Happy Easter Sunday! How are you spending this day?
Hello, everyone!
I call Easter Sunday as my Unofficial Birthday because though my official birthday is March 28th, the year I was born, the 28th fell on Easter Sunday! Every so many years, the "Easter Bunny" brought me my birthday prezzies...I so vividly remember getting hints as to the location of my presents from our daily "Good Morning" radio show that we listened to before heading off to school and the "Birthday Squirrel" would announce our birthdays and give us messages..like "look under your bed!" I'd be delighted to find colourful puzzles or books! I still have a tiny china tea cup in the shape of a lily and it's matching saucer in the shape of a leaf...That tea cup..so pretty in pink and green, stuffed with a real chocolate egg! What a surprise and delight then as we usually only got those coloured sugar eggs...I remember being in awe of some kids that got chocolate eggs with the yellow center! I just couldnt figure out how they made those!
Well I've had to contact the funeral home-
Had a real issue with the funeral home yesterday..spent 45 minutes the owner and gave them some very real concerns...like where the he – double L- is my Mother????I'd identified her Mon April 11, they were to send her for cremation Tuesday April 12..I was to get a call within a few days...FRIDAY APRIL 22, still NO PHONE CALL!
Tuesday, April 19th appointment with Ian, the counsellor, asked about death certificates, he was to find out. We were given a pouch with paperwork. It also contained 16 bookmarks I'd ordered for immediate family. NO photo of Mom on anything, NO death certificates, NO thank you cards, NO prayer cards...and the bookmarks only had the obituary on them...one long paragraph....looked awful! and the obit in the newspaper did not have the poem in that I’d asked for. So the owners of the funeral home want to "make it right for me" says this is NOT how they work and will do anything to fix this. The owner went immediately to check on Mom's remains and found her...problem there was NO FOLLOWUP CALL to let me know she was back in town. I was NOT amused and he knows it. From now on, he says,I work only with him...no one else. Too many pots on the stove? Also found out, accidentally, that, for a funeral, the cemetery charges $165.00 for every half hour AFTER 11 am on Saturday as overtime charge for their staff. Just holding a funeral on a Saturday costs extra! Also overtime charges if the funeral isn’t done by 3:45 pm on a WEEKDAY! So, since the interment I'd planned was going to cost close to a thousand dollars extra, Mom will be buried on a Friday afternoon around 2 pm. I'm not being cheap...just not feeling comfortable with being nickled and dimed and wow, that adds up fast! If Susan’s kids can't handle taking a few hours off work, that’s unfortunate! (they weren’t there to visit Mom before she died) My sons will be there. Amazing what you learn if you just know what to ask! Did my grocery shopping...bought two rotisserie chickens, potato wedges, bean salad and a strawberry shortcake….no time left to bake so I cheated...came home, made tossed salads, because Danny was home from Las Vegas and was coming over to dinner and show us his photos and videos from their trip. Today, the potato wedges went to the dog...dried out..what a waste...John is happily "using up" the leftover cake ….had strawberries, real whipped cream and custard centre. Dan had a wonderful time in Vegas...he surprised Amy with tickets for “The Lion King” ! I always wanted to see that....the technical and art techniques alone amaze me! Then Danny’s boss surprised Dan & Amy by taking them to a car race track. He laid down $500.00 just for Danny to DRIVE a lamborgini car for five laps around the track at 150 miles/hour….what an awesome treat for Dan the “car guy”!!! The Boss also paid $100.00 for Amy to ride as a passenger in a different race car, racing around the track. Boss also drove a race car. They did the Grand Canyon tours as well and the desert tour and really enjoyed it all. Dan was also entered into four poker tournaments and won TWO! Wonderful photos and video….they went to Grand Canyon...too close to the edge for my comfort *shudders*…..Had close encounter with huge sharks in a surround-type of Shark World..they swim around, above and under you. They even were involved in a fun interactive evening in The MOB's Hotel..using electronic devices, holograms and play actors...Dan was tagged The IceMan and Amy was Tagged Queenie..their name tags triggered electronic reaction and sequences…..like a grown-up version of the "CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE" books that the boys used to read. What a hoot for Dan! Here at home, the "Side Porch Feline Maternity Ward" is now empty...they all moved to the next box beside it...aka "Luxury Kitty Condo"…lol.. which now houses three mothers and eleven tiny ones from all 3 different Mothers and two six-week old fluffies whose Mother had abandoned them, all also included in one big pile of fur! Add to that there are now four tiny ones in another " Ensuite Maternity Ward" box by the front door...Mother is our huge fluffy white cat. She has one black & white baby, one white baby and two multicoloured wee ones. No noises outside...no barking but I'm staying up late just in case....maybe now I can get back to my routine...intruders do that to your sense of security. Enjoying our huge fruit basket sent by my BPW ladies…JB ate all the chocolate for me, he says. I hope that you all have a wonderful, peaceful & joyful Easter! Nancy B
Nancy, It is so sad you have to go through all the hassle for your Mom's funeral. About 10 years before my Dad died, he made out a 'death list'. They pre-paid for their cremation and almost everything involved in it. He listed everyone to call, notify and what to do in respect to banks, ins, incomes, stocks. They also put our names on all their bank accounts and CDs. He even had their obituaries written and the pictures they wanted to go with each. Every year or so when a change was made my Sis and I got a new copy. When he passed, Mom, my Sis and I knew exactly what to do. We modified it after he passed so Di and I knew what to do when Mom passed a year later. We just had to pay for the death certs, and transportation from hosp to funeral home. They were both (their ashes) buried in our hometown. We had to pay for the opening, lining of the grave and closing. After my cancer thing, I did the same thing for my kids. I also update it yearly. My son and daughter should have no problem settling the estate of whichever one of us goes last. But even with all that, if the funeral home staff and others drop the ball it could be a nightnare!
