Scrapped

Plans for the day were as follows: sleep in, drink coffee, meet up with a friend, pick out a Christmas tree, bring said holiday happiness home, set it up.

Drink coffee with friend.

Decorate.

Bask.

Next, enjoy two or three hours of socializing, then get back to work. Yes, work.

Best Laid Plans? Holiday Preparations Gone Awry…

Unfortunately, the day isn’t going according to plan. In fact, all best laid (and meticulously orchestrated) plans have been, well… scrapped.

This is especially annoying during holiday preparation time, when schedules are tight, even weekends are involved, and little slack may be available. In my case, still hobbling a bit with a sprained ankle, I was counting on today (and an assist) for some physical activities that now will not be possible.

Tragic?

Hardly.

Better in the long run?

Possibly.

Beauty Sleep? Sleeping Beauty?

I woke too early – (must I really describe the puffy eyes?) – and I woke to a steady, droning rain that soon became an unrelenting downpour. Two cups of coffee and a phone call later, I suggested to the aforementioned friend that we defer our exterior exploration for any purpose whatsoever – holidays aside.

In this weather, dragging a wet tree through my house and across hardwood floors is not on my list of Advisable Activities.

Moreover, one glance in the mirror confirmed what I already knew. I need sleep. Gobs of it. And in lieu of sleep – something close, like dozing or simply dreaming. Even if the “day” dreaming variety.

My “beauty” regimen? Sadly, it doesn’t include sufficient shut-eye. My bad. (Seriously.) I need to do better. (Seriously.)

As for my friend whose day was already jammed up, I suspect he was relieved to scratch my tree task from his list, at least for now.

The Necessity of a Plan B

Plan B. Don’t we all need a Plan B? At the very least?

Here’s mine.

Relative quiet. Recreational reading. Appreciation for the glossy, darkened leaves outside my window, resolute in withstanding the continuing rain as nature does its thing, my heat humming in the background.

After all, we can’t fight nature, right? But we certainly try, and I’m no exception. My body tells me to rest and I ignore it. My spirit tells me to take a breath and direct my energies elsewhere, even briefly, and again, I argue with my own better, dare I say it… nature.

I am consoled by the necessity of opting for Plan B and its unexpected gift: a day to slow down.

Listening to my body is not my best event. I know my tendency to bite off more than I can chew. Yet here I am, giving it a shot, curled up and with a book at my side, considering herbal tea bags for the puffy eyes… and no work. For one entire 24-hour period, no work. Not even a ‘scrap.’

With Plan A tossed?

Plan B is sounding just fine.

Next: Plan C and Another Busy Week Ahead

I’ll need a Plan C for the tree of course. And today’s wrinkle will invariably impact next week, which was already looking a bit plump with activities including holiday food shopping and major mountains of laundry. Naturally, that’s in addition to work and writing.

But there’s no drama in any of that, and I’m certain I’ll figure it out.

For now, I’m delighted with Plan B – a real book awaits, as does this little gift of time to myself, courtesy of a cold, hard rain.

By the way, look for more in the mother-daughter relationship series next week. Are you enjoying it as much as I am? I hope so. And I’m delighted to say that several more talented writers have agreed to participate. My thanks to all of them for doing so, and to you who share your stories with us in the comments.

 

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