From far and wide they came.....

to celebrate the life of a man that over the years, has been colleague, friend and brother. The service stations along the way were riddled with mini reunions of people that had not seen each other for years, but who picked up, exactly where they left off, friends, comrades...family.

Again, the family gathered, to celebrate, as requested the life of an amazing man, who touched all our lives in different ways sharing blood, sweat, tears and a few "interesting" experiences along the way. A man who taught us in his later years that fighting the good fight is why we live, staying optimistic is how we should be and being warriors, not whingers in life, is what it is all about.

He wanted us to reminisce about the good times, the fun times, the times when mentioned reduce us all to laughter....belly aching laughter. Amidst the sombre nature of the occasion, laughter rang out. With the flowing tears came smiles from memories of days gone by, lifting heavy hearts and spirits, carving smiles in the glum faces that were there.

People lined the aisles, there were no empty seats, no unfilled spaces. There wasn't any standing room left. We listened to how this special man was a dad, a husband, a friend, a hero and a legend. We heard how he fought and never gave up. But most of all, love filled the room. If there was one thing that I learnt today, it is that the family will always be there, through the good times and the bad times, together, always. It is the same faces that you see, at every occasion, regardless of what it is. It is the family that always come together regardless of distance. There was not other place that any of us would have been as today of all days, home was with the family and the family, brought us all home.

The sins of the father shall be visited upon the son

Enough said. I teach him nice, conventional nursery rhymes. His father on the other hand, teaches him things like this blaming the lack of self knowledge. Well, I guess this is another step of well roundedness.

From the archives

I was thinking about Ah Ee today as she is going to embark on a bit of a journey next week. I chanced upon this, made quite a while ago in April. Munchkin wasn't even 2 then.....seems like a lifetime ago listening to him now!

Party Time!

Today we have been at a birthday party (note Munchkin only has eyes for food)
He was particularly partial to the ham and the hula hoops

Even the entertainment could not tempt him away from the food

Eventually the promise of raisins did

but he was a little concerned about the Rainbow Pixie

Here's hoping that he won't dream about her tonight!

O Hallow's Eve

when witches prowl
and Jack O'Lanterns glow and growl

And little imps and goblins creep

and munchkins giggle

laugh and squeak!

Time to say goodbye

To a man, who these many months has provided us all with a lesson in how to be brave, how to fight and never give up and how to remain strong in the face of the unthinkable.

As he sleeps forever now, we smile and celebrate the life filled with the wealth of a loving family, the richness of friends who care and the abundance of spirit.

Here's to you and the good fight and yes, we will see you again.

One little jab in the arm

One WHOLE week of weirdness.

Well, on Saturday a week ago, I strolled into the place with nice nursies to subject myself, voluntarily to a nasty needle. At least I thought I would be inflicted with A nasty needle. In fact, I had to endure 2 nasty needles from the nice nursey who, did let me have 2 plasters to prove a point.

Anyway, when I got home I started feeling a littl strange (even more than normal). By mid afteroon, I had to go to bed for an hour. During the night, I started to get a dull ache in my arm. On waking on Sunday morning, I discovered I had what looked like 2 lashes across my upper arm where the pneumonia needle kissed me. By midweek, the lashes had turned to welts. By Wednesday, I had one mother of all red rashes which was painful and warm to the touch. Hmm, I decided to speak to nice nursey at work who said that I would feel poo for a while and that some drugs of the legal kind would help.

Off home i traipsed after being at work for a couple of hours and horizontal I stayed for 4 hours or so.

What a week. Today the rash is the size of a £2 piece and fortunately, no longer painful. I can actually lift my arm again.

Just goes to sow what 20 strains of pneumonia at one shot can do to you.......