Love and Death

It's weird. Just lately, this blog seems to have turned into a record of births and deaths, and I'm just not sure how to make the 'middle-weight' stuff count as much. Maybe I cant... because boy, this stuff isn't half important to us all.

We buried my Nanny Brown on Monday. As funerals go, it was fairly pleasant. I hate the pomp and ceremony associated with funerals - the immediate family were packed into a large black car, and set off at walking pace - following the undertaker down my parent's road. The thing that made me smile (guiltily), was that the undertaker was a guy I went to school with. A slightly strange little fellow, that we all called Pob (after a similar looking 'monkey' puppet thing on children's TV). How cruel.

The service was very nicely done. My dad picked "I Did It My Way" as the song to be played as they carried the coffin into the crematorium. I must confess I was shocked by how much the funeral affected me. I can't say I wasn't expecting to feel sad, but I think I realised how big a part of my life she had been - someone I didn't see very often, or frankly wanted to see too often, but always there. Nanny had amazed us all by organising the funeral herself - right down to the hymns to be sung. They took on so much more poignancy knowing that she selected them herself. Thankfully, Dad managed to do his speech. This was the bit I was dreading most... what would he say, and how would he manage to get the words out? He did really really well - although I was struck by how young and small he suddenly looked. He wavered a few times over details (to be expected as he had no notes written down), but he had thought up an amazingly apt analogy for my Nan. He described her as a box of fireworks without a label. A short fuse... and once you lit it, you were not too sure of what you would get. It could be a red angry rocket, that would shoot up in the sky with a loud bang, singeing your eyebrows off as it went. Or, she could give the most gentle and colourful display - a wonderful spectacle, that could enrapture an entire audience. I thought it was lovely and very fitting... Afterwards, we had the 'wake' in the Jolly Sailors - got to see plenty of my Dad's cousins, and re-acquainted myself with a few family members that I hadn't seen in Donkey's years. Mark drove us home afterwards, and we went for a curry in the evening as I was too tired to cook.

The rest of this week seems to be going in a blur. Last night we went to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian**" at the cinema. Very pleasant film - perhaps a little dark for young children, but very well done all the same. I particularly liked the actor playing Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes?)... he does pass a resemblance to Keanu Reeves, so I guess that made him even more alluring ;-) Afterwards, we tried to take some of those blurry nighttime photographs of cars going down the A14... it was a bit late though, and the results were a little disappointing (not enough cars!).

[**Side note: Jen - the Narnia stuff always reminds me of the night we really sealed our friendship. Remember going to see "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" in that theatre, and being stuck in those vertigo-inducing seats in the Gods, despite having drunk three pints and being desperate for a wee?! How we laughed... carefully, so as not to wee ourselves of course!] 

Had some more bad news today. Poor little Barney (Jen's little spaniel) was knocked over and killed yesterday. I cant even imagine what an emotional rollercoaster she is on... she is due to have her twins tomorrow (a pre-booked caesarian). Jen - I really hope you can stay strong, and just look forward to your pending arrivals. Barney was a beautiful and thoroughly spoiled little Doggy, and we can rest assured that he lived the best life 'doggily' possible while he was here. God bless him.... that lovely little TFBIC. That mantle can never be taken from him...

Anyway... Jen, I cant wait to hear your news. I have already calculated that they will be born at sometime around midnight tonight my time (3:00pm your time). I shall raise a glass to you before I go to sleep... Robert is cooking me dinner tonight, so no doubt there will be some glasses around.

Speak soon and huge love and hugs to you all
Hayley
xxxxxxxxx