It's a GRAND life!

As a young woman, I could not wait to have children.  My husband and I agreed on two-- one of each and they had names before they were ever born.  We eventually had four sons and we are totally fine with that.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to have had a daughter but I realize that my life is full and complete with these amazing men. Their wives and significant others are so wonderful and I feel they accept me for who I am-- a bit different and unique.
In addition we have eight grandchildren.  Eight different, talented, adorable, smart grand children who totally rock our world.  They all live near by and we rarely go a few days without seeing some of them, even if it's only for a quick hello.
There is a saying "if I had known how wonderful grand children were, I would have had them first".  But all the parenting years and things we learned through raising our children have given us a different outlook on many things when the grand kids are around.  We have not abandoned our sense of responsibility with them.  We teach manners, expect appropriate behaviors, don't let them run all over the place and act wild and in turn, we enjoy them,  I believe even more because we have set expectations and boundaries.
I am not like my grandmother.  I don't have many memories of her as we only saw her once every other year or so.  She was not a grandmother who read to me, baked cookies with me or even talked to me about my day.  For my grand children, I want them to have memories of grandparents that were interested in them as individuals, who showed up at events, who knew their fears and dreams.  We want them to have recipes they remember because we cooked together, they know how to sew on a button because I showed them how and they can plant a garden organically because their grandfather spent time in the garden explaining things.  We want them to know they were loved unconditionally even though we guide them through loving discipline.
We hope we understand the line between grandparent and parent and allow our sons and daughters in law to be the parents.  It's hard sometimes and there are many times we have made mistakes in this area, but we are still learning too.  We had our turn and now it is theirs.  But it's our turn to be the GRAND parents and that's what we will be!  The one thing I wish we could find are images and books of grandparents who aren't all gray haired and fluffy!

Making Memories

"Your most valuable family possessions are the shared experiences and memories that link your hearts together" .  Dennis Rainey

It's important to me, to create lasting memories.  My parents and my brother passed away way too young in their lives and I wish I had more moments with them to have created more memories.  I wish I had time I could have shared with them on some of the little joys in life but since we did not get that, I am sure that drives me to create memories for my family now.
Memory making can be small, tender times and don't always have to be epic adventures.  Although the epic adventures certainly will be memorable!  Memories link a family together like heirloom possessions and while each person remembers things differently, they still are unseen gifts held in our hearts.  Some of the best memories of our lives are made with our loved ones.  
Memories are to to be celebrated and cherished.  It isn't a memory until someone recalls it and starts the conversation "remember when...".  As our children have become adults, we are finding things they have done that we had no idea happened and their recollection is quite interesting.  For example, they all seem to think we left them alone with the eldest child in charge many, many times and for long periods of time.  In actuality, we rarely left them, but when we did it would be for maybe two hours and we were within walking distance of home.   Apparently, a lot can happen in that short period of time and their memories of what happened those "numerous" times unnerve me.  I have to remind myself their immature memories are just that. 
To celebrate one of our anniversaries, my husband created multiple questions that were about our dating relationship.  Each day, a different person in our life would call or contact me asking a question. If I got it right, I got a letter.  After gathering all the letters, I had to scramble and unscramble them to figure out what he was telling me.  I knew all the answers-- thank goodness, but it took me some time to figure out what the message was.  It was amazing that he remembered all the trivia from our dating period. Good memories and I bet today, after 43 years, we both will remember them all just the same!
I read a story about a young bride making a special ham dinner for her husband and as she prepared the ham, she cut off a few inches from one end, put it in the pan and proceeded to bake it.  He asked her why she did that and she said she remembered her mother always cut off the end first, so she did it too.  The next time she saw her mother, she asked her about cutting the ham and her mother said she remembered that her mother did it too, so she always did it.  They decided to call the elder mother (better do it sooner, rather than later!) and ask her why.  The mother told her daughter and her grand daughter she cut the end off the ham because her baking pan was too small to hold the ham!  Memories!  Glad they figured that one out! 
When one of our grand daughters was going to Disney for the first time, I asked if I could tag along.  Fortunately, her parents said yes, but my son asked me why I wanted to go.  I told him I wanted to share the moment not only with her but with them as well.  When we went to meet the Princesses, my grand daughter was sweet and polite to Cinderella and Belle, but when it was time to meet Aurora, she ran into her arms--as Aurora was her favorite Princess!  Of course, I cried, and I whispered to my son "this is why I wanted to be here".  I have been so very blessed to be with all of the kids so far when they have gone to Disney and each and every moment I cherish.  These are memories my mother didn't get to experience.  
As each day passes, I want to continue creating and experiencing memories for our family.   I preserve as much as I can in scrapbooks that are beautifully crafted.  I want our family's memories to be filled with laughter, wonder and love.  We have grown from the difficult times but may we always hold the good memories in our hearts forever.  

