Geesh what a depressing day.  It's grey and chilly and dull, a perfect cemetery day.  In fact I took the mother-in-law to the cemetery to prepare the family tomb for November 1st, All Saint's Day.  We moved some big potted plants around then swept and scrubbed the marble.  There were all sorts of folks there doing the same thing.  Families hide brooms and brushes under the slabs and behind planters.  The cemeteries have faucets and racks lined with watering pots, trash cans and organic recycling bins.  Very organized.  I got the lowdown on all of the neighboring tombs.  Who uses plastic flowers,(tacky), who puts out colorful or modern displays, (also tacky), who neglects their tombs, (very bad), and who does a nice job with the upkeep, (good).  Some family tombs are no longer tended because there is no one alive willing or able to do it.  After fifty years their contract runs out.  If it isn't renewed the bones are moved to an "ossario", or bone storage place, and the tomb is given to another family.  Creepy.  There are a lot of strange rules governing these cemeteries.  A non family member cannot be buried in a tomb without first appealing to the town administration.  The family whose tomb it is, has to submit letters saying why they want to let the outsider in.  I think one should be able to stick whomever one pleases in the family box!  I'm sure not going in there.  No trees, no grass, foreigners one and all.....

On the drive home the fields had all been cut back and plowed.  A huge hawk flew right across my windshield.  He was hunting over the stubble left from the corn harvest.  Poor little field-mice!  When I got here I called our accountant in Maine.  She is number three and hopefully the one who will dig us out of this mess.  It's been a year since this tax stuff all started and I am sincerely tired of it!  We leave for Germany early tomorrow morning.  Auf Wiedersehen!  xxoo me