I'm glad you're able to help your friend's mom. Sophia. It's interesting, the things people focus on at that stage of life.

I think it's great that your grandchild will grow up learning two languages, Laura. I wish I had. Mom taught Spanish and lived in South and Central America for a goodly while, but for whatever reason, I was brought up monolingual. And wow, am I bad at trying to pick up new languages as an adult.

I am amazingly tired today. The very wine-forward 5-hour lunch I shared with a couple of friends yesterday (outside, well distanced) might have something to do with it. I just want to grab a cat and provide a soft stomach for it to lie on while I nap on the sofa. If only there was a career path that featured such activities.

Five hour wine forward lunch sounds both amazing and exhausting!!

t's 100% a matter of me just doing it.

Hah, for me too (a little was for conversational fluency but a lot of it is more trying to remember things I knew once upon a time). In theory I could probably do better in some ways, if I sat down and studied a grammar book. But I know I won’t, whereas if someone is waiting for me online, I’ll show up!

I am back from the P.O. where I sent off two CARE packages.

Buffistas will appreciate that a tiara was included.

Well, eShakti has a pink gingham dress. [link]

Sophia, it's lovely that you are able to help Maria's mom get a funeral dress, it's clearly important to her. I'm also glad, from the sidelines, that b.org was able to help a little - it seems like the sort of task we are well suited lend assistance!

Thanks everyone. I feel like I may not always be able to be helpful, but I have a network of people all over the country who are helpful! Maria is so sure the funeral home will let me in to make the dress look good, and I really doubt it as I had trouble being allowed to my cat's euthanasia (I was not).

That dress is super cute, Trudy. I might need it.

I would be surprised if the the funeral home let you in to help, Sophia, but they will no doubt take advice and direction

Timelies all!

Surgery~ma, Beverly.

I'm scheduled to be in the lab all 5 days this week. I'm not the only one, though.

I'm so glad people are getting jabbed and stuck. Go Team Vaccines!

Love and ~ma for everyone who needs it. I'm a few hundred posts behind, and I don't want to inadvertently leave someone out.

Sophia, they will not likely let you in to dress Maria's mom. In fact, I'm not sure that altering the dress is going to matter. It is likely going to be cut up the back and wrapped around her mom. The funeral home doesn't actually dress them properly; it's difficult to do for various reasons, especially when it's a one-piece outfit like a dress or jumpsuit. They make sure it looks good from the front, but that's it.

Edited to add: no shoes. They're impossible to fit on feet post-mortem, especially if they are the person's size while alive. Pantyhose/socks/stockings are not necessary since it's a waist-up view. Bring underwear, or the funeral home will go out and get a Dollar Store special.

Maria that makes sense but now all I can picture is being dead and my ass hanging out. I’m sure I won’t care at that point, but it still feels weird!!

meara, your ass wouldn't be hanging out completely. Most funeral homes require that underwear be used as well, so make sure you select a good pair to accompany you into the afterlife.

(I have knowledge of this because of what I went through when Rob died. I wouldn't have thought of most of it if I hadn't been asked by the funeral home.)