My dear late Aunt Alice was a very large woman that wore wild big flower prints and red lipstick. Her sweet husband in his grief let the funeral home make decisions and she was in a pastel something with delicate makeup. It was very odd. Good thing she was gone, because she would have been pissed.

Ah dear Ginger, I feel your pain. I am go to girl in my family for these things. I put Logmein on all their computers so I can just take over their desktops while they watch. Less stress. I gave up on thinking they could learn. If you want to understand this stuff you do it on your own.

Ginger, I, too, feel your pain. My mother has (finally) started to get comfortable with most of the online thing, but it was a long, slow training process.

I really don't like the whole idea of an open casket funeral. A few years ago, a cousin-in-law committed suicide by shooting himself in the head, and I heard more than one conversation in front of the open casket speculating how the funeral home could have covered that up.

It's just so endless, Laura. Thanks for mentioning that. I may do that when I'm home Christmas. It's just that there is that chance that I might not be around, and a day like today causes me to dwell.

{{{Nora}}}

I think the single hardest thing about my father's funeral was having to look at his body at the viewing at the funeral home the night before. I did it and said all the right things, but as soon as DH and I were by ourselves, I made him promise my funeral would be closed casket all the way.

My body goes to Emory Medical School. I really really hate funerals.

Just the other day I had to log on to my sister's flickr account for her. She couldn't figure out why I wasn't able to see her pictures. I swear that I asked her no less than ten times, "Are you sure you didn't mark them all Private?" To which she said, "They're not Private! I have no idea why you can't see them."

Yeah. They were all set to Private. Go figure. Thank goodness our families have us.

I - well, like is probably too strong a word - but I am pro open casket. Wishes of the deceased and family applying, of course. Cathartic is probably not the word I want - but it's, I don't know, grounding for me. More real or solid or something.

My dad just calls me and tells me what he wants to order from Amazon (or any other Web site), then gives me his credit card number, and I place the order for him. It works well, and it doesn't bother me, while having to talk him through ordering on his own computer would probably make me snap.

ION, I found the magic beer at the local grocery store, and I'm happily drinking one now. It is SO damed good.

Unpacking continues apace. And that pace is GLACIAL. I moved in 15 days ago, and just today got the TV (plus DVD player, VCR, etc.) plugged in and working. For reals.

More real or solid or something.

Speaking of - I do not recommend touching the person in the casket. For any reason. Don't do it.

I was 12 and my older sister convinced me that our mom would want to be buried wearing her favorite Charlie perfume. We didn't have the spray kind, just the dab on kind, and I was the lucky dabber.

She felt not unlike a cinder block.

So again I say, don't do it.

That's the whole thing, Brenda. It is a very personal decision. There isn't a right or wrong answer. What the deceased wanted is what is right.

I just don't want anyone to see me dead because I know it is hard to erase that memory. I want people to remember the animated Laura.