St Patrick's Day

March 17 celebrates St. Patrick's Day and yet most people have no idea the origin.  There really was a St. Patrick dating back to 390 AD and was likely born in Wales, but he was a Roman Citizen.  He was taken to Ireland to work as a slave by Irish raiders.  During that time, he found God and is a key player in bringing Christianity into Ireland.  Funny how that turned into an over-indulgent drinking holiday for many people.
There are a few things that I found interesting about this holiday and the first was the color green being associated with St. Patrick's Day.  Actually, the color worn was known as St. Patrick's blue-- a light color with shades of green, but not green as green is considered UNLUCKY!  This was traditionally the color from 1783-1921.
Prior to 1971, the holiday was a religious feast and all pubs were required to be closed.  Now, while drinking seems to be the point of the holiday for many, in Ireland, they do not offer green beer.
The shamrock is not the national symbol of Ireland and while it is associated with St. Patrick, that shamrock is a three leafed clover, not the "lucky" four leafed clover.  The three leafed clover is symbolic of the Holy Trinity.
St. Patrick's Day parades began in the US and started with a parade in New York City in 1762.  The first St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland was in 1931.
St. Patrick actually died on March 17 but that was not his birthday.

Many Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day with corned beef and cabbage and it is believed that eating this dish started here because the Irish wife would go to the local Jewish deli and get the cured meat.  Paring it with cabbage was inexpensive and the delicious dish took hold.  In Ireland, a family would likely have had pork and potatoes.
Funny how all this has evolved into something strange and different from the original roots.  Growing up I always panicked because I didn't have a green shirt and would claim my hazel eyes were enough.    But today, I wore green, and tonight, we are having corned beef--- in a way---we are having Reuben Sandwiches as we love sauerkraut and the beef on the lightly toasted rye bread.  No green beer in our house tonight but I will stop a moment and honor my Irish roots and long for the day I can stand on Irish soil!

The art of baking a pie

When I was a child, cooking dinner was one of my daily chores.  Dinner did not vary much, as our dad was a meat and potato kind of guy so we were not allowed to get creative at all.  Every now and then we could  make a dessert-- usually chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but one thing he really liked was Lemon Meringue Pie.  I am sure my mom had cookbooks (but I don't remember them too much)  but not much was made from scratch in our home.  Our Lemon Meringue Pie was made with a box of jello pudding pie filling and then the meringue.
I did not grasp the intricacies of making meringue-- not until I was an adult and looking back on my first pie, I did not understand how to make a lemon pie either!  I followed the directions on the box and watched the pie bake, anticipating how good it was going to taste.  After dinner, I proudly served my fresh pie and although it was not  a thing of beauty, after all, the meringue did not set well but at least everyone was willing to eat it... that was until their first bite.
It had no flavor!  I did not know the little capsule inside the jello box was the lemon flavoring and had thrown it away thinking it was a preservative!  I was so embarrassed and I don't know how long it took me to attempt another dessert for the family.  But did I learn my lesson?  NO-- it took years for me to figure out that there were instructions for a reason.  That when the directions say beat for 2 minutes on medium and three minutes on high that it makes a difference! Or pre-heating the oven and setting the timer can make or break your dinner or dessert.
Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my very favorite desserts.  I have made low calorie, weight watcher ones (not very tasty) but it wasn't until yesterday I found a good recipe and attempted, once again, to make a perfect pie.  For me, it isn't effortless but it is enjoyable.  This time, I had problems with separating the egg whites from the yolks and then burned my first meringue.  I wasn't going to let this pie beat me, so I made another meringue and watched slowly brown and viola!  we had a beautiful, tart, lemon pie that I am quite proud of.
Here's to learning, even decades after a mistake and here's to being willing to try again!

