The Best Laid Plans...

For a day that started out with a clear plan of what was to come, things couldn't have gone more awry.

Tuesday, I spent the entire day sorting and organizing my scrapbook paper, so today, I decided, would be a good day to actually use some.

When I cleaned up yesterday, I purposely left out some pre-cut cards that I found, and some of my 6x6 paper pads, and proclaimed St. Pat's day as "Card-a-palooza."
I was going to create something from the mess as a reward for all my hard work.

But, by the time I was up and dressed and done with my morning routine, my youngest was home for lunch.
She took a phone call just after she got in, and had her plans totally crushed by her friend, reducing her to a sobbing mess.

This has been a rough year for her. Besides the fact that it's spring, and Senior-itis is at it's all time high, she's having some serious growing pains too.
She's having to make those tough rest-of-your-life affecting decisions, and learning that life as an adult is a little more complicated than she imagined.

Today's situation was a pretty sad one. I couldn't stand to see her cry, so I grabbed the keys and told her to get in the car. We went to lunch, then I offered her a choice of going shopping or just for a drive.
Seeing as how we are both financially embarrassed (as my neighbor always calls it,) and she wasn't in the mood to mingle with the public, she opted for the latter.

We headed up through BYU campus and around the Temple, then up into the hills above (the high rent district,) and ooohed and ahhhed at the mansions there.
Then on a whim I decided that today was the day for the "Mommy tour".

I've been telling her for years (or threatening?) that I was going to take her around the town where I grew up someday, and tell her about my childhood.
(Hey, somebody's got to document it, right?) So, we did that.
Sadly, there are aren't many landmarks still standing, but it was fun to show her some of the places I used to roam.

We visited my birthplace, homes, schools and church buildings and visited my brother's grave. Then we drove up the canyon a little way (until the snow got deep, and we feared the road would end.)
That was the first time I've been up there since I moved away decades ago. It felt strange and unfamiliar to me. I didn't recognize anything at all.
She actually enjoyed the tour, and came home feeling much better.

I've gotten carried away, but there is a point to this tale. We have a dear friend who has dubbed our family the "no-plans-Taylors" (that's a very long story for another day) ...but now you know why.
If we take the trouble to plan out our day, you can bet that all plans will change completley before the day is over.

That's just the way it is.

On the other hand, we took a disastrous day, and turned it around.
Huzzah.

Happy St.Patty's
.