Happy 59th QBunny

Love and miss you.  Did the plenary indulgence for you this week.  I pray you don't "need it!"  But are already looking down on me from heaven.

Rest in Peace

Please keep my late husband, Quentin Gelder, in your prayers today.  Today is the 3rd anniversary of his death. I hope he has his reward in heaven by now.  He suffered so much in silence, and did not tell me when he lost his sight to spare me pain.  I did not know that until after Q.'s death when his dad told me.  I can't imagine anyone facing death from brain cancer with more courage than he had.  My heart aches thinking of the morning of his death, when at 5a.m.  he called out "sweetie" in an anguished voice.

I took one look at him and *knew* it was going to be the day.  I made him as comfortable as possible, and called his parents as soon as it was feasible.  With the help of a nun in the parish, who moved heaven and earth to get a neighboring priest (our own Parish priest was on holiday), the priest literally came about 10 minutes before he died to give him last rites.  Q. had been upright for a number of hours "holding on" as I kept hold of his hand assuring him his parents would be coming and we were trying to round up a priest.  Immediately after the priest left, his parents arrived, just in time for his death.  I have always preferred to say "death" rather than "passed away" or other euphemisms.     I don't think it does any of us much good to gloss over the thought that none of us will be around forever, and one day, we never know the day, we will also come to our end here on earth.

With both the priest and his parents making it literally just in time, I hope all of you will be as lucky to have loved ones and benefit of clergy when your time comes.    It was almost "movie like" in that sense.  Deus ex machina...just in time.  Today a newly ordained priest, Fr. Martin Wheaton was kind enough to offer the mass for Q.      Fr. just last week wrote how his emergency bleeper for a hospital call went off, and how he made it just in time.  How privileged priests are to be with one at one's most intimate moments.  So this sort of scenario DOES happen outside the movies.

Later on I hope to go over to attend mass myself at Brompton Oratory, which Q loved so much.   And I expect he was also remembered at Blackfriars in Oxford, where he was a 3rd order Domincan.

There has not been a day go by where I haven't missed his touch, his smile, his patience, or most of all his love for me.  There are days I don't want to wake up.   Sleepless nights, a hole in my heart that never goes away.  But I just need to hold on to hope and trust in the Lord.  That someday, with the grace of God, we may be together again.

Buckingham Palace Back Yard

On Monday, Sept. 22nd, as a late birthday present to myself, I toured the State Apartments and back yard. (Okay, the English would say "garden" but I didn't really see any flowers out there save a few that were growing by accident.)  This tour is only open during late summer months when the Queen is off in Scotland and not camping out over her office weekdays during the rest of the year.

On the way over there I passed by the entrances to the  Royal Mews, and the Queen's Picture Gallery, which can be seen almost year round.

Here is a picture I took of the entrance to the Mews.  Years ago my mom and I toured them.  The Picture Gallery is separate from the one you see in the State Apartments.  The coaches and carriage horses are kept in there, and also, you can see some of the saddles, etc. the queen used when she was a child.

Almost directly across from the Mews entrance, is a shop which sells souvenirs of china and all manner of things, including these corgis.  Yes, you can shop on line.

They won't let you take pictures inside Buckingham Palace, due to security reasons, however, you may see a few of the 19 state rooms on this page.  Included in the price of the ticket is an audio guide.  For just a few pounds extra, there is also a guide book which includes all the state rooms you see.  This year there was a special exhibit on "Royal Childhood."  It features toys, clothing, and other object (including a mini-Austin Martin, made for Prince Andrew) that the royal children wore or used.  Some of the items were from as far back as those used by Queen Victoria's children, and some were from the present day - including the sailor suit the then 4 year old Prince William wore on his uncle Andrew's wedding day.  There's a little movie shown of the Queen when she was a little girl, after the little "Wendy house" was installed at Windsor.  The royal great-grandchildren still use it to play in.  The special exhibit changes every year.

Once you go through the palace, you may go out into the "garden."   This is the back of Buckingham palace.

This is the back of Buckingham palace. The white "tents" are temporary to house a cafe.  At far left just below the trees you can make out the glass roof of the palace swimming pool.  The curved room center badk is the music room, and the room to our left of it is the fabulous white drawing room.  The Queen's more "private area" is on the far left side of the palace, i.e. the north side.  You can see the White drawing room if you look at the above link.

