When my Dad was first diagnosed with cancer, we talked about doing a "Live Like You're Dying Tour" - a poor man's version of the Bucket List, if you will.  But the reality was that he was quite concerned with being uncomfortable or away from his doctors, so we stayed pretty close to home.  I wondered at the time if it wasn't better to do the "Live Like You're Dying Tour" when all was well in your life.

A couple summers ago, when all was well in my life, I teased the girls that I was going to buy a woody station wagon and take them out of school for a year and we would just tour the country and I would home school them.  However, they weren't entirely on board with that idea so I let someone else buy that beautiful station wagon dream.

I was sorry I missed both of those opportunities to plan something wonderful.

But in recent days planning is hard.  I struggle with it daily.  Planning anything, from  dinner to lessons to having to just about be anywhere but work or home is difficult.  Even harder, is planning to actually GO somewhere, not to mention somewhere out of state.  Somehow, we managed to travel quite a bit last year - but I packed the night before and was lucky to have most of what we needed.

This year, I am Making a Plan.  (deep booming voice)

Somewhere between a full out Live Like Your Dying tour and the way we live regularly (if there is such a thing) is where I hope to fall out.

So far, we have sent the dog to training, made additional dog training appointments, made a golf lesson and invited Levi to dinner.  We received the unbelievable gift of a piano, and we are planning piano lessons (thanks Bill and Rena!).  Grace is playing basketball and doing dance.  She's selling girl scout cookies. Lots of plans. 

We bought tickets to the rodeo.  Made hotel reservations in Seattle for a girls weekend.  Scheduled a San Francisco Spring Break trip for Grace and I.  We won a trip to Texas (travel date TBD), we are talking about going to Hawaii and to Mom and Earl's over the summer.  Plans, plans, plans.

Phil and I established a non profit called the Andra Heart Foundation, and just sent 315 Valentines to announce it.  I am working with lots of amazing people to do more cardiac screenings. So. Much. Planning.

It feels good.  Really good.  And I intend to execute my plan now whether anyone else is on board or not, while it still seems like a great idea to me.  And if I need a reminder of why, I refer to the wise gentleman George S. Patton:

A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.
George S. Patton

In 2012, I think a good plan is just what we need.



Sidebar:  What we don't need in 2012 is a big desert deer for Captain Ahab Mr. MostlyPhillip.  Because he filled his tag Sunday.  Which frees him up to make some good plans of his own .