Life Happens While Making Plans

"Man plans; God laughs" -- ancient Hebrew proverb

Recent events around our New Mexican mud hut have reinforced for us the futility of trying to plan what happens next (we knew better, but the temptation always crops up), and we are stepping back and regrouping. You can't push on the universe, but you can declare your intentions and then let things happen. Of course, adapting to whatever variations are introduced in the process is your own lookout.

That's where we are now. The house is off the market and we've put some things in motion to see about getting the house to a point where the mortgage companies will love it again. Who would have known they won't loan money on a house because it doesn't have central heating? And guess what? To get a loan to do the things that will make it marketable, you have to have a marketable house?

Where is Joe Heller when you need him?

All this means any thoughts of hopping in the van and moving south or buying a boat are on hold for the time being. But that might not be a bad thing. Captain Len's First Church of Sailing With the Wind teaches about the right working of things, and sometimes it's important to see if maybe the obstacles placed in your path serve a purpose beyond raising your blood pressure. So we talk and think about what we should be doing, rather than what we thought we wanted to do. It bears re-examination.

In the shorter term, this summer, to be precise, we will take a van camping trip to the great NW and visit Dagny's kids (and grandkids) and my mother--Bonnie will be 95 that month and probably planning to climb Everest or somesuch, so I want to swing by and see what's going on. Her health is amazing, considering the mileage she's put on, but not so hot at the moment. Seeing as the future insists on not revealing itself to me, we want to get by and say hello and catch up.

Of course, visiting my mother isn't quite like it is for most people--she's a moving target. Yesterday we learned she is planning on moving again in a month, so we might have to work to catch her in the first place. We will put out some Mom traps and see what we get.

Then we will head back home.

To preserve my sanity I've got other trips on the to do list, including a road trip with my old friend (it's the friendship that's old, not us) Javaid Qazi. He has family business in Indiana, so I'll ride shotgun. And then... well, now that gets uncomfortably close to planning again, and we know the dangers that holds--here there be dragons..