I Am No Hero

Time to reveal a fact....I am not a hero. Although some have called me that, I want to assure you that I am not.  I think I may have been tagged this because I became caregiver for my husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer's and my Mother who until her death about 1 1/2 years ago was 91 and in failing health.  I was labeled a hero, a saint, and that I would go straight to heaven etc etc.  Believe me, I appreciate the kind thoughts, but I do believe that all of us, given the opportunity would be heroes and you would think the same way as me.  Not a hero, just doing what needs to be done out of love.  I love my husband (you know the part about 'through sickness and in health?') and I loved my Mother.  Those last few years with her were priceless, I wouldn't trade those days in for anything. Granted there were days that if I heard "what's for dinner" one more time, I would be ready to throw in the towel.  But most days were filled with getting to know my Mother all over again.

But just to show you that I am definitely not a hero, I am going to reveal some dark secrets about myself.  Probably too much information, but this will definitely make you change your mind about me being a hero.  I do disgusting things like "pee" in the shower.  I don't know if any of you have done this, don't have to reveal if you have, but when that water starts streaming, the urge just hits.  And the clean-up is really easy while standing in the shower.  Disgusting, I know....hero? I don't think so.  Another secret, I am constantly picking my ears...they itch and I can't help but give in to the urge to pick, usually with a Q-tip, but if one is not around, I have been known to pick up a bobby-pin to relieve that tickling itch. So disgusting, am I now slipping further and further away from being your hero??  And another one, last one, I promise.  I look in the mirror (magnifying, I might add) and look for a pimple, black-head, clogged pore anything that might need some squeezing.  I know, bad, bad thing to do to your face, but again, another disgusting secret. All of these disgusting secrets (no longer!!) are done behind closed doors and will remain behind closed doors eventho I revealed them to God and all right here in print. I can just imagine what my daughter is saying about right now, that is if she is reading this, Oh Mom, how disgusting, yep.

I bet each and everyone of you have some little secrets that you keep all to yourself.  And I am certainly NOT going to ask you to share them, because they would definitely not be secrets any longer.  But my main intent in this "reveal" was to wash away any thoughts that I could possibly be a hero, what hero pees in the shower, picks their ears and squeezes whatever on their face and then has the "gall" to put it all on a blog??

These are the heroes of my story.....my Mother and my Husband in earlier times, Easter 2010.

"Treasure each other in the recognition that we do not know how long we will have each other."  ~  Joshua Liebman

Until next time.....

Water, Water Everywhere

I have been participating in the Leap Into Spring photo challenge (always up for a good challenge) and this week's prompt is "water, rain, etc."  I have waited all week for it to rain here, and it did on Friday night, but by the time I got out with my camera all the puddles, drops, and splashes had disappeared.  So I am going to have to revert to some of my older pics....not too old, less than a month, to fill this post with water and things associated with water.

First up...a little story.  One afternoon I was sitting on my brother's deck in Galveston, half snoozing, half looking around for any possible photo ops when I spotted this heron across the canal.  I watched and this is what unfolded....

Wonder if there is anything edible in these waters...Hmmm, is anybody watching?

Maybe if I lean over I can find something...

Oh just a little bit further...oh I hope nobody is watching my butt sticking out but whatever that is, I just have to get it...

Ahh got it but not sure it was worth all that effort.

The next day, it turned cloudy and the ocean became really rough, but rough seas never stopped AJ from tackling the waves....

The remains of little bits from the sea, I love the trail of bubbles.....

Hoping to get a pic of some brightly colored umbrellas lined up on the beach we stopped and wandered around....the pics were not what I wanted, I didn't want all those people cluttering up my shot but they did not listen to me when I asked them to leave and I even said please.

I did see this cutie patootie having fun all by himself....wonder if he has aspirations of becoming a plumber?

Lovers on the beach....reminds me of that song from Grease..."You're the one that I want. ohh ohh ohh"

And finally, several of the evenings we would make it a point to be at the beach for the sunset, we had it timed perfectly for the best shots.  I would come home with probably 100 shots of that evening's sunset, but this one surprised me.  I think it was just a a moment when my focus was on the bushes and there must have been a cloud that surrounded the sun just perfectly that it resulted in this heart shape.  I added the text, but did nothing to the pic itself.

I am linking up to Nancy at

Alicia at

                                                 

And Rebecca at

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday and a marvelous week ahead....

Until next time.....

Saturday ~

It is abnormally cool, kinda wet, but not enough wet and dreary....just the kind of dreary that makes an afternoon of snuggled up on the couch reading pure pleasure.  Started a new book, Faith by Jennifer Haigh which is our book-club choice for May.  Should bring a lot of discussion due to the subject matter...an Irish Catholic priest from Boston is accused of child molestation and it's effects it has on him and his family.  It's fiction, but I am sure very real-life telling.  And, before you know it, it is going to be warm enough to sit and read on the backporch, which is on my list of top 10 things to do any day, every day.

March was so incredibly warm that I really hoped that April would continue, but not so.  April turned out to be almost like March usually is, cool, cloudy, blustery.  Between the confusing weather patterns and all that crazy talk about the Mayan calendar and the "end" of the world I was beginning to freak myself out.  As a result I thought, crazy thoughts, what if all this talk is true??  And then it dawned on me, why worry, if it happens there isn't a darn thing anybody can do.   Prepare yourself spiritually and go forward with your daily living.  And on top of all that, who says the Mayan's are the one's that end this world?  I do believe that power and that decision belongs to someone far greater than the Mayans.  And right now I am wondering how I ever got onto this subject.

Next subject.....this morning my good friend, Marti hosted a wonderful brunch today as a fund raiser for one of her favorite charities, one that she has invested much of her time and heart to, The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research.  There were approximately 20 women that attended, some I knew, some I didn't but it was a delightful morning and a delicious brunch.  Marti outdid herself on the food and her hospitality.  As a thank-you for our donations, not only did we enjoy the over-the-top mouthwatering brunch but we all took home a T-shirt (Marti is modeling).  We were invited to wear our pajamas and I really thought about it, but changed my mind and wore just regular clothes.  Several did wear their comfy pj's, lucky them, their waistline's were all stretch elastic, they could handle more food intake than I could with regular slacks.

On each table, Marti had placed these darling pots of Ranunculas with a THANKS pic sticking out of each pot, which I am sure she did herself, Marti is quite the talented lady.

I stepped outside momentarily because her backyard was beginning to show it's color with these beautiful flowers....the perennial geranium.....

and the Aliums were beginning to burst into bloom.....

After that wonderful layout of food, I came home to sit and read for awhile, but not for long....my head began to bob, and slumber set in.

I am linking up today over at Nancy's A Rural Journal, she is hosting a link-up in honor of a blogging friend that is suffering from cancer.  We were asked to deliver flowers to Leontien by way of Nancy's blog...what a sweet, sweet gesture.  Praying for strength and healing for you, huge virtual hugs.

"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small.  We haven't the time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time."  ~  Georgia O'Keeffe

Until next time.....