The Best Laid Plans of Mice And Men Often Go Awry

Robert Burns penned the line "...the best-laid schemes of mice and men can go awry" more than 225 years ago in his poem "To A Mouse." The phrase seems appropriate for the constant changes to the best of plans. John Steinbeck turned the term for his classic, "Of Mice and Men," and the phrase in various forms permanently resides in our cultural lexicon.  This is the phrase that came to mind over the last few days.   On Friday (Sept 8th), Gracie was scheduled for another serious back operation (9 hours) in Denver. As we prepared to leave for the airport in Montana  - the surgeon's PA in Denver called and said that a stress test Gracie had the week before showed something concerning her heart. So we unpacked the car (we were leaving for at least a month's stay in Denver), and the surgery is postponed until she meets with a cardiologist (in two weeks). This operation (her 86th) is to straighten her back another twenty percent - so that she's less bent over (which is extremely painful while also causing her to fall easily). Part of the reason Gracie's had so many operations is the extensive work undertaken decades ago to save her legs - but over time, it resulted in significant damage to her back.  Gracie's life is hard - but she has "...strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."  In the meantime, I recall the adage, "Blessed are the flexible ...for they shall not be bent out of shape."   "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."  Proverbs 16:9