Uncle Max

Friday:

My Uncle Glenn (dad's younger brother) called this afternoon to say my Uncle Max (his and my dad's elder brother) died today. It took me a few moments to sort out in my head who he was talking about. Went I was very little I saw him occasionally as he lived just down the road from my grandparent's farm, "next door" but quite a hike for short legs; his five boys were all considerably older than me so I didn't visit there much. I have one clear memory of Uncle Max being there when I walked down to see if the younger two boys were available to play with. That is really my only memory of him! When he and Aunty Dawn divorced he moved away and later remarried. Uncle Glenn says he was at dad's funeral two years ago but I don't remember seeing or speaking to him - after 40 years we probably didn't recognise each other! Or maybe he spoke to me and I don't remember. Dad visited him regularly and passed on any news. He had been in ill-health for years and he was 86 so his death wasn't unexpected.

Funny story (I think) about Aunty Dawn who continued to live there, when I visited dad once a few years ago I went into the local store which she ran (tiny town, about 120 people, with one general store and one pub) and thought the lady looked vaguely familiar so I asked "Are you my Aunty Dawn?" and she said "I don't know, am I?" I thought that was an odd way to answer! I explained who I was and she said she was, indeed, Dawn Lockwood.

I am at the pointy end of the semester of study, I now only have one exam left, all other assignments and exams done. I was quite worried about the exam this morning, by far my most difficult subject, and I'd think I had it but then do some more questions at home and get a lot of them wrong! Pretty sure I had it mastered in the end. I hope. We'll see when I get the results.

My other stress is the continuing saga of the tiler, doing the paving next to our almost-pool. Or not doing the paving, in actual fact. It's been seven weeks now, when I chose him partly because he could do it straight away. Excuses have included sickness, sprained ankle, running out of tiles (twice) and now the weather. It is mostly done, but I am in some doubt as to whether it will ever be finished.

The fencing has been approved by council (verbally, still need paperwork) which means we can finish the pool, surfacing the interior. When it stops raining in a week or so.

I've had a cold or mild flu all this week. Hopefully that is over now.

Long weekend this weekend!