Death & Dogs

If you can see things through my eyes you might understand how beautiful I find funerals.

I do not mean to disgust, or offend, or seem insincere.  I am very sincere.  I love very much ~ and I love my grandmother(s!) very much.  And perhaps I do not have a normal sense of appropriateness at all times, and perhaps I find things beautiful that make other people shy away, or cringe, or give me that look - the one that says Obviously You Must Be Insane....

But here we go, regardless.


The funeral was BEAUTIFUL - though the viewing was difficult.
It helped for me to see her and touch her and know that 'she' wasn't there - just a body.
My heart went out to my cousin's daughter Ashton ~ what an amazing girl!  I saw her coming out of the viewing room with such enormous tears.  What an amazing mother she has too, who so calmly directed her to the ladies room with a comforting arm.

Knowing that I would have to deal with the You're-Insane stares, I took some pictures, and I would like to share.

The Gates

The View

(my granpa picked all of this out for them, they loved each other so much)

The Funeral

The Memorial
(we bought a birdfeeder...)

Then inevitably with the enormous tears comes the laughter...

and The Irony
(because ALL graveyards have the irony)

And now pictures of sleepy dogs to make us all happy (because as Jon Stewart knows - nothing works better at making people feel better than to pull out a puppy-dog!)