Laid to rest

I got up at 7:30, brushed my teeth and did some stretches, then took a shower. Michele helped me find clean underwear. After dressing and putting on vitamin patches, I deleted 100's of e-mails. Chris and Michele microwaved what was in the fridge because it froze overnight. I jotted notes for the funeral in case I could speak. The internet helped. We put our luggage in Faye's van. I got in. Chris rode with Michele. Faye checked out of the motel and we drove to the church. Kurt and Patrick were already there. So was Dad. He looked ok, but not quite like his usual self. I cried a lot. Faye set up pictures on a table. A lady from the funeral home put the CD of Dad's pics and music on a monitor and it looped. People came to pay their last respects.

The immediate family had a prayer after the casket was closed in the foyer. We followed the casket into the church and sat down in front. There was a service and a place in it for people to speak. Kurt spoke and Faye spoke. The pastor read what I wrote, which wasn't much. A couple of other people spoke too. There were at most 30 people there.

Then the family followed the casket out. It went into a van. We all walked to the gravesite where a tent and chairs were set up. The flowers had been moved there during the service. The casket was set in place. The pastor read from the Bible and said a few words. We left while the casket sat there, and walked back to the church for the meal. I got to talk at length to my cousins. Later I changed clothes and dicussed current events with Jeff and his wife and Silvia. Then Chris hurried me up. He and Faye and I got in her car. William, Kurt and Patrick were in Kurt's car. The flowers and food was in both cars. We caravanned all the way back to Richmond, taking the back roads which made the trip longer. We also had to stop several times to look for a place willing to let the public use their restrooms.

It was late when we got in. We unloaded the flowers and the food from Faye's car. Later Kurt and Patrick showed up after going out to eat, and brought in flowers and the box of pictures Faye had laid out at the funeral. I jotted a few notes and went to bed.