MONDAY MUSINGS

Today is my hubby's birthday. Yay! We will not be doing anything spectacularly exciting, because we already did it. A week ago Sunday we had a surprise party for him. He was VERY surprised, too. And I am not sure he is past being a little annoyed with me for that. He had a mountain of fun that day and evening, but he had specifically told me to never give him a surprise party. Oops. What could I do? His close friends and my son really wanted to have one for him. Plans had already been made. People invited. All he had to do was just suck up the embarrassment of folks yelling "surprise" and go with the flow. ::smile:: It was very amusing to watch his reaction...and also whip his head around (a la Linda Blair) to glare at me. Again, not my fault! Anyway, he had a blast, so I am counting that as his birthday present. For the most part. I do need to hit the stores today to find something a bit special to give him. And the four of us will be going out to dinner this evening. A quiet meal at a lovely restaurant is in order.

July's birthstone is a ruby. I treated myself on Saturday to a beautiful one and had it set into a ring I have that already had two diamonds in it. The ruby sits nicely between those two diamonds. I call it my "love" ring. Both of my children are April babies, and the birthstone for that month is a diamond. I told the hubster that this ring represents the three people I love most in this world...him and our son and daughter. Hence, the love. What else I bought at the jeweler's that day has nothing to do with anything except I was in a very heavy bling mood. This coming Saturday, I will be sporting one heckuva new ring on my left hand. I incorporated my original engagement ring diamond into a new setting. I have never been one to trade up diamonds. That specific diamond was selected by us as a newly engaged couple, and the sentimental value is far too great to part with it. So, I just chose a honker big diamond to go next to that one and also purchased one that is the same size as the engagement diamond to go on the other side. A nice three diamond ring. And I earned that rock that will reside in between that diamond and the other one I purchased. It is going to be fabulously beautiful. Hmmm...maybe I can count those things as hubby's birthday presents? Nah.

Mom is going into the hospital today. The doctors think she will be in there for four days. IV heart medications will attempt to restore her heart to a normal rhythm (the pacemaker has been unable to do so) and help with her atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, they have told her she will most likely need to have her heart shocked back into rhythm (cardioversion). She has had that procedure done once before, but its positive effects did not last. One more go 'round, and hopefully, that will do the trick. God love her. She has requested a private room. They said they would do the best they can to try to fulfill her wish. With all four of us girls and our spouses and children, it can be extremely boisterous when we visit. She wants us to be able to see her and make her laugh without worrying about disturbing a roommate. We have all had such bleak and horrifying experiences with that particular hospital, and it would be nice to be able to put aside those memories for a time and help Mom make the best of the days she is forced to be there.

I want to urge anyone and everyone who reads this blog to stop by another journal called, "Hunter and Hunted: The Dark Rambler." Click on the name to be taken there. It is one of the best fictional stories I have read in many moons. It is written and published by Bon and Mal, genuinely good people. Quite a chilling and fascinating tale they have created. And, it is not finished! Yay. More chapters to come. Do read it. I feel certain you will not be able to tear your eyes away from it once you begin.

Our tickets for the King Tut Exhibit in Chicago have arrived via mail. I am very much looking forward to those four days there. Aside from the fact I love that city with an intense passion, I want to get away. I NEED to get away. Relaxation mixed with visiting some of the many sights I have yet to explore will be good for my spirit. For all of our spirits.

And with that, off I go. Much to do today.

"On Monday, when the sun is hot, I wonder to myself a lot: 'Now is it true, or is it not, that what is which and which is what?' " ~A. A. Hodge