Sunday thoughts

It's raining. As it's late May in the UK this shouldn't really surprise us. What else is there to do on a Sunday afternoon but to tap about a few words on the blog.

Another week has passed on the town stretch of the South Oxford. What is there to report? Another body found in the cut by the lift bridge on Tuesday. That's three drownings in the same number of months! Also the funeral and wake on Wednesday of Peter from Grampus. I was unable to attend the funeral but I popped into the wake at the Mill. This was a really lively affair with plenty of traditional music and some dancing. The folk around Peter's widow, Liz, do know how to celebrate a man's departure.

I feel now that celebration of a person's life is much, much better than a morbid and mournful reflection on the fact that the deceased has beaten us to leaving this world. Whether we believe in a life hereafter and a final destination or not, it is great to remember the good of a person's life. Will Shakespeare got it right though. We are often more willing to remember the ill and 'the good is oft interred with the bones'. That is sad. When we 'shuffle off this mortal coil' we all leave behind a good contribution in some form or other. Some invest in their children, some in business, some in charity and good works. I feel that is important to concentrate on these things rather than any hurt or pain that we feel.

The pain of loss is very real, I know that only too well. To concentrate on it though will not help the healing process of grieving and mourning.

We are off out of the country for a few days. We are going to visit friends in Toulouse that we last saw when we were navigating the Canal du Midi from the Med to Carcasonne and back. That was in 2002. We did have a lovely time. Three weeks in a narrowboat on the Canal du Midi in glorious sunshine and with the vines sprouting all around us. This time we fly, stay with our friends and hopefully will not need to battle against les Peniches and les Eclusiers. [The original journey, by Sonflower's current crew, has been written up and may be will be published some day. I wait to here from my editor!]

The weather has been checked. Toulouse is definitely a better place to be next week. I'll tell you about it when I return.