The Weekend Review

This past weekend was my great-aunt Mildred Helm's funeral. This was my grandmother's younger sister. She was 80 years old and lost a very long and very arduous battle with cancer. I initially hadn't planned on going to the funeral, since I didn't know her very well. But I decided to go for the sake of my grandmother. I'm glad I did.

But let's back it up to Friday first. I had to work that day. But, my oldest two children's daycare -which is also a Christian Church and K-3 school- closed at 2p that day in honor of Veteran's Day. Luckily, my mom works for the state so she was off work. She came to pick up my minivan then pick up all of my kids. She has a minivan too. I have a 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan (yeah I know, BIG BALLER) and she has a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country. Same vehicle, with a few minor details different. One major difference is that hers is missing the entire back bench! It's in my sister's basment. When I moved, I took both captain's chairs and the back bench out for more space. So, then she discovered she could do it too! For a goodwilling, yard-saling junkie, THIS IS NOT GOOD. I moved the last week in July, need I say more?

She ordered pizza and we stayed there at my sister's house until about 930p, then headed home. Saturday we got up early and were out of the house by about 1045a to get to the funeral on time.
Regarding the funeral. A word of advice. The following scripture is NOT APPROPRIATE for a funeral:

19
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.
20
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
21
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

From the book of John. Yeah, they really used that scripture. Even for the eulogy!
And I forgot about the most priceless line EVER heard at a funeral. I swear this was said to my great uncle Eddie by the evangelical minister:
(ahem)
'You can't bring her back. But you can go to where she is."

I am not kidding! He really did say it! As he looked him in the eye and laid a gentle hand of comfort on his shoulder.

I know where he was going with that, and one more line after that would have made the difference. Something like, "We all can when we get to heaven." But nooooo, he was so pleased with himself, and he went and sat down!

So, then later ...
No, I can say nothing else about the funeral. I think that last bit was enough, right?
We went to the repass (when the family gets together to eat after the burial) at the church. Then headed to Grandmother's, where there was more food. From there after a few hours, we migrated up to my oldest sister's house. Our cousin Tanisha along with her husband Pete and four children came up for the funeral as well. So they stayed at Grandmother's house Friday night and Audra's house Saturday night. The kids and I stayed over there until about 10P, then got up early Sunday morning and headed back over there to fix and eat breakfast.

After a diaper/pull-up/wipes run to Wal-Mart, we headed down to Grandmother's house for Sunday dinner. Tanisha and the fam were already on their way back to Mississippi. I left Grandmother's at about 430p and tried to make it home before dark (ie, 5P).

Then I did nothing until it was time for me to go to bed and prepare mentally for the workweek.
I'm still working on that last part!