Spring Cleaning

Why do we do spring cleaning?  Did you know there are some cultures who historically have been "spring cleaning" for centuries?  The Jewish custom is to clean in preparation for Passover (and honor the exodus from Egypt) while the Chinese clean before their New Year to rid their homes of bad luck and misfortune.  Many of us clean to air out the home from the winter months, sort of like coming out of hibernation and a closed up home.
I like to spring clean.  I like to go through my closet, try things on again, sort through clothes I did not wear last year and start paring down.  That way  I know what I might "NEED" for the summer!  I also clean most of the cabinets-- not all, but most and check expiration dates.  I rarely clean out my crafting area-- maybe re-organize it but I don't normally discard or donate much of the stock I have on hand!
Growing up, I don't remember spring cleaning as our home, for the most part was spotless all the time.  When we lived near the beach, our dad would check windowsills for salt (there was always salt) and our closets and drawers were constantly being checked for neatness.  It was a way of life that I now appreciate.   I also learned during my childhood that we all see different degrees of clean and each of us are wired into those degrees of cleanliness.
I found a list today on areas of spring cleaning people often neglect and decided I would make sure those were taken care of this week if at all possible!  Some I don't think we ever do, others we take care of when needed:

A great beginning!  

(1)  Trash Cans (usually cleaned when necessary)  (2)  Medicine Cabinets (3)  Blinds and window sills (4)  Behind appliances   (5)  Under the sinks (6) Oven  (7)  Mattress (8)  Dishwasher (9)  Door jams and trim  (10)  AC Vents (11)  Empty and clean all shelves in refrigerator AND a carry over from my childhood (12)  Fingerprints on light switches and around doors
So while March teases us with good weather, one of us is outside, getting the yard prepped for a beautiful Spring and Summer and the other is cleaning out the refrigerator and cabinets.  Room by room, just a few minutes (or hours) a day and we will get our home spruced up by April --maybe.

The Ego vs The True Self

Ego has always fascinated me.  I used to listen to my parents talk about their day and one of them would always have to trump the other on how bad things were or something wonderful that had happened.  I thought that was normal but it unsettled me.  As I matured, I discovered things about myself and my past that were in the way of where I wanted to be or attaining goals I set for myself.

Recently I read that a healthy ego is the ability to regulate painful emotions rooted in anger and fear.

This really makes sense to me.  

Having a weak or unhealthy ego, according to the article I read said that the person with this undeveloped ego tends to live life and acts in defensive ways.  They waste a lot of time fighting reality and have unrealistic expectations of what "should" happen in order for them to feel valued.  They often believe relationships are merely absence of emotional pain, fear and anger.  

People who have a strong, healthy ego are optimistic and have a strong sense of being capable.  They have the ability to regulate their emotions and to increase their chances of finding new ways of coping with challenges.  They do not personalize what others say or do.  They understand the difference between wants and needs and also see challenges as things that can and cannot be changed and adjust accordingly.

A healthy ego is essential to personal happiness and allows a person to adapt, to be flexible and to take on challenges and end with positive results.  

The more I read on this, the more I see areas in my own life where I have unhealthy or weak ego issues. Each area can be challenging to work on but it is great to celebrate even the successes as they come along.  I found this visual quite helpful and even found good word choices to use in difficult situations.  We are all works in progress.  Pardon me, please while I am under construction!

My Grandmother's Quilt

One of the things on my bucket list was to finish a quilt I had started.  I had it all pieced together but I just could not do the finishing portion.  I loved the quilting---even though my friend kept telling me my stitches were too big.  I enjoyed the piecing too-- creating the perfect design based on my color palette but I couldn't finish it.  Maybe if I had the right set up I could have done it.  I kept that quilt for about ten years and finally, when we were moving I put it in the Goodwill bag.  I am sad I didn't finish it so that I could have a quilt that could become an heirloom for one of the grandchildren.  But what I have is even better!  I have my grandmother's quilt.
My Aunt gave me a quilt years ago that she says my grandmother made.  I never knew her as she died before my mother was even an adult.  It is absolutely beautiful and I see it every day as we have hung it on a wall in our home (we researched how to hang an heirloom quilt, mind you, and have taken care in hanging it).  The pattern is likely Grandma's Flower Garden and was most popular after 1925 but is traced back to the 1700's in England.  Many quilts that have survived from the 1930-1940's are this pattern.
In addition to this quilt, I have a puff quilt my mother made in around 1970.  That quilt is made of left over material from my younger sister's dresses.  The weird thing, is that quilt is falling apart.  My guess is the quality of thread used at the time did not withstand like the thread from the 30's!  I must see about getting it restored so that it too, can become an heirloom for my grandchildren.
I love hand made quilts and am always on the lookout for a great quilt, in good condition that I can actually use!  So many are ripped or worn thin and if I find one in good condition, I cannot afford it!  I would love to find an old Amish quilt in the beautiful colors and patterns they enjoy using.  I prefer hand sewn, hand pieced quilts.  There's just something beautiful about all the small, neat stitches and the time it took someone to cut, piece, quilt and finish the work of art that gives me joy.
I am so grateful I have Leda's quilt-- it is the only thing I have of hers and someday, one of the grandchildren will have it.  I hope they will cherish it as much as I do.

