It was a wonderful birthday this year.

Friday, May 15th was my 53rd birthday. It was a good birthday this year. Spent it with my daughter, my hubby and my grand-daughter and some friends from the Mainland. We had bbq chicken, ribs and hamburgers and hotdogs AND Rachel's world class margaritas. I only had one and was fairly snockered. Yeah, I know, I'm a cheap drunk.

Rachel gave me a makeover for my gift. Haircut and color, massage, manicure and pedicure. I took advantage of that on Saturday. SOOOO, I look brand new and at least 10 years younger. I feel relaxed, my nails on hands and feet look wonderful. I went red for nails and hair! It looks good if I do say so myself. I'll post pictures later.

David, my dear husband, gave me what is probably the best gift I've ever received. He gave me a weekend to myself in a nice hotel in Waikiki. That takes place next weekend, the 29th. I can hardly wait. He arranged for a nurse to come in and take care of him while I am gone. My parents are paying the nurse. My sis gave me a gift certificate to Red Lobster, one of my favorite restaraunts. It is just down the street from the hotel. I am so looking forward to this.

Lots of people would not want to stay in a hotel by themself or eat at a restaraunt alone, but I am going to love this. I have not had a single "day off" in 3 years since David had back surgery. I have to bathe him, dress him, even wipe his butt. He is in a wheelchair and at this point in his life, he can't do anything for himself, except eat and drink and use the computer. I have to serve up and cut up his food, but thankfully he can still feed himself. He is right handed, but can't lift that arm anymore so he uses his left hand. This is hard, since he is pretty weak in that arm too, but we try to have him do what he can for himself. As far as dressing, he can put on his socks, so he does that, but I do the rest. I use a hoyer lift to transfer him from bed to wheelchair or onto the toilet. We don't have a wheel in shower, so I give him a bed bath.

So, this gift from him and my parents and Rachel and my sister, is probably more valuable to me than it would be to most people. I am going to get room service. I am going to walk the beach with my metal detector. I'm going to sit around in the jacuzzi. AND, I look pretty again. What a cool birthday. Thank you, friends and family. You all ROCK!

Kat

Happy Mothers Day....Hawaiian Time

In Hawaii if you are late for anything, you just say you are on Hawaiian time, so this is not a Belated Happy Mother's Day, it is just on Hawaiian time.

I sincerely hope all my huge readership out there had a great mother's day. Mine was good. Spent it at the beach and then a bbq at home. Was really nice.
I was thinking yesterday about the many people that Mother's Day is not such a happy day. I heard on a blog that I read, that someone's father died on Mother's day, so this is not a good day for her and she "has to get something for her Mom, but her heart is not in it". Then I thought of the many people I know, including my own two sisters, who would love to be mothers but for one reason or another, they either cannot have children or don't have children. Mother's Day is a bittersweet day for both of my sisters and many other childless women. Yet, my sisters still have their mother, so in that they are blessed. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't have a mother any more. She passed away in 1984. He still mourns her every day. He is always especially sad on Mother's Day.
All this reflection made me think about our many holidays that for one reason or another are NOT happy days for people. I understand this. My first husband left me and my three children, ages 6,7, 8 years old, the day after Christmas. For years we all went through the motions of Christmas, but our hearts were not really in it. My two sisters, both with no children of their own, always spent Christmas at our house. They brought their many friends who were often separated from their own families (most of both of my sister's friends are from various foreign countries). Everyone had a great time at our house. We had huge meals with dishes from across the world. We would play games, we exchanged gifts. Yet the children and I would always see that empty chair at the head of our table, and remember that their Dad left us at Christmas time. I'm glad that finally Christmas is a good time for my children once again. They all three have children of their own,
now, and the empty chair is not a spotlight anymore.

My heart goes out to those that did NOT have a happy Mother's day. Maybe you lost a child or a loved one, maybe you've never been a mother. I wish for you Peace.
Much love,
Kat

I've never been one to yell, but I found out today that I yell alot

At least in the eyes of my grand daughter, U'i. Was hard to hear that, or rather read it, she wrote that in a paper at school. That I yell too much, but I am nice sometimes. Was rather shocking. It has me depressed now. Wonder what else I don't know about myself. I'm sure she will tell me. Seems alot of people tell me what is wrong with me. What clothes I should wear, how I should wear my hair. What I should do in life. Interesting. I never feel the need to tell others what they should do, what they should wear, how they wasted their brains or their life. But, for some reason I am fair game. Interesting.