Shake It Off. Or, My Thoughts on Phebe's Gravestone.

Today, I took care of some bidness. Sorry, business. Doesn't that word seem like busyness? Weird, I never noticed that before.

Anyway, I deposited a paycheck, some hush money from Comcast (who is officially on notice) and I paid a ton of bills.

So, I realized it might be a good way to start off the year first with some spleen venting (see last post) and then to take care of some Phebe bidness.

I don't think I've ever explained what drew me to her in the first place. And that leads me to why I think she's special. Let's, shall we?

Look at her gravestone. First of all, I noticed it because it's next to her children's gravestone, but secondly, I noticed it because it was so very different from all the other (legible) women's graves. I'll give you an example: her niece's gravestone.

Niece-in-law by marriage, actually. And in the same graveyard. They were family, technically. Buried twenty years apart, and yet, their graves are remarkably different.

No "wife of" for Phebe. No "In memory of" or age, either. Just name and date.

She wasn't wanted there. That's my feeling. I can't get the word "begrudgingly" out of my mind in reference to the whole thing.

It's very possible that I'm way off, but in researching Phebe, I've visited a few graveyards and hers seems distinctive to me.

So, a little mystery. Just the perfect thing for me, what with my new Sherlock Holmes coat and all. Oh, I haven't mentioned that, have I? As a counterpoint to eff you, Christmas, I should've said that my husband, while off on his own, found the perfect, Sherlock Holmes coat for me. He knew I needed a new coat that was not black that went with my new brown shoes and that did not highlight my charming dandruff. (Sexay.) And he knew I would be bothered by the brown shoes/black coat problem. And he knows I hate shopping. And, finally, he knows I love Sherlock.

I can't really explain what it meant for him to give me that. Only to say that I do believe he's the one. Ten years into the marriage, I think this. Which is maybe not normal, but it's kind of ideal.

Alright. Back to Phebe, I like the fact that their dismissal of her is the reason I picked her to investigate. I'm hoping this year that I finally get some time to do more actual research. My not teaching at night will help immensely. Now, if only I can get over this fatigue...

Until later...