tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post7483829921885258463..comments2023-10-31T15:39:09.651+01:00Comments on box elder: Molly passing; some links; alpacaLucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-47742553594801795962014-07-27T03:27:11.502+02:002014-07-27T03:27:11.502+02:00Losing a family member . . . I haven't had it ...Losing a family member . . . I haven't had it happen since I was much younger. I'm glad you're doing well, moving through the terrific loss of Mol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-58203556822281604132014-07-22T12:29:14.800+02:002014-07-22T12:29:14.800+02:00Thank you.
Z - I think you're right about Mol...Thank you.<br /><br />Z - I think you're right about Molly, and it's OK.<br /><br />PC - I think singular and plural are the same, like alpaca. They are unbelievably cute aren't they?<br /><br />ML - Thank you. Llama(s?) are bigger, and I think were also used as beasts of burden, but you can certainly get their wool too, though it's perhaps not as fine as alpaca.<br /><br />Christopher - very nice to see you, thanks for all your faithful kindness over the years.<br /><br />Natalie - I'm glad you found the links good, there were also many within those articles worth following. The alpaca had recently been shorn; on the website 'at stud' page there was Solomon in full fleece, and he did look rather more imposing!<br /><br />Robbie - I am flattered (I think...) by your Talmudic approach! In fact one wouldn't use purpose as a verb I don't think, but 're-purposed' is one of those Green design ethos words like 'upcycled' which I seem to have caught like a lurgy. I rather like the word 'purpose' because of its resemblance to 'porpoise', despite that, or perhaps because, those creatures are the lowest caste of the cetacean world, horribly bullied and oppressed by many of the others, as I understand. <br /><br />That grief is really being sorry for oneself is a truism with which I am quite familiar, and indeed one should always guard against trying to make self-pity into anything more or less, yet I feel that too much severity with oneself, and too much reduction to need and interdependency in the matter, is also false, unkind and dishonouring. Mostly I think of pleasures shared, not of usefulness, though we find with Molly one of the things we miss most is the doing of needful little services to her, which could be given and received so much more cheerfully and without complications than in most human relations. But now I do find that while thinking of something which my immediate impulse is to share with Joe is still poignant, it is also a source of happiness. As I've said many times, I'm not someone who looks on my own past with much favour, so a source of happy memory is treasurable. His spoken voice was of course less familiar to me than to you - I do like your trnascription of it! - but I can evoke it better than his face (I think this is quite common). With Molly it's almost wholly about physical and sensory presence, and very vivid; I think it will always be, though of course the pain of it will lessen. Her voice was very much part of our lives, and even when we cursed it when we were trying to think straight leaving the house while being beset by excited barking, we knew what a large absence there would be when it was no longer there! We still think we hear her in the night.<br /><br />Jarvenpa - thank you for stopping by, and for kind words.<br /><br />Ellena - I wonder? The ears are most expressive aren't they?<br /><br />Catalyst - yes, llamas are larger cousins!<br /><br />Lucas - thanks, nice to see you. We find we still have to tread a path between seeking experiences which will console us, including those which having Mol precluded but which we promised ourselves we would do, and overreaching ourselves when we are still a bit too fragile and mourning to really enjoy. Small things, like meeting alpacas, are probably a good way to start. And knitting with their wool; I've some lovely soft coloured stuff from elsewhere to make a thank-you shawl for the vet.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-91818632134041672962014-07-22T10:16:53.852+02:002014-07-22T10:16:53.852+02:00Returning to your blog I was so sorry to hear abou...Returning to your blog I was so sorry to hear about Mol. Joyce and I sympathise with your feelings and observation of what losing a loved fellow creature means. We still see in our minds and discuss or respond to remembered ways of our two cats, who died years ago now. <br />Also, the way that deaths of those we love affect us worse as there are more to adjust to. <br />The beautiful Alpaca are most comforting.Lucashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07642126053527835870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-50658068945004755002014-07-22T04:28:07.028+02:002014-07-22T04:28:07.028+02:00Love the photos of the alpacas. We have visited w...Love the photos of the alpacas. We have visited with llamas, which must be cousins.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-37434087411908601182014-07-21T21:39:40.085+02:002014-07-21T21:39:40.085+02:00Yes it's nice to see you back, Lucy.
Sweet alp...Yes it's nice to see you back, Lucy.<br />Sweet alpacas - does anybody understand their 'ear language'? Ellenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14965850008354379369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-30635057911258852222014-07-20T20:19:45.149+02:002014-07-20T20:19:45.149+02:00Late to the news of dear Molly, and loving the alp...Late to the news of dear Molly, and loving the alpacas. And joining your masses of readers in wishing you (and the whole world) peace.jarvenpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04709417058741577802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-15876162480333097332014-07-20T12:47:16.203+02:002014-07-20T12:47:16.203+02:00I didn't know "purpose" could be tur...I didn't know "purpose" could be turned into a verb or, at least, a participle. It just shows: a Talmudic approach to Box Elder can pay off.<br /><br />Deaths of those close. Initially the grief is just that, unsusceptible to analysis. But thereafter selfishness plays a part (e, Why isn't Joe around to judge my recent versification?). Can such selfishness be interpreted as a continuing and legitimate tribute? I'm not talking about selfishness on a grand tragic level ("Part of me has gone." etc), more a source of irritation or tetchiness. Reducing what was once a human bond to the level of misplacing a garden tool. All strong feelings - love, hatred and the aforesaid grief - are usually modified with time and, in recognising this, we may believe ourselves guilty of betrayal. But modification protects us, allowing us to scab over. I find it helps if one can briefly re-create the voice of the person we've lost - preferably answering the questions I have just put here. I hear Joe starting up: "I think...", dragging out the word "think", giving himself time to re-arrange his thoughts. His accent was perfectly attuned to dragging out words, especially "Yes." - "Yey-ar-us."Roderick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16828395545197001637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-730098083561785512014-07-20T09:59:29.623+02:002014-07-20T09:59:29.623+02:00Thank you for this wonderful post, Lucy. And for t...Thank you for this wonderful post, Lucy. And for the excellent links re the Israel/Palestine conflict.<br /><br />And isn't alpaca Solomon wearing a cable-knit scarf around his neck?Natalie d'Arbeloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757081405040926647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-67825143140330072322014-07-20T05:15:19.691+02:002014-07-20T05:15:19.691+02:00All I can really say is "Ouch"
Love to ...All I can really say is "Ouch"<br /><br />Love to you, my friend Lucy K. and to Tom... and to Mol, wherever she may be.christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201537517464996231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-20306403486569029342014-07-20T01:42:51.975+02:002014-07-20T01:42:51.975+02:00Great to see you back, even if you are still sad a...Great to see you back, even if you are still sad and missing Molly dearly.<br /><br />Those alpaca and cria are adorable! They remind me of the llamas that a neighbour of our eldest daughter used to raise (see story here: http://www.marja-leena-rathje.info/archives/family_days)<br /><br />May your days be brighter ahead!marja-leenahttp://www.marja-leena-rathje.infonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-38302106732953384482014-07-20T00:14:34.451+02:002014-07-20T00:14:34.451+02:00well, it looks like i need to get me a little whit...well, it looks like i need to get me a little white cria (wait, is that singular as well? if not, we can make it two!)<br /><br />glad to see you writing again. the polish chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09929281676865641560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-16683558227980196762014-07-19T22:05:30.123+02:002014-07-19T22:05:30.123+02:00Molly will likely haunt you for a long time, benig...Molly will likely haunt you for a long time, benignly. <br /><br />Lovely chocolate wool from sweet, flirty creatures.Zhoenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03515663141425057088noreply@blogger.com