Stream of unconsciousness

Inspirations - thoughts, at least - reading my inbox first thing with my coffee:

After exquisite planning, my friend Gini got into a hellacious mess trying to ship a dog on a plane, repeatedly getting wrong information.  The military saying that covers this is -

"Any well executed battle plan is obsolete once the first shot is fired."

 
Google sent me its daily alert showing internet sites that mention dalaigrandma. It is not very picky, and sent me to an article titled "Grandma next door" poet a Japan bestseller at 99."  Here is a bit of it:

Shibata began her literary journey at 92 when she could no longer continue with her decades-long hobby of classical Japanese dance due to back pain. Her son Kenichi, currently in his mid-60s, recommended she try poetry writing.

I see I am one of many bloggers around the world remarking on this.  Kin to people in Singapore, Malaysia, Maryland . . .

Writer's Almanac tells me it is the birthday of poet Robert Burns. He worked as a farmer and tax collector, a pretty Zen style of being a poet.  My father once wrote to me - I must have sent him a poem - "Keep it up and maybe you'll be famous when you're dead."  Yes, this felt cruel and discouraging, the way unwelcome reality can, but it didn't stop me.  My father is long dead now, and so is Bobby Burns, who I am sure doesn't care whether he is famous now, didn't care during the years he spent wandering around collecting traditional Scottish folk songs.