[Sca-cooks] A passing...

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Jun 24, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Phlip wrote:

>
> I think those of us who care about Master Adamantius might want to  
> express
> our condolences. Last evening, about 6:18 PM, his brother, Pete,  
> passed
> away, quietly, at home, after a long illness.

Hey, all...

So many people have sent the most loving and supportive messages both  
to this list and privately, I just wanted to drop a quick note  
thanking you all. The support is most welcome, and for all that  
expressed a sentiment like, "I'm not sure what I can do, but if  
there's anything I can do...", rest assured you've already done it,  
and it helps a great deal. When you're in a situation like this, the  
world and one's focus tend to shrink, and a friendly lifeline to the  
Real World Outside (tm) often makes the crucial difference between  
Sanity and That Other Thing.

So, for that, my thanks to you all. My brother wasn't a SCAdian, and  
I'm not even sure if he ever fully grasped the concept, but those of  
you who've seen and admired the wooden carving board I often bring to  
events, with the intertwined dragons, the odd assortment of gigantic  
and quirkily-designed wooden spoons I frequently bring into event  
kitchens, and the dulcimer my lady wife [very] occasionally brings to  
camping events, will have seen his work.

This has been an interesting experience, overall, and I can't really  
say it's all been bad. Those who stressed the importance of hanging  
onto our memories can rest assured that we all will, and that among  
the more unusual ones will be of the moments we could clearly see my  
brother fighting to keep some shred of himself, his personality, his  
humor and his love, rather than just becoming a bag of pain and  
morphine. Hey, how often does one get to tease a terminally ill  
patient about morphine and actually share a genuine, loving laugh  
about it while the patient tries to croak out verses of "Willie the  
Weeper", and have it be socially acceptable? He and I have been lucky  
in that respect, and he remained himself, for the most part, without  
unnecessary suffering until he just slipped through our fingers like  
water, so slowly we weren't sure what had happened.

So now we do the rest of the stuff, pretty much secure in the  
knowledge that things have gotten as bad as they can get, and will  
get better. On Wednesday I can turn off the phone (at least  
temporarily) and get out that bottle of 16-year-old Laphroaig with my  
name on it.

Again, many thanks to you all for your loving support, both for  
myself and for my family.

A.