If most of us worked with this philosophy, can you imagine what could be accomplished?  It would be pleasant to work with others with the same philosophy.  This would make the work place less stressful, even when the tasks are so daunting!  It would make each person feel valued and that their contribution was needed and appreciated.  Each task completed would be done correctly (hopefully) and would not need to be re-done.
This can and should be carried into the home as well... or maybe it should have started there.  Growing up, we always heard "a job worth doing is worth doing well" and I often find myself analyzing a task either at work or home and thinking if I am going to put energy into it, I want to do it once and be done when possible.  I don't like going back to a completed task, if I have finished it, I want it all tied up, filed away and easy to find.  I have yet to find that space in my world-- filed away and easy to find... but I am working on it.  I hope that my autograph is always excellent and when it is not, I want to be gracious enough to see where I need to improve.  This quote was a great reminder today and I wanted to share it.

Barbie

Actually it's 56th!  But I like the picture on pink!

The Barbie doll  was introduced in 1959-I was seven years old and I, like most girls wanted one.   She was introduced in March, just in time to gear up for Christmas sales.  I did not believe in Santa at that time of my life (I had been told at a very young age, he was not real which is another story!) so I asked my mom for a Barbie for Christmas.  My cousin got Barbie, my neighbor that I played with got Barbie but I got a Babette (the fake Barbie).  Not only did I get the fake, but I opened a box that had a Barbie in it but my mom told me I had to give it to a child who was not having a Christmas that year and she took it away.  Looking back, I am sure she had a reason for this, but to a seven year old, that reason did not make any sense at all. This particular Christmas did so much damage to me that it took years to even begin to understand why it happened and how to overcome the feelings I had.
When my mother died I was 32 years old and her older sister came to be with us and to go through her belongings.  We became good friends and we kept saying to each other it was sort of odd that all these years had passed and we had no relationship and suddenly we did.  She would come each summer for a few weeks and we would craft together, go shopping, watch tv, just spend time getting to know each other and build a great bond.  One day, we were at a store and in the toy section and we passed the Barbie dolls.  I told her I had never had one and went on to tell her what I remembered when I was seven.  She told me what she remembered of that Christmas and it sort of made me feel better but still not whole and not understanding why my mom did what she did.  When we got home later that day, she came into my room and gave me a bag.  In the bag was a  Barbie. My first Barbie at age 32.  I was overwhelmed with emotions --I still am at her kindness in trying to repair the past.
I understand it's just a doll.  In 1959, they sold for $3.00. I would suppose Babette was 99 cents.   In 1959, Barbie had a black and white bathing suit and amazing collection of clothes and tiny little high heeled shoes.  She eventually had a car, a boyfriend, a house and in 1963, she had a friend named Midge.
The other day, I noticed it was close to the time Barbie was introduced at the American International Toy Fair in March of 1959.  The first year, there were over 300,000 dolls sold.  A fact I did not know was the woman who created Barbie, Ruth Handler was married to Elliot Handler and it was he and his friend Matt Matson who started MATTEL.  Just when Disney was launching the Mickey Mouse Club on television, Mattel invested in advertising and Barbie's sales skyrocketed Mattel into it's quick fame and fortune!
Barbie has gone through many changes in her life and she seems to be facing competition from Bratz,  Monster High, Ana and Elsa, and American Girl dolls.  Only time will tell if she survives, but she has definitely had a long successful run!  Happy 56th Birthday, Barbie!

