Monday, May 2, 2011

Little blessings.

Yup, I know it's after 3:00A.M. (early Monday morning)  Regular people should be sleeping.  But we don't fit the profile of "regular people" anymore, well at least ever since the tumor diagnosis "Shattered our Dreams" on November 15.  Time of day just doesn't apply when you're dealing with cancer.

This Saturday and Sunday were actually boring, which to US is a Blessing!  Sounds nuts, I guess.  But it is a fact.  It's our "new normal"; and even boring is wonderful!

Both days we've been watching great movies on the Hallmark Channel, occasionally interrupted by taking Rocky out to pee and poop, and wishing I could take Paul outside to do the same!  Visualize that! (It's a joke, people! Please don't think I'm being mean.)

Sunday evening began perfectly:  lit the new gas grill,

put some potatoes in the oven to bake, then put 2 Cajun Stuffed pork chops on the grill.  We had a yummy dinner!  Paul ate every bit!!  Plus ice cream sandwiches for dessert!

After that, (for the 3rd time today) I changed the bedding.  This takes almost an hour each time.  Stinky, not real fun, but hey: "stuff" happens!!  My crazy brain deems it a Blessing cuz it means Paul's gizzard and plumbing are still working!  Plus it gives me something to do.

Paul was always meticulously groomed EVERY day.  Took great personal pride in himself, NOT because it mattered to me, but because it mattered to HIM!  He shaved every day, and even on his days off!!  I loved that about my guy!  Other guys don't "clean up" on days off, but I have NEVER EVER seen my dear hubby all gross and unshaven, EVER!  So this is on my priority list to make certain he still gets all that daily.

After finding out tonight on Fox News that Bin Laden was dead I sat on the bed with Paul wanting to chat about this news.  Was thinking that my always-politically-savvy-hubby (military call sign "Winger" not because he's a pilot but for his staunch right-wing beliefs) would get excited and I could get a glimpse of his old self.  Nope.  Didn't happen.

Well, I still have an opinion (which I kept to myself but will tell you).  To me the bullet that killed Eric came indirectly from that evil man.  I'm glad Bin Laden is dead.  (Even though it's probably an un-Christian way to feel.)  And I'm pretty sure that neither Eric, nor Paul, nor I, nor anyone who Believes, shall have to face him in heaven.  Good riddance.  

But, I'm tired.  OK, I'm exhausted, bedtime...

[Will save this post as a draft, then edit and publish it later.  Love this blog stuff.  Gives me a way to vent and share all at the same time.]

Today, May 2, is my oldest grandchild's birthday!!  Happy Birthday, Jeremy!!  When Jeremy was 7 years old he flew to New York City to visit with me.  I lived on the upper east side of Manhattan when I was based there while flying "International trips" for Continental.  We DID the city!  Here's a photo I took of him at the top of the World Trade Center/South Tower.  That's the roof of the North Tower building in the background.  Someday Jeremy will be able to show his children and grandkids this memorable picture.  I transferred and moved back to Houston 6 months prior to the terrorist attacks on September 11.
Happy 18th Birthday, Jeremy!!  We love you!!
Remember, Uncle Sam does NOT need you.

We had visitors this afternoon!  Neil and Shirley Pedersen who are fairly new friends of ours, came over bringing homemade cookies and a beautiful Calla Lily plant.  Here's a little background info.  For about 2 years prior to Paul's brain tumor diagnosis we had gone to several RV Shows, accumulated tons and tons of RV knowledge and used up well over 4 packs of printer paper via the internet, subscribed to every RV magazine available, joined the "Good Sam RV Club" and lots of other similar RV clubs, put the house on the market, sold most of the furniture, and had finally decided on our "Dream" RV manufactured by Tiffin.  As members of several RV forums, we noticed that Neil and Shirley were living OUR "retirement dream" in OUR "dream" RV, on the road traveling to Florida for the winter, and were temporarily located in a campground just a few miles away!  So I emailed this guy trying to make a connection and maybe get a chance to see their RV and pick their brains about the lifestyle!!  The story gets really funny now cuz Shirley tells me they were VERY skeptical about meeting "STRANGERS" from the internet, so they responded to my email that they would meet us at a local public establishment, in broad daylight!  We met.  We all totally "gelled", and they comfortably followed us home to continue chatting!!  I guess they realized we weren't whacko internet serial killers like you see in the movies!!  Fear long gone, we quickly and easily became good friends.  We later visited them at the campground and both of us just knew they were wonderful people!  So a true friendship had begun.  Paul and I planned on someday "traveling" with them.  Sometimes you just KNOW in your heart and soul that you have met really good people.  Gotta trust your gut.  It was only a few weeks later that we got the diagnosis of the tumor, shattering all of those dreams.

We have kept in touch.  And now they are here in Texas for a few weeks, heading back towards Oregon for the summer.  Ahhhh, what a lifestyle!!  They are wonderful folks, and we consider their friendship another Blessing.  Thank you, Neil and Shirley, you have truly enriched our lives.
 TRY to notice the lovely Calla Lilies!!

About 2 minutes after Neil and Shirley arrived, Janis and Clark Nielsen rang the doorbell!!

That was when I remembered Clark's phone call last week about coming to visit today.  [Note to self:  write everything down on the calendar!!]  The Nielsens had driven here from Corpus Christi (about 4 hours)!  At first I was a little bit concerned about how Paul was going to react to all of these people here at once, but those concerns were quickly squashed.  It was wonderful!  I quickly noticed how Paul was REALLY enjoying the impromptu "party".  It really took the pressure off of him to have to try to speak cuz we were all just chatting away!  He couldn't have gotten a word in IF he wanted to try!!  Duh.  IT WAS PERFECT!!  [Note to self: disregard previous note to self!!] 

Naturally the conversation turned toward the Bin Laden news.  It was immediately obvious that we were all on the "same page" about this great news.  So Clark runs out to his car and fetches a chilled bottle of Champagne so we can offer up a "toast" to the Navy Seals who brilliantly completed their mission of divine justice, and we then more importantly toasted those heroic soldiers like Eric who had fallen but who had most probably dreamed of being the one to pull the trigger.  

We were reminded of another Blessing today, being an American.  God bless our wonderful country.
       


      



 





      

No comments:

Post a Comment