Palm Sunday, 2010

It's been a wonderfully lazy Sunday--Palm Sunday--on the river. The hub is back on U.S. soil, amen! He's at home with the kid who seems to be needing a lot of DK time (dad/kid) right about now. Oy. To be a 16 year-old boy. No thank you. Not even a 16 year-old girl, that I somehow remember oh-so-well--even more so. Ooooof. Palm Sunday.

There was a time when I would have spent Palm Sunday, first thing, in Church with all the boys. Hub, teenager and kid. Growing up, I attended a Baptist church through my best friends. While, we, as a family--three boys and girl respectively--were brought up more spiritually, my brothers and I, by my parents. Yes, we believed in God and Jesus, but we weren't expected to attend church to prove it. As a teenager, I knew I would find my perfect partner and convert to his religion--if, in fact, he were religious. Never dwelled on it--just seemed the course. Low and behold, I met the hub. My one-and-only. I began the process of becoming a Catholic. I was baptised in the Church, having never being baptised. Go figure. Amy was my "sponsor," and I still think of her as my Godmother sent to me from Heaven above way before I was baptised. The hub was my "sponsor" when I was Confirmed into the Catholic Church. And, so, we brought the boys up Catholic. Went to church every Sunday with them. Well, almost. Once they were confirmed, it was their decision to go to church or not. Today? Me? I dunno. I still SO believe in God and Jesus, as I was brought up to do. But church? Hmmm. I have seen so much hatred and bad coming from organized religion these days in the United States, I just don't know. . . . . How can people call themselves a child of God and push so much hate? I just don't understand. And it breaks my heart. Today? I seem to be more in being with the river.

K, off my soapbox.

Yesterday, I went into town and was in the mood for finding something "fresh" for the house, Riverside. Coming home, I took the "scenic" route and had to stop off at the park and take a few snaps. It is absolutely breathtaking from the top of the bluffs. The sailboats, in the distance, were mesmerizing. I love the views from here. It is absolutely gorgeous on and off of Mobile Bay.

Everything is popping here. And I have the pollen all over the place to prove it, including the bedroom. I had, mistakenly, left all the windows open for the weekend. Oy. (Painter coming in the morning so all is closed up tight now!)

Beautiful, in spite of having to take extra Zyrtec. Well worth it. Of course.

At home, at 8:30 pm., it was lights' out. Earth hour. I did it. I thought I would forget--after all, I'm on the river and quite riversorry, in truth. But alas, I remembered.

And, what did I do for an hour? lol. Once a photog, always a photog. Or should I say phot-hog? What in the world did I do all those years when I gave it up? Oh yea, raised my boys. Heart heart.

I do so enjoy it--trying to get that snap that relays your feelings at the moment. Notice the word snap. No longer do I spend hours in the darkroom.

Bella, trying to be a tough-ass in the candle-lit room. This, Riverside, is her first and absolute home, btw.

She does love it here; and, thus, another OMMMMM moment by the Bell. Bad girl.

K, moving forward to Sunday, Palm Sunday. Dar called from a couple of houses down and said that she and Linda were painting--NOT the kind of painting going on down here on the river, mind you. Nope, that girl is an artist. She was artistically painting--painting several signs for a local studio in Magnolia River. So talented that woman. Brought my camera. Did I take a photo??? Nope. In the short time I have known her, I already call her a dear friend. And a talented one, to boot!

MmmmmkK (as Jacq would say), here's our inspiration. Actually, Darlene's inspiration. Mine was blue for the back door--and I'm not a blue person. NIXED! We went into her front yard and she picked a few azaleas. This is it! The back-door color! Knowing that I am THE most "fuchsia" person ever, I knew it right then that it was the correct color. Then, as if that weren't good enough, Dar, being the perfect person she is, whips out a paint-color fan? How many people do you know has one of those, easily accessible, Sherwin Williams' fans???? Now, how awesome is that? Darlene rocks the river! Not only is fuchsia my all-time favorite color way back from childhood (60s Crayola land) , but the azalea's in her front yard? These are the SAME old-fashioned color of azaleas from my childhood. Sniffle. The ones from our front yard growing up on Fox Street in Arlington, VA. Sniffle. Sniffle. Sniffle.

I am meant to be here. Right now.

Wow.