Memorial Day

As I was driving into town the other day, I choose to take a side street that lead me by the large cemetery in town. There were flags up and down the edge of the street. When I stopped at the light was a hill filled with flags--US and Texas to represent the war dead. I was humbled. Both my parents and husband were Army, not career Army but were in the Army. My parents Korea and my husband Vietnam. For each and every one of them they loved the Army. My mom said it was the time in her life when she felt the safest. She always knew she had three squares a day and a bed.

I was fortunately that all my loved ones returned.

Several years ago my husband and I took my children to Gettysburg. As we walked among the grave, you could feel the sadness of this place. Each of the Union soldiers had a headstone. The confederates were in a field, unidentified. I understood why, but it saddened me.

As we were walking back to our car, some parents we standing on the path and letting their small children run over all the grave, playing chase and laughing. How sad that their parents allowed that disrespect.

This weekend it my hope that you will pause that think of all those brave souls who died for this great nation. May God bless them.

My Latest Signing.

This weekend I'll be signing my last book, GUARDED SECRETS, at the Barns & Noble in Higland Village. If you're anywhere in the neighborhood, I hope you'll drop by and see me. This signing will be a multi-author event. The complete address is:

Barnes and Noble Booksellers
4100 Deer Creek Suite 100
Highland Village, Texas 75077
Phone (972) 966-0099

A new Day

It's still nice enough to work outside in the garden. And with all those beautiful flowers has come growth on all plants. It's like the all my plants have taken growth hormones. Weeds have also enjoyed this time of plenty. My problem is I want to play in the garden, but what I really need to do is write.

I make myself a promise, if I write first, then I can play. Rats.

More about Mom's

I asked my local writing group for stories about their moms.
A friend wrote she had a wonderful story about her mother-in-law, Cotton Gaulden. When she felt sad, she used to grab a dust cloth and sing hymns while dusting something related to the sadness, like pictures of deceased love ones. She never complained.
Another is from a friend of mine who was adopted and always said a prayer to her birth mother, thanking her for not aborting her. My son said this to me a couple of times while in college and began to realize abortion was not about making decisions for ones own body.
Georgeanne (Gigi)

Tribute to Moms

I'd like to spend a little more time thanking moms. One day just doesn't seem like enough. I also going to ask several friends for their tributes.

As I said yesterday, my mother was a nurse. An army nurse. She was and is amazing. I love listening to her stories about when she was in the Army. When she joined, it wasn't a common occurrence. She tells a tale of when she was on the ward and bathing her patients, if she got a 'suggestive' comment from her patients, she'd stop, look them in the eye and say, "Would you say that to your mother? Your sister? Then don't say it to me." Now, once the guys knew they had to respect her, mother would walk across hot coals for her patients.

Mom had a heart as big as Texas. When she did public health nursing, at Christmas time she'd bake breads and take them to her patients. It might be the only gift they got.

She is someone I admire, like, and love.

Happy Mother's Day

I want to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day. Life changes dramatically when you become a mother. It's no longer just you and your hubby. There's another little life depending on you. My husband likes to tease me that I just got over my postpartum depression when the kids went to high school. I ask you what does he know?

I will say that I was overwhelmed with baby one. Suddenly, I was to know how to do this thing of being a mother. How? When my husband brought me home from the hospital his family was gathered at the house. I wanted to hide in the bedroom and cry. It is the on the job training. I was successful in some area and in others, I needed a lot of prayer.

My mom is a amazing woman. She could battle an army and not be tired. Well, she was an Army nurse for a brief time and has the gift of nursing. If you were sick, she was the nurse you wanted on the case. She knew when something was going wrong with her patient and she'd fight tooth and nail for that patient. Many a doctor thought she was a pain in the rear, but they wanted her for their patients and their families.

I didn't get that gift of nursing, but I always knew when my babies were sick. How? They smelled different. I could smell the change in their body chemistry. You may doubt me, but when I took them to the doctor, they were sick.

I want to thank my mother for all her care and wish her a wonderful day. And to all the other mothers, have a blessed day.

My favor color

Purple is my favorite color and I have so many varieties of purple Irises. Walking out in the morning, I love cutting off a fresh flower and bring them inside. Once the Iris start blooming, I have fresh flowers every day.

When I was teaching, I brought in fresh flowers everyday and gave them to the school secretary so everyone could enjoy them.

One of the guilty

Here's a picture of one of the guilty squirrels in my yard. Over the winter, mom and dad had babies. At breakfast this morning, my husband and I saw 4 baby squirrels running up and down my neighbor's tree having fun. This guys steal bulbs and chew bark. If I still have my dog--a sweet Boston Terrier, he'd keep them out of the yard. Maila needs to come and chase those stinkers out of my yard.