It's Getting Dark

Here's a picture taken in Castlebar in the West Of Ireland. It was elegant in it's simplicity.

I don't know why I always find myself blogging on a Sunday evening these days. Autumn is definitely in the air and the evenings are closing in. I don't like the dark nights and part of me closes in with them.


I spent the last couple of days in Castlebar on the occasion of one of my best friends Mum's funeral. David's Mum Mary was only 56 and died of cancer. The funeral was a peaceful tribute to a loving and vibrant woman, who I am sorry I never got to meet. She died in the gentle care of her family at home. Her long journey over, and the grief journey of her family continues. It has been a difficult time for them and a reflection of their love was seen in their care of her. Heavenly Father, grant them peace in their time of distress.


I realise that with the change in the evening light, the Summer draws to a close and with it the list that I set myself to do. It has, on reflection, been more of a wish list than a list of achieveables. I did inded get to IKEA and Jonathan now has more storage but less floor space in his room. I did manage to get the alarm serviced, the NTL TV cable fixed (an achievement in anyone's books), read a few books, fill the oil tank and do a little disseratation research. I even managed to get an overgrown toddler to tidy his room and clear out some space ( well have you ever tried to get a parent to stop hoarding and get rid of stuff they are unlikely to ever use? Every time my back was turned, Dad was trying to hide stuff to keep!!!!!!)


Mum remains in hospital but us improving steadily. She will stay there for another 3-4 weeks and is then for review. We are trying to get things in order to allow her to return home rather than into long term care but the Health Board mantra of "we have no budget available" is getting somewhat tedious. Dad is determined to care for her at home and despite all the beaurocracy it looks like this will be possible.


I recommend a great book I am reading at the moment. Jodi Picoult -My Sister's Keeper is another challenging medical ethic book. I think I already recommended Change of Heart by the same author. My Sister's Keeper is about a young girl who was conceived to facilitate her sister's recovery from leukaemia as a stem cell donor. She is tired of providing a spare parts service and sues her parents for the right to say no (i.e medical emancipation) to and further decisions to use her as a donor despite the fact that she is aware they are now looking to remove one of her kidneys to attempt to prolong her sister's life. It is extremely well written and explores an aspect of modern sibling donation I had not considered. If you want to borrow it, let me know.


That's about it. Jonathan's Junior Cert rersults are out on the 10th, I don't know who is bracing themselves more, me or him. Jess is off at Electric picnic, the last festival of the Summer and she starts back to college on the 15th and me the week after. Where did all the Summer go?????

Mudstock

Hello fans! (Anyone still out there since I got home?)
Another week has gone by and what have I got to show for it? Well I finished the first series of House, have done a bit of baking, sorted out and put away my study notes for this year and ordered more books I don't have time to read on Amazon (I just like getting the post). I went to the college library and got an impressive pile of books to start researching my dissertation. I need to make a start on it as I have no idea how my workload will settle with the possible needs around Mum's potential discharge in September.
So I had a lovely afternoon trying to establish the best definition of death. Not as easy as it would appear. I finally got it sorted and I realised that, of course, the definition would have needed to change on the 1960's with the advent of heart transplant surgery and bypass machines. I had the dissertation sorted in my head at the end of term but now realise I forgot the grand plan somewhere and need to re-establish the project's direction.
Jonathan came home from scout camp a day earlier than he should have. The torrential rain over the last 24 hours rained them out and the organisers of the jambouree requested that any that could leave should do so as the camp was completely flooded. He got home smelly and damp at 11 pm last night having had a whale of a time. He seems to have grown again, must have been all the rain.
Mum is doing very well at the moment and has always enjoyed the Olympic games. She will be in hospital for the forseeable future though she continues to improve. It will be a difficult transition home when the time comes and we hope that Dad will get a bit more backup from the health services when the time comes.
During this week I hope to reform the shape of my dissertation, do another but of clearing out, go to IKEA in Belfast, put my photos of Canada into an album and sort out Jonathan's school books, finish at least 3 of the 4 books I'm reading at the moment and try to cook a couple of new experimental dishes. That should take care of things and keep me out of trouble for a while.

Sex

Having got your attention, I will just waffle on as per usual. Admit it though, for just a brief moment you thought you had wandered into an alternate universe! :-)

I was watching House MD on my laptop a few minutes ago and I realise that the medical team on it aren't that good because they get the obscure diagnosis wrong at least twice before they hit on the correct one and manage to administer the right treatment. When they are trying out the various life saving medications, they are always an interesting colour and always have to be administered by IV. I think they should be told to hold off until they get to their 3rd diagnosis sorted and then solve the case. While I am on the subject of TV programmes - How come nobody has realised that wherever Jessica Fletcher is, someone will die? I don't actually watch "Murder She Wrote" but you all know what I mean. And another thing - how come the word "MURDER" always sounds more seriously fatal when said in a strong Scottish accent? Try it!!!!!

I was preaching and thaking the service in Kilternan today. The people in Kilternan are really the lovliest people and the most supportive group. The Gospel reading was from Matthew, the feeding of the 5000 (Men, as the women and children weren't counted). I had sought the assistance of 4 members of the congregation last week for this week and they were fab and helped with my sermon today. They were willing to tell the story of how God is palpable in their lives. We heard of everything from the humble runner bean to cosmic dust. Fabulous.

I have been reading a lot of different bits and pieces over the last while. I have just finished the light and fluffy "Book Club" by an Irish author, but previouslyto that I read Judy Picoult's wonderful "Change of Heart" a story about a death row prisioner who sought to donate his heart to the sibling of the child he was guilty of killing. Read it if you can, dark and uncomfortable but well worth the effort. I am also reading Gerald of Wales Medieval description of Ireland and Gene Robinson's autobiography "In the Eye Of The Storm". I still have such a big pile of books I want to read this Summer - there's not wnough hours in the day.

Just for your entertainment I post picture of Abner the Sailor Dog.