O R E O Cookies

Did you know that today is the 103rd anniversary of the Oreo cookie?  Oreo's were introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912-- that means most of us have grown up with this delicious cookie.  Growing up, a bag of these cookies were reserved for our dad, however, I always snuck a few!  But I did not like and still do not care for the "knock-off" version of an Oreo cookie.  If I am going to eat one, I want the real deal.
There are several stories as to how the name came about, after all, not a common name by any means!  First, the name could have been taken from the French word for "gold", which was the color of the early packaging.  Or, it could have come from the greek word for mountain but makes no sense at all. Finally, it could be the combination of taking the "re" in cream and combining that with the two "o's" in chocolate, sandwiching that together making Oreo.
People love their Oreo cookies and each has their unique way to eat them.  There are those that just love to dunk them in a cold glass of milk, those that twist off each chocolate piece and lick the cream off the cookie (that is my favorite way) and those that just bite right into them and enjoy!
There are hundreds of recipes that use Oreo's that range from cakes, to pies, to milkshakes and holiday treats. There are even crafts you can make using an Oreo cookie!   I remember years ago eating a dessert called Death by Oreo and while I don't remember all that was in it, I remember it was delicious and that later that night I had Oreo dreams!  Probably dreams brought on by guilt!
If I was going to buy a bag of cookies, this would be my first choice.  Followed by Double Stuff Oreo's, followed by the vanilla ones.  An Oreo is a good cookie choice... even if they aren't homemade.

Happy People

Thought this was quite interesting!  Twelve things happy people do.  Some are things I am working on, some are part of how I live and a few I need to implement in my life right now.  I am going to work on number 8... increasing flow experiences.
Never heard of this quite this way and what I see that jumps out at me is that "when you're focused on what you are doing you become one with the task."  I'm not sure about a state of being where I feel like time is standing still, but I can embrace trying to increase flow experiences and working to not allow things to distract me or compete with my focus.
In researching "flow", I found that it was a term was coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 60's when he was studying the creative process.  He found that the key to being in the flow is the balance between skills and challenges.  The benefits of being in the flow include (1)  being involved in life rather than alienated from it.  Being present.  (2)  enjoy activities rather than finding them dreary (3)  having a sense of control rather than helplessness and (4)  to feel a strong sense of self
So, how do we experience this flow experience?  (1)  control attention (focus)  (2)  adopt new values (be open to new and different ideas (3)  learn what flows for you and keep doing that (4)  transform routine tasks (do the task but change how you are doing it-- play music, keep a list, take pictures, change it up!)
It's all pretty interesting.  I recognize now times I have been in the flow and I love those times.  I want more of it and want to be in that flow, or zone more often during each day.  \

Travel

“This heart of mine was made to travel the world.” unknown
Traveling is so exciting for me.  I enjoy all the preparations, making sure I have everything I need and a little more, a good itinerary, staying busy but planning down time as well and seeing everything I can possibly see and do in just a  few days.  
I have a friend who is 73 and she still travels the world, and most of the time by herself.  She amazes me but not only because she goes alone but she travels with a backpack!  I just can't do it.  I mean, I guess I could go alone, but it's the backpack.  I have a hard time wearing clothes several times (that's a sensory issue) and I never know what I will need (will I be too cold or too hot).  It will be that one time I don't take a second pair of shoes, I will have terrible blisters or my shoes will get wet (both have happened) and I am somewhere they don't make shoes in my size (has happened too).  
I have read articles and blogs about how to travel for 10 days and take only 10 total pieces.  I try so hard to pack light but I can't do ten pieces.  It was funny as much as I lightened my load on my trip to England, that my husband was the one that had to do laundry and not me, so I suppose I have reached a degree of success.  
A friend I travelled with told me once it was just wrong to have bad food when you are in a new city.  So good food becomes a priority for us--looking for the good and unique.  In Salisbury, we ate at the location where Churchill and Eisenhower planned the D-Day landings.  Not only a great historical place but amazing food... and we had blood sausage for the first time.  In New York City we ate at the very first pizza restaurant- Lombardi's.  It's always great to find these awesome locations and most times we aren't disappointed.  
Next thing we enjoy are the sites- whether it's historical sites, nature or the theatre, we always make sure we plan something unique and wonderful.  We have been to the Moulin Rouge in Paris --definitely more on the unique side than "wonderful".  I find the historical places so moving and authentic (for the most part) and isn't that part of why people travel?
Trip Advisor is our authority and once we visit somewhere, we give back by writing reviews as well.  Sort of wish we earned reward points with them so we could travel more!
So as I plan our trip to China this month, I am starting to agonize on what to pack, what to remember to take that I can't get there (REALLY... they don't make shoes in my size!), where we can eat, what we will see and how we will embrace their culture.  It will certainly be an adventure, as it always is and in my opinion, I am better for it.  