The cafe has a lot of nice desserts, sandwiches and other goodies.  Here's a look at one of the desserts.

 **Food porn alert **

 ** End food porn alert **

There's a nice walk way around the perimeter of the garden, and a huge pond. According to Marion Crawford, shortly after Queen Elizabeth's father became King and they moved into the palace, the then 10 year old Elizabeth got a little too close to the water's edge and fell in.  Quite a number of the trees are labeled with a small tag to tell you what sort of tree it is.

The Queen's garden is close to 40 acres.  Given there is a lot of nice well trimmed green grass plus the pond it's not surprising there are some animals who've found a home.  I spotted some geese... 

...along with a heron.

Here's another view of part of the pond.  In the upper right corner, you can see the swimming pool in full.

You don't get to walk around the whole garden, so I thought it might be useful to use google earth to show the grounds from above.  You can see a tennis court in the upper left hand corner.  Staff are allowed to book it.  If you search for 7 Buckingham Palace Road, London, you should be able to pull up the same results I did.  The little blue "dots" are markers for where people took pictures, so you should be able to click on them for other views.  I notice in this shot, the area immediately behind the palace seems to be denuded, so I assume they were going through re-seeding the lawn, which was golf course like plush when I visited.  The area to the  left of the denuded area is, I believe, marquees set up for garden parties.  So I expect this satellite view was taken just before or after garden party season was over but before the marquees were put up or taken down. 

If you have bum knees or other "issues" don't worry. There are plenty of benches and other places to sit inside the palace, as well as outside.  When you book your ticket, let them know if you need disabled access, then can also provide a lightweight folding seat.  I took advantage of this, but only needed the folding chair a few times, when I wanted to camp someplace a little longer in one of the "smaller" rooms which didn't have as much seating.  

I was able to use the lifts when needed.  My knees survived very well, and I came away unscathed in that respect.  If you use disabled access, you also get to use the inside restroom afterwards when you come down the lift at the end.  The thing was huge.   There are also "loos" once you get outside.

When you leave, you can have the back of the ticket stamped and you may return as often as you like without paying again.  Your pass is good for a year.  It's like that at other royal places too at Windsor Castle, for instance.  Separate charge for that, but again, the pass is good for a year if you get it stamped.  BUT anytime you wish, other than a few days of the year, you may go see Vespers in St. George's chapel at Windsor at no charge. Just line up at the bottom gate shortly before the service.  You should be able to easily get a seat in the choir during the winter months.

Out and About: Animal War Memorial-Reagan Memorial-Tyburn Convent

This past July 4th, I was out and about.  I had decided to go see the Reagan memorial, as well as the Tyburn Convent.  Between those two points in the fairly wide median strip in Park Lane (the road that runs along the right hand side of Hyde Park) there is a wonderful and touching Animal War Memorial.  Most visitors to London know of the Cenotaph, where a wreath to honor the fallen is laid by the Queen or her representative each November 11th.    But many visitors are unaware of the Animal War Memorial - it's a nice tribute to various animals that have also served, dogs, donkeys etc. Apparently in WWI alone some 8 MILLION horses, donkeys, mules had died in service, along with some 100,000 carrier pigeons.   Endearingly, poppy wreaths are also laid there.     This memorial is just south of the Marble Arch, and the Speaker's Corner on Brook Gate, the most northern place to cross on the Park Lane median.

Somewhat irritatingly, it's only marked on my small A-Z Visitors' Atlas & Guide.   Quite easy to miss if you just have a regular sized A-Z, because it's not showing on either the standard A-Z or the wire bound more detailed mini-pocket A-Z that most London residents have.

The memorial runs for the width of the median.

Not far from the War Memorial is the US embassy on the west side of Grosvenor Square.    On the SW corner of the square stands the relatively new Reagan Memorial.

Sadly, some pinhead spray painted some green crap at the base of the statue.  There is also a nice bronze plaque and encased bit of the Berlin wall nearby. The plaque has a lot of nice quotes from people regards the freedom garnered by Reagan's bold moves of not accepting the status quo.  Thatcher, John Paul II, Lech Walesa are quoted praising Reagan for his championing and actively working for the freedom of Eastern Europe.  This is just a small portion of that plaque.    You can see a bit of the concrete wall.

