Lazy Days

Yeah I know - I've had a few of them lately!  But at the same time we've been having a whole lot of fun too.

First off was the Sonisphere Festival.  That was totally awesome.  With some trepidation we took Captain Chaos with us.  Yes, for four nights of camping and 3 days of rock and metal festival we took her.  And you know what? She was excellent.  She did as she was told, held hands when she needed too and had a great time from the first band hitting the stage to the last.  I was very surprised at the number of people that commented on her or took photos of her having a great time with her siblings.  People would see her and give big, genuine smiles at her.

But what about the festival? I hear you say.  Well maybe not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.  It was fantastic.  The crowd, the facilities, the location, the staff - I couldn't really fault anything about it.  We saw most of the bands on the two main stages so didn't get much chance to get around and see the bands on the little stages.  Every band gave it their all.  I did escape the family a couple of times and headed down the front to see Skunk Anansie and Iggy & the Stooges.  Rammstein impressed me on Saturday night,  I was converted from a casual fan to a real fan.  As well as the stage show they sounded as tight and as clear as they do on record.  As for Iron Maiden, what can I say that has not been said before.  A true, honest and excellent performance.  They are a band that never, ever fail to deliver and always relate to the audience.  It doesn't matter what size crowd they are playing to they are never aloof or distanced from their fans.

So what else is going on?  Well we went to visit the in-laws in Devon and went camping again.  We stayed at Harford Bridge Holiday Park near Tavistock.  This is the second time we've stayed there and it is a beautiful place with great facilities.  I highly recommend it if you're having a trip to Devon.  It is in a little bend in the Tavy River and right on the edge of Dartmoor. 

The real highlight of our trip though was our visit to the local leisure pool where they have a water slide.  Well the older two both threw themselves down it with out any worries whilst Captain Chaos watched from the water at the bottom.  Then she decided that she wanted a go.  So off she went with her sister to the top of the slide whilst we waited at the bottom wholeheartedly expecting to have to collect her when she changed her mind.  But, no!  Captain Chaos threw herself into the slide and plunged into the water at the bottom where I was waiting to grab her and haul her from under the water.  From where we were with her earlier this year and being unable to get her in the pool to this is a fantastic change.  We were so impressed with her and made sure that she knew it.

Anyway, I currently having a break at home for the week now and I will try to construct a more coherent (for me) post.  But I'd just like to wish my Dad the best as he's recovering from his first course of chemotherapy with a little sickness and feeling shattered.

 

Dying is easy...

...it's living that's hard.

I guess this is essentially a message to my Dad.  Okay so it's probably an example of teaching Grandma (or Grandpa) to suck eggs but tough.

First and foremost cancer sucks, we know that and all have had some sort of exposure to it.  But, just to be sure, this post is that reminder that, as the title says, dying is easy.  After all life itself is a terminal condition beset with many, many opportunies to make us reach the end much more quickly that we want.  Against all this adversity we make avoiding moves or, if we have to, battle them.

And that is where the point of this is.  Fighting.  Yes Dad that does mean you have to do something I'm afraid.

First: MINDSET - don't you dare neglect this one.  It's much more important than you think.  Depression is a sure fire way of letting the bad stuff run riot and must be beaten back at all costs.

Next: ACTIVITY - I know an alien concept!  But to help with the mindset you need activity.  Do something!  Get a new game, work on that family tree anything that lets you thumb a nose to medical time scales!  After all mediciine is nearly as much art as science - you start in one place but doesn't always finish where you expect.  Even just getting out when you need a drink rather than just going to the kitchen.  Get in the car and head off to a cafe and sit and appreciate the view.  You don't need any more of a purpose than that to do something.

Which leads to REASONS - why fight it? Which I know is your intention but I'm going to mention it to reinforce it anyway.  Well, first and foremost, family.  Mum's, wife, us pesky kids & their partners and the grandchildren.  There is lots of love there and still experiences to be had (see ACTIVITY).  As I said "living is hard" and, regardless of who passes, if it's someone we love and care for, then we have to, and will, continue our to battles against life.  Several times already we've seen Captain Chaos fight with life to let her go on and she's kicked it's ass.  Anyway, for the time being, with us being lazy you can do some of the hard work (see MINDSET and ACTIVITY).

So that's the message.  In Frank Herbert's Dune cycle of books the religious order of the Bene Gesserit have a litany against fear.  And it's something that I do keep in mind at times as I think that it's got a certain validity and truth to it.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain