Pastime with Good Company

by Henry VIII


Pastime with good company
I love and shall unto I die;
Grudge who list, but none deny,
So God be pleased thus live will I.
For my pastance
Hunt, song, and dance.
My heart is set:
All goodly sport
For my comfort,
Who shall me let?

Youth must have some dalliance,
Of good or Ille some pastance;
Company methinks then best
All thoughts and fancies to dejest:
For idleness
Is chief Mistress
Of vices all.
Then who can say
But mirth and plan
Is best of all?

Company with honesty
Is virtue vices to flee:
Company is good and ill
But every man hath his free will.
The best ensue,
The worst eschew,
My mind shall be:
Virtue to use,
Vice to refuse,
Shall I use me.

Before the diagnosis

Vernon, a good guy who seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth, wanted to honor John on his 77th birthday last October by helping him organize his garage. Those of you who have seen the place know what a challenge that was. So V came to Robin and me with a proposal: if we would pay for the lumber, he would build shelves between the second and third bays in the garage. The shelves, once completed, would hold all the tools, supplies and building materials and that were scattered around on bench-tops and the floor.
V worked on the structure all day on John's birthday, nearly chopping off a finger in the process (this he "fixed" with duct tape which John helpfully provided; you can see it on the end of V's index finger). Robin tied a ribbon around the shelves and we brought John out to show him his gift. This photo was snapped at the moment of revelation. As you can see, John's grin was priceless. Oh yes: The finger healed beautifully.
Only a week later, John came down with a case of what we thought was pneumonia but which, as we all know now, turned out to be something far worse. dc

John's 80th Birthday Party

The 80th Birthday Party was really John and Linn's 50th and 30th Birthdays combined. Every hour on the hour was another odd adventure including a dancing gorrilla, two gentlemen playing bagpipes, a belly dancer, and a night topped off by Jeff and Rock blowing off fireworks in the back yard at midnight. It was a massive night. I remember the attendees included Chungs, Murphs, Howard and Lorraine, Marty, George Volmer...

I remember an August Moon

The August Moon parties were legendary. Can you remember one? Catered - out under the moon and stars in the back yard at 1570. We sometimes did our own catering and one year it was my turn. I cooked garlic - everything. Remember?

John's Family and Mable too.

My Last Visit with John - Dec. 2010

Early Years

From all here in Edinburgh...From Dot Middleton this morning with love from all in Edinburgh--
"Brother Mike and his wife, Margaret, just happened to be visiting from Southport this week ,so we all met up ( Viv and David, Graham and Lynne ) at our house, for a meal on Saturday evening - what a real sombre occasion that turned out to be! Ask not for whom the bell tolls, etc.

But, d'you know, we really did do John proud, somuchso, that I was unable to count the number of Chateau-neuf-du-Pape bottles that were stacked up outside for the garbage lorry to take away on Monday; and I was taught to count up to twenty-four!

I can't believe the 'sage' is gone."