For anyone clueless about Reagan's contribution to freeing millions from the yoke of Communist oppression in Eastern Europe, read this excellent Time Magazine article how Reagan, with the collaboration of the Vatican, achieved this goal.

About 150-200 yards west of Marble Arch, along Bayswater Road,  is the Tyburn Convent.  The nuns there are dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration.  Very near the spot was the Tyburn Gallows.  Some 105 Catholic Martyrs were executed there for their defense of the faith.   You may see an exhibit of the relics on the 1st Sunday of each month in the afternoon, and get a lecture on the history of the covent and also of the martyrs .  A sister is available for guided tours of the shrine daily at 10:30, 3:30 and 5:30.

If you're in the area, these places are worth a look, and all within easy walking distance of each other.

Tara Evans is blogging again

Tara has a new called God sees the heart.  Tara lives in Utah, and blogs about God and dogs and food and lovely things and prayers."   Go and see her latest post about her retreat stay at Mt. Angel Abbey.

For Viterbo -- I did answer but Fr. Blake Disappeared it.....Re: Veils and Muzzies

Vit: The burqa crowd drives me nuts. I "go off" on them elsewhere! As for the veil thing -- It's a generational thing. I can't stand the thought of them for *me* because a) if you were required to stick a **** Kleenex on your head if you didn't have one when you went to catholic school mass, it made you feel like a perfect jack@$$ and you know **** well the boys wouldn't have been subjected to something that stupid and humiliating - but you had to just because you were a girl and b) Paul didn't have some lace frippery in mind, more like a burlap sack c) I can prove from the rubrics of the solemn high mass the clergy know it's tripe too. because 1) if you buy into Paul saying what he did about women covering their heads then you'd have to buy into what he said about men uncovering THEIR heads...ie. it wasn't manly for them to cover blah, blah. given that logic you have to look at the priests sitting their with their birettas on their head during the creed/gloria. You could argue, well, they're sitting there thinking about lunch, not praying wanting to be manly and buying into what Paul said. but then what happens? 3) the priest lifts the biretta at the mention of the Holy name, which means he **** well WAS listening and praying which would seem to indicate 4) Paul was full of it when speaking of this issue. and 5) they know it and 6) why gullible females buy into it is anyone's guess. And 7) I'm not having it.

45th Anniversary of the Moon Landing

If you're old enough, you remem- ber where you were and what you were doing. I was almost 13 and living in Emmaus, Pa. Just before the start of 8th grade. It was a good summer, and I was on a softball time. All through the 60s when Gemini/Apollo were being launched, everyone near a TV watched launches and recoveries and splash downs.

All throughout the decade inventions were being made which spilled over into general technology and oh-so-many payoffs then and in the years to come down to this day. Christmastime of 68 we had Apollo 8 circle the moon, and the astronauts read from Genesis. No political correctness then. No fear of "offending the Muslims."

I remember watching during daytime when the Eagle landed, then Neil and Buzz settled down for some shut-eye, as the rest of us giddily waited, I myself can remember climbing a tree in the back yard, until night time when Neil stepped on the moon. What a feeling of pride of accomplishment as a nation. And how humble that crew was in the coming years.

Years later I worked at General Dynamics where they produced the Atlas Centaur. (and the Tomahawk Cruise missile project, which I was then on) I remember one of my bosses telling me that "back in the day" people would work their regular tasks on their defense projects, then often stay, unpaid, to collaborate with colleagues who were working atlas tasks. I'd walk through the huge bigger than aircraft hanger building in which I worked, past where they built components, and felt a sense of awe in those engineers who'd gone before us. The boss also told me (I was new then) that engineers could no longer do that, help their buddies out because of the way you had to track labor. No "freebies" if you weren't assigned. It's criminal what Comrade Zero has done with NASA. Now it's a "Muslim outreach project." The hell with that. At any rate. Where where you, and what are your memories. Because if you were old enough, you know where you were and what you were doing?

Pope Benedict on Clarity (and does Pope Francis cut it?)

Today I had come across Pope Benedict's remarks given in 2006 re: Simon and Jude.  In light of on-going discussions in the Catholic community regards the need for church teachings to be clear, I was somewhat amused but gratified to find these remarks by Pope Benedict.

