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Sometimes I put on some classical piano music and fall asleep focusing on that. I'm not always in the mood for classical piano, however. There are times when I just listen to my breath, as you say, but I don't count inhales and exhales -- should I?

SusanM - I figured as much, since I do the same in writing my Urgent Cases e-mails for Amnesty. They indeed do get a lot of use.

I promise that I will look up 'Lorenzo's Oil'.

2uesday - That's precisely why it was done; and yes, I would have done the same back then.

You brought up a very good point about death masks. I've seen plenty of those in our museums too. The last was in Isaac Newton's house (Woolthorpe Manor) of the great man himself. That really was not creepy. That was like a work of art. I stared at it and got a sense of what he actually looked like.

I thought so too!

And thank you for your kind words about my articles. You've made me blush this morning. I will do my best. <3

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Digby, I've added this wizzle to my Fisherman Christmas Ornaments here on Wizzley.

Thanks Jo and yes you absolutely have to have coping methods all set up. They get a lot of use.

Oh boy you definitely have to seek out Lorenzo's Oil. It's really well done.

Yes, thank you for leading me to it. :)

The world does need people like you, so I'm glad that you're here to do your studies and work. It must be a heart-breaking field to work within. But I should imagine that you have your ways to cope. Best of luck to you in them all.

I have a terrible confession, that will probably lose me my stripes as a geek. I've never seen Lorenzo's Oil. *hangs head in shame* I will seek it out and rectify that forthwith.

Poignant is the perfect word I think.

Thanks Jo. I love what I do even though people think I must be oh so strange for venturing into this area. Gosh your research area is no less taboo than mine that's for sure. I actually have done similar things. When I was lacking motivation for exams some years ago I'd watch Lorenzo's Oil as a reminder. Of course I now know a lot of families who have a child with a life threatening or limiting illness. So I have a constant motivator plus I know if I became slack they'd have their boot in my rear end as a jump start very quickly ;)

*hands up* I would buy a Bigfoot fishing gnome.

Despite my misgivings at the end, I do still recommend it. It certainly brings the Eyam story to life. I've read it twice now, both after visits to Eyam.

It's a shame that there isn't any bigfoot gnomes out there. Maybe I should attempt to manufacture some... After all, who wouldn't want a fishing bigfoot!

I'm tempted to pick this book up, especially after reading your articles on Eyam. Taking the choice must've been soul crushing.

Sadness, thank you! I've been trying to think of the word to describe them. Beautiful doesn't seem quite right, but chilling or creepy definitely aren't. Sadness is right. Poignant is even better. I've been looking in the wrong place.

As for your studies, thank you. It might be a conversation stopper, but it's also vitally important. Thank you for doing it.

My BA dissertation was about the Porajmos (Gypsy genocide in under the Third Reich. They were in the camps before the Jews). I used to meet similar conversation stopping moments as you, especially since I had a picture of a five year old Roma boy on my wall above my desk. It was taken minutes before he was killed. He was my prompt and reality check, for when I felt like I had it bad researching and writing.

Very interesting article - written in a very sensitive way. Death has definitely become the new taboo of our time. My university major is actually pediatric palliative care. I've found the quickest way to end a conversation is to answer the question - what are you studying with those words. Death is far too taboo - and pediatric death .... totally unspeakable in our culture. These photos must have been so important to the grieving process at that time. So my main impression of them is how these were the last moments families had with their loved ones. So there's certainly a sadness about them.

It sounds like she has a real talent in that area - and you're right girls can be mechanical. I had a Capsela set when I was a child and loved it - as did my brothers. I wish I'd kept all the parts though. They're worth a fortune now o.O