Plans go awry

Once again my timing is impeccable. The weather has been great for the last few weeks. The forecasters are calling for six inches of snow tonight. This would be fine except for one thing - I have made plans to go to my mother’s this weekend and help her prepare for Christmas.

I have been looking forward to this since we decided to have the celebration at her house this year. I have been anticipating having a conversation where neither one of us is watching the clock and mentally calculating how much the phone call costs. I have been looking forward to cooking for her. There are recipes I want to try that I know my husband would hate but I think maybe my mom would like.

I want to take her shopping. I have such fun with her when we go shopping. One of the reasons that I timed the trip for the first part of the month is so she will have her Social Security check already. While I am at her house I want to check in with my little niece and nephews to see what they want for Christmas. By doing this in person I can give their parents a chance to amend any requests.

I thought we would get all this done before it got really cold and snowy. Foolish, foolish me! I should have known better.

Now I am dreading spending over an hour on possibly icy roads just to get to her house. I keep looking out the window and hoping against hope that the roads are warm enough to keep the snow from sticking. The ground is partially covered already.

My timing has always been like this. I shop for toys that haven’t been made in decades only to find that they are once again being manufactured a year after I have given up and purchased something else. I search in vain for things that aren’t invented yet.

If I plan to work outside it rains or else the mosquitoes and ladybugs are having a population explosion and think I am a movable feast. If the plans are to work inside, then the weather is too beautiful to stay in the house.

If there is something funny or interesting on television I will invariably look away or leave the room at just the wrong moment and miss it.

I know people who think that plans never work out so they don’t bother making any. By doing this they deprive themselves of anticipation. The anticipation is sometimes the best part. Who hasn’t gotten through a bad day at work by looking forward to quitting time? Planning what to plant in the spring has gotten many a gardener through the bleak days of winter. Looking forward to an endless summer has helped countless schoolchildren sit through a recitation of seemingly useless facts they are sure they will never need to know.

I checked out the window again. Its still snowing although the flakes are no longer the size of sugar cookies. The roads look wet but I haven’t heard any crashes yet. Maybe it will be an easy drive after all.

I usually take back roads when I go to Mom’s. I like winding roads that are almost totally devoid of traffic. I prefer roads where I can see hawks huddled against the wind atop telephone poles and where I have to watch out for suicidal deer. Tonight I will probably drive through more populated areas because I know that the main roads will be clean.

No matter how much snow falls it won’t derail my plans for the weekend. Anticipation may be sweet but getting together with family is even better. It may be snowy but at least it isn’t too cold … yet.[[In-content Ad]]