"Today we are no longer in the habit of using such controversial language, which nevertheless tells us something important: That in all the existing temptations, with all the currents of modern life, we must preserve the identity of our faith. Of course the path of indulgence and dialogue, which the Second Vatican Council has felicitously undertaken, will surely be continued with firm constancy. But this path of dialogue, so necessary, must not make us forget the duty to rethink and to witness always with as much force the guiding lines of our Christian identity that cannot be given up."

"It is important to keep very present that this, our identity is not to be toyed with on a simply cultural plane or on a superficial level, but requires strength, clarity and courage given the contradictions of the world in which we live."

Given the present occupant of the Chair of Peter, and his propensity to give unrecorded remarks to Italian atheist journalists with agendas, and flippant remarks such as "who am I to judge" I would say Pope Francis is falling well short of the mark regards "clarity."  In fact, rather than using "strength and courage" he seems to be pandering to the very people to which the letter of Jude was aimed.  One wonders if Pope Francis has read Jude lately.  

Discuss.

For Mac

Mac, this one is for you.  Hope the corn hasn't grown too high.   The kitties should have no trouble negotiating it either, as I assume "blond" isn't "catching."

St. Edmund Campion still gets around

Okay, Blessed Blake of Brighton has guilted me into blogging again with his recent muse regards Where Have All The Bloggers gone. Well, I'm not so long past that I can't come out of hiatus. This past Sunday at mass there was a relic of St. Edmund Campion prominently placed in the sanctuary and there was an opportunity to venerate it. St. Edmund was one of the most prominent English martyrs of the reformation.
The relic is being toured around by the Knights of St. Columba, Thames River Valley, Portsmouth Province and you may have an opportunity to view it. Here is the schedule for this 2014 pilgrimage. The tour ends with Mass at Tyburn Convent, close to Marble Arch on July 27th. I understand this is where this particular relic is normally kept. Visiting priests may arrange to say mass at the convent chapel. The nuns there are dedicated to "Eucharistic Adoration for the glory of God and prayer for the needs of the whole human family."
The Tyburn nuns are within a very short distance of spot of the Tyburn Gallows. Some 105 Catholic martyrs, including Campion, where executed here. It is said that over 50,000 people were executed on those gallows. The first person executed was in 1196 the last in 1783. Overall there were some 350 Catholic martyrs for the faith in England.

Newsflash, Pope Francis goes to confession

Why a pope going to confession is bigtime news to the media, I have no idea, except to speculate that there are few practising members of any faith in the media, much less practising Catholics. Granted popes don't normally do this in a public place, but the mechanics and necessity for confession is the same for every Catholic.

For many of us who are Catholic who have been following the situation with pope's seeming disdain for the Traditional Latin Mass, we have been wondering what ails the man, given the on going persecution of the Franciscan order who has decided that for their community they have preferred to practise the Latin Mass. So this is how we hope the confession went down today.

Whither Jerusalem?

There is in England a well known tune called Jerusalem, most often sung in Anglican churches.  The melody isn't nearly as well known in America, but it should be, as it is hauntingly beautiful.  The problem for English Catholics is the words aren't particularly good for Mass -- i.e. the lyrics used are from William Blake's poem, which refers to England's "Dark Satanic mills."  So most times when it's requested for a Catholic Mass, it gets turned down.  HOWEVER, I think there is a remedy to this.

At Ronald Reagan's funeral, the tune of Jerusalem was used, but the words used were not Blake's but the newer words to "Oh, Love of God, How Strong and True" which uses the same melody as Jerusalem.  This song would be quite appropriate for a Catholic Mass.    I wish this song were better known in US Catholic Circles.  The video is of the National Cathedral Choir singing "Oh Love of God, so Strong and True" -- US Catholic churches incorporating this song into their Easter cycle would benefit, and also English Catholic could enjoy their beloved melody without singing about "dark Satanic mills."

"O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal, and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought,
Beyond all knowledge and all thought.

O love of God, how deep and great!
Far deeper than man’s deepest hate;
Self fed, self kindled, like the light,
Changeless, eternal, infinite.

O heavenly love, how precious still,
In days of weariness and ill,
In nights of pain and helplessness,
To heal, to comfort, and to bless!

O wide embracing, wondrous love!
We read thee in the sky above,
We read thee in the earth below,
In seas that swell, and streams that flow.

We read thee best in Him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame;
Sent by the Father from on high,
Our life to live, our death to die.

