—yet. I downloaded Quick Office (what I call iPad Open Office) and have our home address book there too. In addition to email, Facebook and other methods of holding information; I have our home address book and my Class of 1971 excel spreadsheets I can bring up if I am not in a hot spot. I can foresee a day when I copy the notes from the Notepad to a document in Open Office and file from there. The possibility is there; I have not arrived yet.

In short, this is the ultimate Day Planner for me, along with a camera, a “boombox,” (there is no booming going on anymore), and many of the books that are important to me. Games? Maybe someday. I have one game—so far—for the grandchild. Movies? I can see myself downloading a classic maybe; something like the Sound of Music that we watched on TV every year back in the day.  And I freely realize there are things yet to be invented!

I know people that are quite happy with their Kindle Fire, but I think this iPad is the best thing since sliced bread! MY ultimate Day Planner!