Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Flatirons, peaches and death

Almost reached the end of the photo sorting. Having been very ruthless initially I then went back through the suitcase and retrieved some originally for disposal. Just in case. And I was all ready to throw Uncle's war-time letters home away when Husband said, 'You can't do that. Maybe the museum would want them.'

Okay, perhaps there are one or two that mention interesting aspects of service life but on the whole they're very boring. So I've filed them in a drawer for someone else to decide after I've gone.

Anyway we used to have a peach tree - until it became diseased and died - and one year we had an exceptionally good crop. 

So we must have had good summers once upon a time.

But even when we went to New York it was humid and damp. Never got to the top of the Empire State because it was always covered in mist. Husband did make it to the top of the old Twin Towers before its destruction but I was stuck in a small hotel room interviewing my cop at that time.

But this is one of my favourite NY buildings, the flatiron.
Flatiron building, new York

We were talking about dying in bed this morning. Correction, in bed we were talking about dying. Husband said, 'I don't want a gravestone. But would you like me to put your name on one?'
'No, you can scatter my ashes from the cliffs. The only trouble is the wind is always onshore.'
'That's okay,' Husband said. 'I'll take you to your favourite place where you always like to fly and let your ashes fly away.'
'Of course! That's wonderful. Where you would like to be scattered?'
'I don't care.'
'On the boggy hill then.'
'Yes, okay, from the top where there's a nice view.'

Then followed a short argument about who was going first. 'It's a well-known fact,' Husband said, 'that women live longer than men so you'd better make sure the children know.'

So, children, please note. In case we never get around to updating our wills. Currently we leave our children in the care of grandma and pop but that may be invalidated now that: a) grandparents are dead; and b) children have children of their own. 






9 comments:

Sharon said...

My thought ... leave the stuff for the children to sort, or throw, as they see fit!
Lovely peaches! Our trees developed some kind of end rot, and we ended up cutting most of them down.
The 'Flat Iron' is an interesting building. I never saw much of anything when I lived in New York.
We, too, want to be scattered in a pretty place. We scattered my brother's ashes in the water of his favorite fishing spot. Not too sure what the fine is, but we weren't caught.

Rose said...

After spending days and days sorting through some of my mother's stuff last year, I vowed I wouldn't do that to my children. So far, I have emptied only two drawers:) Photos are the hardest, though--I just can't throw those away. Sometimes I will see old photos of people in antique stores or on auctions, and I think how sad that no one was left to remember who they were.

Liz Hinds said...

Yes, i'm not sure what the legalities of scattering are, Sharon. But if you don't ask you don't know so that's fine by me.

I have a suitcase full of photos to throw away, Rose. It is currently sitting near my bed just waiting to be transferred to the tip. This is the difficult bit!

And I hate to see old men doing grocery shopping. It always seems worse for old men to be left alone.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Great that you have documented your conversations. I find them hilarious. .. my ex and I did talk about burial/cremation. . He wanted to be cremated and scattered at Monza Race circuit in Italy .. that would suit me too ..

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

The NY building is amazing. Never been but I find it fascinating. .wonder what it is like inside. ..just thought of something. My father in law was cremated. . His ashes are in an urn in the Shed/come workshop at the bottom of my mum in lawsgarden . They didn't know what to do with them. But it suits him fine . He was always to be found in one or the other.

Ole Phat Stu said...

I have to assume that my parents didn't own a camera.
Of the few photos they had, all by professional photographers,
father in WW2 uniform, wedding day, birth of their 2 children.
Then some B&W brownie photos of some vacation (blurred).
There were 4 photos of me, all by professional photographers:
1st day of primary school, 2 photos of the whole secondary school and one of uni graduation.

Burial vs. cremation:
Here in Germany you have to pay for 30 years of grave maintenance (weeding, flowers etc) or one-off fee to bury an urn in the forest, scattering not allowed afaik.
I'll go for the cheaper alternative.

Beside a babbling brook... said...

-chuckle- Yes, guess that old will, will not really work well, anymore.

But, not chuckling, best get it updated. Wouldn't want any squabbling, about who gets what.

I hear you, on putting the old letters back in a drawer though. I have wanted to chuck out everything iffy, and not leave any of that, to children. I was an only child and had to do it all alone, and it was a horrorrrrrrr.

But then, there is so much "stuff"... I give up and think, oh just let them call the "Chuck It" truck and clean the house out, that way.

Because, we have updated our wills. And what is of value, is written down, and where it goes. :-)

Yikes, jolly talk hu? I'm just not ready to pop off yet. Well, not many are.

Thank you for commenting on my blog.

Gentle hugs,
Luna Crone
Upper NE of US

Liz Hinds said...

If he was happy in his shed it's ideal, Anne. As long as they remember to take him or 'dispose' of him if they move!

That must be unusual, Stu. But really there only so many photos even the most devoted parent needs. I don't think there is an on-going care package available here. But you still have to pay for the plot and for permission to dig it up and for permission to do just about anything.

Luna, so much stuff!! And i'm not ready to go yet either!

nick said...

A quick cremation will do me fine, I don't expect any expensive pomp and ceremony - or gravestones. Jenny can scatter the ashes anywhere she wishes. Somewhere on the Mourne Mountains would be good.