I have a tendency to put things off. When I see that the floor is getting dirty, I can rationalize that there will be many dirty feet walking on it this weekend, so maybe I should wait until next Monday to mop. There is no use making people miserable by fussing at them for marking up my clean floor.

I see a report in the paper about some festive or sad event that calls for a card and I resolve that I will get one off in the mail tomorrow. That may be the last time I think of it until it is too late.

When I am going to be out of town I know that I need to write my column and Senior Page articles ahead so that they will all be finished before I leave.

Often, however while I am packing the night before my absence I realize that everything is not done yet. That's when I turn to the history books to find something interesting to write about.

I notice that the milk container is getting a little low but I drive right by the grocery store and don't remember the need until I am over halfway home. Well, there is always tomorrow and we can drink iced tea tonight.

I notice that the sticker on my windshield tells me that I have driven several hundred miles past the mileage recommended for the next oil change, but forget to call to make an appointment.

I decide to use the frozen chicken for supper tonight and neglect to take it out of the freezer and have to thaw it in the microwave.

That may be safer anyway, because if I did it the slow way I would probably forget I was thawing it out and let it wait past the safe time limit for keeping refrigerated food. Besides we might decide to eat out or something.

So, with all of these examples of my procrastination, why am I shocked when on a hot day in early September I receive my first Christmas catalog?

Only 90 some shopping days until Christmas is not exactly a panic message. I don' t even know who might be in my family by then with so many young grandchildren of marriageable age.

The one time I did do some of my shopping this early I forgot I had done it and bought something else in the proper time -- the week before Christmas. It didn't matter. I then had something already put by for birthday presents.

Admittedly receiving flannel pajamas in July is a bit weird, but she didn't seem to mind.

I haven't even taken the plastic wrapper off the book because I don't even want to think about Christmas now.

I still want to think about swimsuits, lawn furniture and picnic supplies. I'll think about Christmas in December, and if I can find this book by then I will open it up and possibly even order an item from it. However it will probably be out of stock by then because of all the perfectionist people who did order early and got their pick of the colors and styles.

But then, there are always those last minute before Christmas sales.

I might be tempted to place an order from them even if I had already bought a present earlier. The bargains are too good to pass up sometimes. Yes, I will save money by waiting until the last minute to shop.

In the meantime I still need to do something about that frozen chicken and take another look at the dirty floor.

The forecast is for cloudy weather and possibly rain so it will be best to wait.