I am sometimes accused of being overly critical. Some claim I am never satisfied, always finding errors. Honestly, just because they’re ten years old, doesn’t mean the play can’t be done well! I really think most of my criticism in situations like that is aimed at the adult instructors, not the children in it.

Anyway, I just thought I’d mention that before moving onto something completely unrelated. Having spent a good deal of time in the graveyards lately, I can’t help but noticing the graves. I thought I’d review one. Here it is:

a grave

At first viewing this 1939 grave is fairly impressive. The stone is much taller than the surrounding graves, it has a pane of glass containing a golden cross surrounded by what appears to be a wreath of laurel, a symbol of victory, also in gold. It has a pointed top, and the stone is of a sombre and dignified colour. There are some nice carvings in the top corners, and another cross in the top center. In addition to the name of the deceased and the dates of his birth and death, his job has also been carved in above the name. Looking at the other graves I see that this is fairly unusual, even for this period, so presumably he was very good at or very proud of the job. The job title and his name is repeated on the golden cross, which makes it look like a post-mortem award of some sort.

The inscription on the stone reads “We will meet again”, which manages to convey just about the right mix of sadness and optimism. However, all the writing is in a blocky and fairly unremarkable font, which fails to inspire awe. The stone itself is also showing signs of age, with some very worn patches, and discoloration.

This grave has an enclosed flower bed, which makes mowing around it easier, a big plus. The flowers are pretty, the mix of purple, green and red works well. It appears to be maintained, as it is not overgrown and messy. The ground around the grave is level and flat, very easy to mow.

Overall, the grave is impressiveand dignified, despite the worn stone and boring font. It is well maintained and easy on mowers. I give it four scythes.

Well, that’s it for now. Remember, maintain the graves of your ancestors the way you want your descendants to maintain yours!