Visitation stones

just a quick post today. this was at a cemetery we visited back in march, when it was still cold out (most days). i have yet to look up where exactly this cemetery is. its located directly next to the highway and you really have to know its there (we knew approximately, so that was a bit scary to get off when you suddenly see it, but the only entrance is directly from the highway. the cemetery itself was rather boring. not too old, it seemed, and most stones had the same shape and just the names, hardly any text. (perhaps next week i show you a grave, if i can find an interesting one).

as it is a jewish cemetery, many gravestones were topped with visitation stones. i just looked up why those stones are left on graves. most likely this is a custom from earlier times, when bodies were put into the ground, covered with some dirt, and then on top of that large stones would be placed in order to prevent wild animals from destroying the remains. whenever people would visit the grave, they would continue to place stones. both to keep the remains protected as well as to build up "the memory" of the person buried. nowadays bodies dont need to be protected from animals anymore as they are buried better, but leaving stones became a custom. there could also be another explanation, as you can read here.

this cemetery provides such small pebbles for visitors to place on graves; they are in the box above. this box, and its text to me represent exactly whats wrong with the us of a. they spell out what potentially perhaps possibly might go wrong when you place larger stones than the ones they provide. really?! i continue to be amazed that americans put up with this kind of nonsense. same with not allowing people under 21, or people who cannot prove that they are 21 with an official document, to drink alcohol (or even enter a cafe where alcohol is present). and while americans put up with this (or the fact that they cannot drink alcohol while sitting in a park or having a bbq somewhere at the beach (if thats even allowed, usually its not)), they do sue the government for making the purchase of health insurance mandatory, since "that goes against their freedom", and "that is exactly what this country is founded on". hmmm, i could go on and on about this. better leave it at this for now... :)

tim is back from his conference, but i guess he didnt see yesterdays post yet, so maybe i should tell him i did miss him... :)

more taphophilia here!!

Shiny umbrella

i was mostly fascinated by the umbrella, as you can see from the pic.... 

this is not just another day in the park in boston (at least, not that i have seen!), this was at the steampunk festival in waltham, back in may. steampunk is some weird genre i never heard of before, but wikipedia does... :)  i think americans really like costume parties. next to drinking through straws, i dont think i saw more adults in the most weird costumes. and not just something simple! no, into detail they are dressed up.... complete with elaborate make-up and accessories (must cost them so much time and money!) me? i would just like that umbrella... :)

tomorrow tim comes back from his trip to berlin (conference) and amsterdam (home). i missed him because i now had to eat from the yoghurt-can when it was almost empty (i hate that and he always does that; i always get my portion in a nice bowl). also, i had to cut my own mango (sticky hands, beehh) and i didnt drink coffee in the weekend (he always makes the coffee; i cant even operate the coffeemaker). during the week i had to make my own lunch (takes so much time! normally im in the shower when he does that), and in the evening i had to throw the trash into the trash receptacle myself (scary, because in summer there are often raccoons inside/around). moreover, i had to make dinner and clean up (especially cleaning up becomes boring), so i skipped dinner a few times (but not too often!!), and i had to get packages delivered during the day from the apartment office myself (which requires to make small talk with the security guy, beeehh).

so... i guess its good he comes back again tomorrow ;) probably there are some other reasons too why its good he wil be back tomorrow, but i forgot... :)