Manners of the 2000's

Where in the world is Emily Post?  Or does anyone remember her at all?  She was the authority on manners and etiquette and granted that was "back in the day".  But really, we still need manners.
Men don't have to open doors for me or stand when I walk into a room (although that happened to me in Europe and it was kind of nice) but we still need to be respectful and polite.
Without manners, we may be cheating ourselves and our children of opportunities to be kind and to think about the others around us.  It's one thing to use our manners one on one.  Most times, people will say "please" and "thank you" but there are other manners that just seem to be lacking.  Some people are downright rude.  They feel entitled and certainly don't care how their actions and words are affecting the people around them.   Recently I saw a lady drop some things at the grocery store on the floor and she left them there-- just pushed her cart on around and went on.  It's not that hard to pick up the items dropped.  And then there's the thing with guys scratching-- disgusting but I don't want to see it!
We seem to have forgotten how to RSVP (and if suddenly you can't make it-- you need to let the person know if you told them you were coming).  Thank you notes, get well cards and birthday cards shouldn't be a thing of the past.  Even if you don't want to buy one, send an E-card!
With technology, maybe there should be some reminders on when it's not appropriate to be texting (while driving, in a meeting, while talking face to face with someone)! I'm a firm believer that emails should be answered in 24 hours, so if you can't answer at least acknowledge receipt of the email.  Don't hit reply all unless it is necessary.  Keep private conversations private.  Saying "excuse me" and then interrupting is not polite.
I continue to work on these and the more I notice the people around me the more I realize I need to do better and to be kinder.  Thank goodness, my mother gave me a good foundation.

Stay committed to the decision

but stay flexible in your approach.  I really need to learn this.  Well, actually, I have sometimes have a problem even getting to the decision but that's another subject!  Once the decision is made,  it is important to commit to it, to set the goals and to stay strong.  This applies to most area of our lives.  

There are obstacles in the way that set us back.  It's part of this amazing journey we are on in life.

Being able to overcome those obstacles, then set yourself in the flexible approach.

There are a few common areas where we forget what our decision was and get all wound up in the little stuff (and sometimes big stuff).  

Time is a huge factor-- Being realistic on how much time a decision will take is important.  Is this a one day commitment or a three month commitment or a life-long commitment?  Blocking out time, putting energy into the time and being realistic about the time will enhance the success of the commitment.

Chaos-- some people thrive in chaos, it gives them the energy they need to tackle the problem.  Generally, people do not do well with all the chaos and it's best if that's happening to step away and find a quiet place to re-focus and get back to the decision.

Setting priorities-- if the priorities do not fall into our life, it is difficult to reach the completion of the decision.

Procrastinating--the world is full of people that just don't even get started.  I think half the battle is taking the first step. I'd rather take the first step and correct where my energies are to be or change the approach than to not take a step at all, after all, if we don't even make the decision--and that, too is a decision.  

Ownership-- once you make the decision, own it.  That way, you live with the decision, no one forced you into it... it was your choice.  Ownership is empowering.  

I believe the key to being successful with the commitment is being flexible.  Rarely does everything go as planned.  Our last two Easters were rainy.  How were we going to do our activities in the rain?  I am a Plan B person and quickly adjusted the activities and turned the day into a fun, indoor event.

And if Plan B doesn't work, there are 24 other letters!  Being flexible is a component to learning and achieving.  Be flexible in the way you need to, don't get off course by being so flexible that you lose sight of what the commitment to the decision was.  I took a training class that was all about Plan B.  The instructor gave five scenarios  and we were to come up with the next plan.  Three-quarters of the group failed the class because they couldn't come up with the plan.  I was not in that group.  

There are days I don't want to be flexible.  I want to do what I have to do and not have interference, but those days are usually my best days in my life.   Those are usually Plan B or C days!