Pure joy…

I missed Tara’s The Gallery last week over at Sticky Fingers the theme was Ugly and because I was away at mum’s where everything is so beautiful I couldn’t find anything remotely ugly! However, I have added it at the bottom as I did have one but not to hand last Wednesday.

This weeks theme is Joy and I knew the moment I read it on my Google reader what my photo would be.

I think it’s quite difficult to capture expressions and most of mine have been purely by chance. Also I have to admit I didn’t actually take this photo as I was in bed strapped up to drips and other medical paraphernalia after an emergency caesarean. Paul took  it for me as I wanted to capture as many moment as possible to savour for the rest of my life.

This is Grandad Roy, one of the girl’s first visitors together with my mum and nan.

Apart from the obvious joy at holding the girls only 7 hours into the world, this is the man who was still mourning the loss of his dear wife the previous autumn to a very long battle against breast cancer.

He had looked after and nursed her constantly for years taking her up to London for her chemotherapy, radiotherapy, doctor’s appointments and helping her in every way imaginable, keeping her happy and loved.

“Vera would have loved to have seen the girls”

This is a constant from Roy and I know 100% he is right. Funnily enough I discovered I was pregnant on the day of her funeral, hardly the right opportunity to go shouting out your happy news and it was far too early to tell people anyway but I do feel as if she was there from the beginning. She knew Paul wanted children and I think one of her major concerns with our age difference was that I wouldn’t be able to bear any more children.

She watched us for 3 years as I kept falling pregnant and then losing the baby and she cried with us and told us to have faith. A true fighter.

Her departure left an enormous gaping black hole in Roy’s existence. He had been so used to having her around. Every day was spent together, watching TV, reading the papers and going about their daily chores. With Vera gone Roy was lost, he was crying out for company which fortunately with time passing he has now found.

The above  is my entry for Joy as it personifies the word for me.

‘Oh Dear’

This is my entry for Ugly. My rubber plant which I have nurtured for the past 5 years after moving in with Paul. I grew it so well it took over the conservatory and Paul decided it was time to give it a hair cut.

He got out his cutters and chopped and chopped and chopped and then the few leaves that were left fell off too leaving this very sorry stick.

Please note it hasn’t been thrown out …yet. There is a tiny shoot at the bottom which I am going to save and move to our new home. I will need luck and patience, a lot, but I am up for the challenge and please beware at chopping, plants don’t take to it very  lightly.