We read thy power to bless and save,
E’en in the darkness of the grave;
Still more in resurrection light,
We read the fullness of thy might.

O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way!
Eternal love, in thee we rest
Forever safe, forever blest.

JFK remembered, 50 years on

Jack (left) with best friend Lem Billings in France, 1937

It's not very often you remember EXACTLY what you were doing almost to the moment 50 years ago when something happened. For those of us old enough to remember, November 22, 1963 was such a time. I have always marked the assassination date of JFK as the end of my early childhood. I was 7 and 2 months when it happened. And yes, I remember that "like it was yesterday." Although I do have a definite memory from 1958 of my mother telling me the evening of the Chicago parochial school fire, to pray for nearly 100 teachers and school children who died, I was kept away from graphic images, just after the event. But nothing was shielded from us in '63 when I was in 2nd grade.

We were in the middle of a lesson in the early afternoon at St. Francis School, in Allentown, Pa. Our nun, Sister Angelita, was called out into the hall, something very unusual, and sister came back in and informed us, rather excitedly, that "Father Walters was listening to the radio in the rectory, and heard that the president was shot in Dallas, we don't know how bad it is yet, let's pray." I can remember thinking: What the heck is he doing in Dallas? So we all did pray, and shortly thereafter we were given our customary bathroom break. We marched in silence upstairs to the 2nd floor to "do our business" and we were each lost in our own thoughts on the way back down to our classroom too. Even at a time like that normal decorum was held. I don't remember anyone crying at that time, we got the news. We were all pretty much in shock that such a thing like that could happen. If there were tears, there certainly no wailing and moaning. Everyone absorbed it best they could.

Shortly thereafter, we were assembled in the school chapel (which had until the year before served as the parish church) and told of Kennedy's death. We said more prayers, and were released home. We were told that priests had gone to Parkland Hospital and the President had been given last rites, which to us Catholic children was a comfort. One of the Dallas priests had released the news of his death to the news media, and naturally other official announcements had taken place. We were released close to our normal time of day, as after the assembly it made no sense to go back to class. Again, we pretty much were walked in silence down to the corner as usual where we were released, each with our own thoughts, either to walk home by ourselves, or with mom, if our mothers if they were there to pick us up.

I remember asking my mother at home: Do we have a president now? And she thought a moment and told me Johnson was now president. I do remember that night as I was lying down to bed thinking of poor Caroline and John, Jr. I felt terrible they didn't have a dad anymore. All that weekend, apart from me going to church on Saturday to light a candle, and Sunday to Mass, we were GLUED to the TV. I DO remember seeing Oswald get shot on TV, I called out to my mom "Oswald's been shot." Frankly, I can't say I was glad he was shot, but I was quite relieved he was. Let's say at age 7, I was not "nuanced."

I am quite sure my interest in history was kindled with his assassination. His biographies were among the first I read. And frankly, I had smelled a rat regards the hagiography that had been painted about him by the time I was age 13. What exactly did he mean when he was quoted as saying in "The Making of the President" about being glad the republicans had made a "tactical mistake by releasing their vote counts too soon" downstate in Illinois. I remember thinking "if everything's on the up and up, why would that matter when the votes from various precincts came in if they were all going to be counted in the end?" I knew there were gaps and cover ups and inconsistencies re: the timeline of his early years. They'd concealed he'd ALWAYS been prone to being a sickly child, and frankly he'd had a bad back from early childhood, and there was the lie re: him spending a year in England going to the London School of Economics. In later years the book "The Search for JFK" came out by a brother/sister pair, the Blairs, and they did extensive research and brought the truth to light where the Kennedy family had painted the myths about Jack and the adoring media just didn't look too closely at the inconsistencies. The press had long known of JFK's womanizing, and the Judith Exner story came out about that same time in the early 70s, then EVERYONE had to admit what had once been a "gentleman's agreement" couldn't be covered up anymore. And the "Camelot myth" was passed on by the liberal press. NOT his fault, OR Jackie Kennedy's for that matter. He didn't ask to be made a tin hero. The administration was never called "Camelot" when it was happening. That business was promulgated when shortly after his death she'd given an interview with a newsman she'd trusted. She mentioned in passing that before they went to bed, her husband often liked to listen to musical theatre records, and that Camelot, then playing on Broadway was a favorite. So the media from ever there on beat the "Camelot" myth to death.

