Of democracy and death

I could once again have blipped a photo full of blue, white-tipped sea or primroses or gorse against a vivid sky, but instead I'm going for this dreary but strangely interesting pile of papers which represent democracy in action today. Our Postal Voting papers arrived yesterday, and this morning I felt energised enough to cope, not with getting my date of birth right, but with fitting the papers into the envelope and getting that, in turn, into the outer envelope for posting. Tight fit? Worse than putting on tights...

If you're not in Scotland, you might want to check out some of the parties that appear to be clamouring for our second, regional votes. What an odd bunch - and, almost odder still, what a large list to be completely unknown to me. I've never heard of any of the new ones except for the notoriously divisive Alba party (I'm sorry - I'm letting things show, I know) - how am I likely to vote for them? Because I like their name? But there you are - real democracy in action.

There are many who would say that the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh represented the antithesis of democracy, but I have to say that it was the best funeral I've seen - wonderful ceremony, flawlessly executed, and lovely music beautifully performed. Ever since I first came across the Kontakion for the Departed when I sang it as a young woman at the funeral of the old Dean of Argyll, I've been sure I wanted it at my own; if there are no decent singers around to do it justice (it's at the back of English Hymnal) a recording will do. It's that bit towards the end - "and weeping o'er the grave, we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia"... Hair-raising and marvellous.

We had another lovely, windswept walk by the sea this afternoon, but I'm slipping in a proud mum screenshot as my extra at the end of #1 son's first week as Editor of the Scotsman. From editor of Dunoon Grammar School's Pupils' View to this - and he's always had an elegant touch with a comma.

It's too late now to do anything about it, but we haven't rehearsed our wee communion anthem for tomorrow - maybe after breakfast?