We stood through a couple of hymns and a prayer and then
some of the family got up to speak, I felt my cousin Phillip,
who is a very good actor, spoke wittily, eloquently and truthfully,
I was impressed.
One of my cousins is a fundamentalist Christian as is her
whole family which came through loud and clear in their speeches.
It’s a bit of ironic, I always think, that Fundamentalists
take all the FUN right out of damentalism.
Then, a group I took to be the Southland Glee Club, but
who subsequently turned out to be the church choir, got up
and sang and we all trundled out to the cemetery which is
a beautiful tree filled park.
Finally we all went back to my Aunt’s place for a
memorial party. “After parties’ are always the
best part of any funeral and I felt it was time to put the
fun back into FUNeral.
March 27th
I left for another seven hour journey back to Christchurch
with Nigel.
Actually it only felt like a couple of hours, and I did
most of the driving on the way down and the way back, as
Nigel wanted to show me his photos on his lap-top.
I drove in a newly discovered 6th gear most of the way
back. I bet the car-hire girl was pleased to see the car
back in one piece.
Brent looked fairly relieved to see me back in one piece.
Now that I’ve promised to send an apology card
to his sister for berating her child, he’s talking
to me again.
I’ll get around to it, I promise…
March 28th
My back is so sore from all that sitting around in the
car, I can barely move. Exhaustion has overtaken me like
a warm wet blanket and all I’ve done is sleep and
sleep.
The
cats think it’s great, they’ve all piled on
top of me and the five of us spent the day lying in a heap
on the bed.
To think I’d planned to spend the day cleaning windows,
but then, as my Father was fond of saying… ”it’s
the thought that counts”, and I’m running with
that although, come to think of it, thinking about cleaning
windows hasn’t done much to improve the visual acuity,
which could be a good thing because at least it stops me
walking into them.
*Come to think of it Dad may have been speaking about thoughts
counting in another context.
March 29th
I
can’t stop sleeping. I get up, stagger around for
a bit then crash again. I might as well be a plush untidy
sort of decoration for the bed.
I picked up Brent’s book on Einstein’s Theory
of Relativity, intending to have it read and ready to discuss
it with him by dinner but I only got as far as the title
before sinking into unconsciousness again.
*This may or may not be due to my complete lack of actual
interest in Einstein’s Theory
March
30th
At last, I am reasonably alert again.
Brent got sent to Hokitika for a job which was a shame
as today is the first day in ages I am actually Compos
Mentis and have been actually able to complete a conversation
and remain awake while listening to him.
March 31st
Life
is settling into ‘normality’ again.
I’m reading a great book by Bill Bryson – The
short History of Nearly everything and I’ve learned
something truly spooky.
As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now,
along with my increasing girth, tax stuff, bill payments
and noisy child allergy, I also need to worry about a large
meteor obliterating life as we know it.
Imagine our surprise if we got hit by one, right in the
middle of a cup of tea.
There wouldn’t even be time to write to The Women’s
Weekly about it.
April 1st
At last I was able to ride today.
I’ve just been either asleep or too busy; two ends
of the extreme, both equally exasperating.
The Phantom has been extremely apologetic lately because
he was a complete Gobshite while Jess was here.
I don’t know what got in to him.
“What was your problem?” I said to him sternly
as I saddled him up.
“No problem”, he said.
“Well why were you such a pain in the bum?”
“BECAUSE I COULD,” he boomed, then, remembering
who he was talking to, added hastily, “but I would
never do that to you of course”.
Too right he won’t, Jess is much softer than I am;
I have MY Mother’s genes in me and all I need to
do is give him THE LOOK. It stops him in his tracks.
I gave it to him then, and he shuffled about apologetically.
He was a gem for the entire ride; even giving me a great
big hairy slobbery kiss when I let him go.
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