Ceci N’est pas Un Blog
April 22nd, 2012
So the scattering of ashes didn’t quite go to plan, as Sandra’s sons weren’t quite up for it yet. Too recent, too raw. Instead I’ve left the urn and all with them, so they can do it when they’re ready. In the meantime i’ve had my own private ceremony, scattering some of the ashes into Plymouth Sound, giving Sandra back to nature.
It’s a sort of closure though the mourning will continue.
Categories: posts interesting only to me
April 21st, 2012
Today we did the touristy thing, going around some of the places Sandra loved in Plymouth: the Elizabethan house and garden in the Barbican, the Aquarium, having a cream tea in one of the tearooms. Then I went and showed my parents around where she used to live, all around the not so touristy bits of Mannamead.
I took a shedload of pictures, but the barebones linux system on the minilaptop I’ve got with me can’t really do much with them, so I’ll put them up when I’m back home.
Tomorrow we’re going to scatter the ashes.
Categories: posts interesting only to me, video
April 20th, 2012
So. Many. Hills.
Been walking all day; now I remember why Sandra moved to Amsterdam rather than me to Plymouth.
Categories: posts interesting only to me
April 18th, 2012
Tomorrow I will spent the whole day travelling to Plymouth together with my parents, to bring Sandra to her final resting place. She wanted her ashes to be scattered at one of her favourite places in the city, which her sons and me will do sometimes this weekend. It’s a strange feeling to be this close to letting her go, but it is the last thing I can do for her. Hopefully this will be a bit of (ugh) closure as well.
Practically speaking, because going by plane was not an option (expensive, much too much of a hassle, fscking airlines nickling and diming you to death), we’re going by train. First leg is from Amsterdam to Brussel, then onto London, mad dash on the Underground and then the train to Plymouth, which takes about as long as getting from Amsterdam to London.
The Dutch trains will be alright, unless the railways find yet another way to derail (pun not intended) traffic around Schiphol, the international train a doddle, but I’m dreading the souped up metro style cattle cars the British call trains. Most of my experiences with them have been dreadful: overcrowded, slow, far too many far too loud completely irrelevant tannoy messages, prone to endless delays, claustrophobic. Oh well, when in doubt, crank up the volume on the mp3 player and try to sleep.
Categories: posts interesting only to me
April 8th, 2012
At Easter last year Sandra was home, things were looking up, the weather was nice and we had my parents over, having lunch in the garden. This year not so much. Yesterday was exactly five months since Sandra died: in one way it feels much longer, in another only yesterday that she died. I’ve only begun to miss her more as the months go by, dream of her a lot too. That’s the worst, because even in a dream I know she’s dead, but within the dream she’s still there.
It’s not all doom and gloom of course, but Sandra is always in the back of my mind and doesn’t show any signs of moving out…
Categories: posts interesting only to me
April 2nd, 2012
I read a lot this month, but a huge part of that reading was pure pulp, as I read no less than seven of David Weber’s Honor Harrington novels in five days or so, pure as escapism.
The Honor of the Queen, The Short Victorious War, Field of Dishonor, Flag in Exile, Honor Among Enemies, In Enemy Hands, Echoes of Honor — David Weber
I swear, David Weber has found a way to embed crack in his Napoleonic Wars in Space series because after finishing Osama last month on my Android phone, I read all the books above in about five days or so. These are not good books, but they read so fast and Weber does always make me want to read on.
Dawkins vs Gould — Kim Sterelny
A short but interesting book about the scientific feud between the two best known evolutionary theorists of their generation.
Charlemagne — Rosamond McKitterick
A fairly recent re-evaluation of Charlemagne and the Carolingian empire, based on a re-examination of contemporary sources. Heavy going but interesting.
Keeping it Real — Justina Robson
Urban fantasy meets cyberpunk. Nicely written, entertaining fantasy novel by an author I’ve long wanted to read something of.
Genius, Isolated — Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell
The first of a trilogy of books dedicated to the art, life and career of one of American comics’ greatest geniuses: Alex Toth.
The Empress Theodora — James Allan Evans
A short biography/history of one of the most important empresses in Byzantine history.
At the Edge of the Solar System — Alain Doressoundiram & Emmanuel Lellouch
A lot has changed in the past ten-fifteen years in our understanding of the outer Solar System. This is an historical overview of how Pluto stopped being a planet, the other “dwarf planets” that have been discovered, as well as how the Kuiper Belt went from a theoretical construct to observed reality.
Laurels Are Poison — Gladys Mitchell
One of Sandra’s favourite novels from one of her favourite detective writers, which is why I read this.
Star Hunter — Andre Norton
Another book read on my phone, one of her classic young adult science fiction stories.
Hellflower — Eluki bes Shahar
Currently better known as Rosemary Edghill, this was her debut science fiction novel, the first in a trilogy of adventure science fiction stories that reminded me a bit of Elizabeth Moon’s similar novels, only much darker.
Categories: books and books review, posts interesting only to me
http://cloggie.org/wissewords2 / posts interesting only to me
