Well yesterday ended up being as frantic as I anticipated with all the jobs that I had to do. There has been a task that I completed which I hadn't mentioned in my blog in case I couldn't complete it. Tom told me the songs he wanted on entering and leaving the church. I could have been really easy on myself and pulled the songs off the internet, but i decided not too. The first song is an Irish ballad called The Spinning Wheel and the second is Beautiful Isle of Somewhere as that is where he will be. He said that people wouldn't understand why he chose the first song and when I read the words I realised they were meant for me and were symbolic. So I have put myself through it this week and I have been busy getting together a verion sung by me with the help of Robin Crompton and Dave Stewart. It is completed and although not perfect, I am satisfied with the result. Robin recorded the 2nd song and so now it is all locally done. Robins wife Geraldine was the little sister of one of Toms childhood friends, Tony Sloane. Tom often told me how Tony and himself would be clambering over the rocks collecting limpits I think he said whilst Geraldine would be shouting Tom to come back because of the danger and trying to tempt him back with her baked cakes. When I mentioned it to her this week she smiled as she remembered and told me and my sister how she was totally in love with Tom as a child. Being a young boy, it would have been lost on him.

My mother arrives today, along with my other sister and her daughter. I'm worried about my Mother in law Nel as she has had so much sadness in her life and carried it with such fortitude, but losing Tom has now taken her beyond what she can bear. She lost one son, Kevin, 30 years ago, her husband Dennis last year and now Tom. I wish I could ease her pain but I can't. I just hope she gets through today and from then on we will look after and support each other.

Anyway, its still the middle of the night and I should really try and go back to sleep for a few hours. Today I will need to be rested and trady to meet the day.