i wanted to say more, but i couldn't, the sound of my voice seemed strange and though i was sure you could hear me, i felt i was talking to myself i became self consicous at the sound of my mouth moving words echoing in the time and space of which you were passing through. you lay there, a girl slender and pale; your skin was luminous though not with youth or energy vigour or health it was like a veil of death at the door of your life. your brows furrowed at certain sounds and eased again and for a horrifying moment i felt you buried alive morphine through your veins your body not responding to your brain''s commands hearing yet not able to move feeling yet not able to cry memories flashed by laughter filled my head the sound of your beautiful voice never to be heard again. i met you when i was 17 on a whirl wind european tour we walked through the streets of antiquity, through the marbled buttessses of churches and castles roman walls and petit trianon, notre dam and the uffizi gallery your voice echoed the story of apolo an daphne and explained to me all botticelli and the politics of medici you knew every story there was to tell the history of everything in my eyes! i was in wonderment amazed by your knowledge, and you, were so young, dad's beautiful blond SMART bombshell! i really liked you i cried at your wedding, i don't know why you were the coolest wickedest step mother you showed me all things universe and politics and intrigue and brought me sweet sister sarah we joined the astonomical society and though we never did end up going to a meeting we watched the series of the planets on dvd and my love of everything universe was born scary friday fondu night movies piper heidsiek bubbles, laughter and fright rows and rows of penguins amongst which i found tirant lo blanc! and the words i couldn't say to you then i say to you now what is a life but that of a memory held by another and my memory of you is beautiful and burns oh so bright my sorrow lies selfishly in what you leave behind. rip susan jean mcalister - 7 November, 2011

Thank you for being such a warm, caring and loving step mother. Thank you for generously sharing your extensive knowledge of just about everything there is to know about art, literature, politics, history, science, the universe and of course dinosaurs!....there was nothing you didn't know about, you were like Google personified! Thank you for opening up my unworldly 15 yo eyes on that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe - the visits to the great Galleries where without your erudite knowledge of the artist and the stories behind the art, we would not have appreciated what we were looking at. Thank you for your brilliant sense of humour and all the laughs we've shared over a glass or four of champers. Thank you for allowing Jono, Julie and I to come on your honeymoon to Japan!! I can't think of any other women who would put up with that! There are so many things I could thank you for Sue but mostly I say thank you for finding Dad attractive enough to marry for without that, we would not have known you. Lastly and most importantly thank you for Sarah, the light of your life and our much loved little sister. You will be sadly missed but never, ever forgotten. Love Step daughter No 2, Mina