Remember Me - David Harkins

Do not shed tears when I have gone but smile instead because I have lived.
Do not shut your eyes and pray to God that I'll come back but open your eyes and see all that I have left behind.
I know your heart will be empty because you cannot see me but still I want you to be full of the love we shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of what happened between us yesterday.
You can remember me and grieve that I have gone or you can cherish my memory and let it live on.
You can cry and lose yourself, become distraught and turn your back on the world or you can do what I want - smile, wipe away the tears, learn to love again and go on.

Found this reading on the web and wanted to dedicate it to both Nan Florence and Nan Alice.

Ear Rim Update

The ear rim is closing up pretty nicely now, despite it only being about a week since I removed the jewellery. The lump on the back is going down I think and the front looks closed. I've been rubbing it occasionally with some base aromotherapy oil which seems to be helping, other than that it seems fine. Its certainly easier for me now when brushing/combing my hair not to have to worry about catching it, likewise when washing my hair. All in all I think it was the right decision and I guess there's no going back now anyway!

Nan Florence (1913-2010)

This image here is a montage of photos of Nan Florence who sadly passed away on Sunday 11th April 2010 aged 97yrs. Like my other Nan, she was an amazing person and someone who was very important in our lives, especially for my daughter Julia, for whom she was almost a surrogate mother whilst I had to continue working when Julia's Dad walked out. In the latter years she began to suffer from dementia which was very distressing to see, but prior to that she was a very strong person, rarely ill which was good because my Grandad Henry was always in and out of hospitals when my brother and I were younger. We used to stay with my Nan when Grandad was in hospital as she hated to be on her own, something which she had to learn to deal with when he died in 1985.

She will be sorely missed by all of us, God Bless Nan x

Ear Rim Piercing RIP

Well I've finally done it, the ear rim piercing is now officially retired! It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing last night, it was feeling a bit sore and I'm fed up with knocking it when I have to keep brushing my hair behind my ears as its growing, so thought now might be as good a time as any to do the deed. I took the bar out and gave it a last soak in some salt water, then rubbed it with some E45 followed by some base aromotherapy oil which may help it to heal over without scarring too much. To be honest the front doesn't look too bad, slight darkness of the skin but that will probably lighten, the back is a tad lumpy still but maybe that will flatten off as it heals over. It seems a tad weird without it when I look in the mirror but apart from that I'm OK about it. Think as my hair continues to grow it will make life so much easier, I wont have to worry about knocking it, and at last I might be able to sleep that side for a change, give my left ear a rest, as it sometimes gets sore being rubbed against the pillow all the time.

New Tatt Update

Had this tattoo done a week yesterday (i.e. 1st April 2010) and it's settling down rather nicely now, although it itches like hell at times ;-)

The redness has all gone, this photo was taken just after it was done, and is in the peeling stage now hence the itchiness. It took 4hrs to do and will be added to later in the year. I have to be honest and say that 4hrs is too long for me to sit, I realise that now as I've never sat for quite that long before. I had uncontrollable shakes afterwards and even felt faint when I got home, so will have to do the rest in stages if its likely to take that long again!

The worst part was probably the lines, not that there are many of them, and any tattooing along the spine itself - tres uncomfortable to put it mildly.