I guess I am cooking Easter dinner. Our son and DIL came by at 8 with 'dinner in a bag'. Basically everything needed to cook a full ham dinner. Eating at 2 PM. Soooooo, I will get things started soon. If we had thought about it earlier we would have made reservations at the O Club on base for Easter Brunch. Our grandson is working there all day.
Everyone have a fantabulous Easter.
Grammylew in Jax
Happy Easter Nancy, All. . .
Sorry to read about the funeral mishap I'm sure the internment will be just fine and I wish you peace to get through it. Your son's trip sounds like a great one and one I'd have enjoyed in my younger years. Thanks for painting the picture of your childhood Easter Birthday's. .. sounds like you have your own kittie rescue going on. . .
Well I've been busy doing this and that, made up baskets to bring to my DIL parent's for all the kids and did a nice job of it, if I say so myself, only problem was that I misplaced 3 Lindt chocolate bunnies, think they may have wound up in the trash, cause I could not find them anywhere at all, so I had to run out yesterday and replace them. This morning I got up went to a 7:30 AA meeting, the bakery to pick up pasteries to bring with me and have spent the past half hour with Roxie's head in my lap, half onto of my laptop (lol), so I could pet her, she is just too funny. We've had so much rain here, I was supposed to get a couple of yards worth of dirt delivered yesterday for my vegetable garden and flower beds and had to cancel it, because rain is in the forecast for almost every day this week, so even on tarps, it would have been mud, so hoping next weekend is different, though I could have really used good weather to do things this weekend, oh well. . . so I'll be off to the in-laws at 1:00 p.m. and from there this evening will stop at an AA meeting to watch one of my sponsees get her 6 year coin, then it will be home, relax bed and oh darn, this 3-day weekend sure did go by quick. . .
Have a great day everyone, wishing peace and strength to all.
Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Sounds like a pain in the butt to bury mom. The funeral home owes you some big-time service.
I am having a fibro flare and not at a good time. Left the party early yesterday, then the game early when it started raining and lightning ... and my knees were hurting from being cramped. The ballpark is beautiful but I understand now why my dad didn't go to games as he got older ... he couldn't handle it with his hips (he had arthritis in his hips and wound up with two hip replacements).
I was pretty much in pain all night and didn't sleep well. Janet called at 8 or so and got me up (well, I was half awake anyway). Don't know what she has planned but we will have fun, I'm sure. My niece-in-law had invited me to an Easter luncheon, but I want to see Janet, so I'm just going to go to do that ... the other invite came too late.
Anyway, I need to get dressed for our fun Sunday out. Have a good day.
So sorry for all the problems you are having with the funeral home. Sounds like Danny and Amy had a fabulous time in Las Vegas.
I went to bed at 3AM (yuck) and woke up at 6AM (double yuck.) Nothing planned for today. Ellen and I will probably read books and maybe watch a movie. We just bought "The Kings Speech." What a fantastic film.
I drank all 64 ounces of water and still woke up with dry lips. Maybe the dry mouth woke me up. Do you think?
Went to services last night. It was very special. At the time of our progam the sun was rising in Jerusalem. Thought that was really cool.
Everyone have a wonderful and blessed Easter.
Hugs to all, Mag
My family is in the kitchen eating sausage gravy and biscuits, so I'm in the den for a few minutes, the better to bypass any temptations!
The Easter Buvnny has not come yet. Benny is too little to understand Easter mornings yet, and my daughters wanted to sleep late. I've been up since about 7 a.m. with the baby, and now I think I'm too tired to play Bunny! Boy, babies are a lot of work! I've made bottles, fed Benny's breakfast, done laundry, done dishes, changed 3 poopy diapers already! (I don't know WHAT we fed that boy yesterday!) and now I have to start thinking about our dinner this afternoon! Whew! This ol' Bunny is out of practice!
However, I just had to post a little this morning, if for no other reason than to see my ticker finally hit a full 40 pounds lost! Happy Easter to me!
Nancy, I'm so sorry for all the stress and worry over your mom. That funeral home is just inexcusable. No reason for such shabby practice! Grammylew, I'm glad you are feeling better now. Please remember to pray for Judy's mom today. Eileen, I hope your health problems ease up a little so you can enjoy your vacation! Cute picture of you and the baby, btw!
Hope all my OFF family have a wonderful Easter!
Vickie