But for all his flaws, he also had strengths. Basic Optimism. The space program. Love of Country. Anti-communism. A great sense of humor. NONE of those qualities shared by the present occupant in the White House, in my opinion.

I've since confirmed with many people that for them too, who were old enough, they also demarcated time between pre and post assassination. So it wasn't just my imagination. I always sigh a bit when I watch episodes of MAD MEN. They caught the period so well. I get a bit frustrated that people say "Oh, things would be so different had he lived." I highly doubt that, other than, of course, for the Kennedy family. Some things, no doubt would likely be different. I question whether or not Bobby would have been shot, for instance, and certainly Mary Jo Kopechne would have lived too, because Ted wouldn't have been driving her around over a bridge, as the "reunion" had been held for the office girls who worked Bobby's campaign a year after he was shot. But as far as the larger world stage and events that transpired, I don't see that things would have been radically different in the long scheme of things. I'm glad I've never found out if he would have championed abortion on demand as did Ted. I'm glad I never saw that day.

The Vietnam War was just starting to heat up under Kennedy. He'd have continued it, I'm quite sure, given he was strongly anti-Communist and didn't want them taking over eastern Asia like they had eastern Europe. JFK was very much a cold warrior. Had he won re-election, the crowds would have likely yelled "hey, hey, JFK, how many kids did you kill today?" The birth control pill, and the loose sexual mores and shocking rise in unwed motherhood and later abortion on demand still would have likely happened. Johnson's so-called "War on Poverty" although well meant at the time I'm sure, had the unintended effect of making dad in the home not a necessity in too many minds, as single motherhood was relatively monetarily rewarded, which combined with sexual revolution and the pill made dear old dad superfluous. The war on teachers being able to mention God or morals in public schools had already started in '62 when the Supreme Court said you couldn't have prayer in public school. The drug culture would have happened. Just a few short months after the assassination, the Beatles radically did change to course of popular music headlong into Rock and Roll. Although rock started in '55 with Bill Haley and the Comets, the Beatles really supplanted any chance of the other genres like "standards" being the most popular music. Drugs and hippies came in big time after that, and popular culture became rather more crude and crass. Being a "drama queen" became tolerated behavior in public mores. And if you tried to hold to an older standard of grace and courtesy, you just weren't hip and "cool." Nat King Cole would have been embarrassed by the gang banger culture perpetrated by some "artists" today. I can't imagine Arlene Francis doing "Survivor" any more than I could have imagined Jackie Kennedy going out in ratty jeans.

One last note: You conspiracy people are annoying. Give it up. Face it. ANY president, just by nature of the job probably has a lot of people out there who want him dead. So all this crap about the Mafia, etc. or Oswald being a mere set up patsy really doesn't bear out. Oswald shot Kennedy as his lone assassin. End of. The forensics and science all back it up. So give it up already. Rest in peace, JFK.

Alas, poor Yorick

The other day I was going through things my late husband had.  This picture was taken shortly after his last chemotherapy treatment.  He'd undergone the therapy for a number of weeks on and it was very uncomfortable for him.    In the beginning, the mask, which is custom made for each person to keep their head in place, was too tight and very trying for him, they had to remake and alter a 2nd time, and then another adjustment.   Oftentimes after he'd finished the treatment, marks from the tough plastic mask would remain on his face for a long time, sometimes even an hour later you could see where the mask had been.

He never complained about the cancer, but you could see he was a happy man when that phase of his treatment had ended.  I think he did most of his purgatory on earth.    At any rate, I hope he is happy now, and has met my mom and dad and other relatives.   I'm very sorry that none of my relatives ever got to meet him.  It would have been my mother's 83rd birthday today.  I don't know what dad would have made of Q, but I think my mom would have adored him.  If there is cake in heaven I hope they had some, and thought of me.  It will be the 18th anniversary of her death 4 days from now.  Hard to believe it's been so long  Like Q, my mom had died of cancer.  Going through her death, helped prepare me for his.

There have been a few times where I've almost thrown Q's mask away.  And it puzzled me why I hadn't.  The other day it occurred to me why I hadn't.    Close up, one can see the shape of the face.  It's almost a modern day death mask - no other human had or will ever have those exact features or facial measurements. It's unique. And and a reminder that one day we all come to death's door.  Some sooner than expected.  And you never know what your own fate will be.  No person is ever replaceable.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.