A short poem today, for a short post. This is from 1996, 20 years ago this month. Someone asked me about this strip in an email the other day, wanting help finding it. At the time, I wasn’t sure where to look, and it was just as well. I would have sworn I drew it no more than 10 years ago. Yeek.
354 responses to “Busted Flush”
I got a call from the monument company this afternoon, saying they had completed the addition of the date-of-death inscription to Ghostmom’s headstone. I stopped by on the way home and found something I didn’t expect. When my brother-in-law and I moved her belongings out of her apartment, I gave him a wind chime of hers to hang on his deck. It was the one I had given her for Mother’s Day this year, and it had hung over her outdoor chair when she was well enough to sit out with me in the afternoons…watching the birds; enjoying the plants I had put in urns for her; and listening to the wind chime.
BIL keeps up the grave sites and often puts out, among other things, small hanging baskets on a couple of shepherd crooks he has put behind the headstones. Today I found he had, God bless him, put the wind chime I had given her over Ghostmom and Ghostdad’s headstones. That touched me. Deeply.
So, Jackie, now I suppose you know what it would be like to wake up in bed with a yeti. But only our dear departed troll would be likely to drink enough to carry Sasquatch home with her. No, wait; that would lead to way too much ickiness for her.
Ghost, you are blessed. You know of course that we southerners visit family graves because they know we are there, just as we know they are. Your mother knows.
I need to stay home and make some headstone decorations for my family graves. You reminded me it has been way too long since I did that.
Mine often are stolen unfortunately. They are the kind the family can see while driving around the road. As my aunt said, “Well Jackquline Ann, no wonder they take yours, you can see them clear across the cemetary.”
Ghost, your BIL did exactly the right thing. Good for him. Good memory item for you all.
From the sacred and loved to trolls and hairy critters, our minds shift fast and furiously. I am laughing but biting my tongue to not reply what I am thinking.
Sometimes I do. Not say what I am thinking.
What was your mother’s and sister’s favorite flowers and colors?
Nice about the wind chime, Ghost, and the flowers, Jackie. Re replacement parts, I suspect there are a lot of us bionic Village People. I have had one hip and one knee done, and husband Jim had both knees done (five months apart) 13 years ago now. My take on it is that it won’t be fun but you’ll love the results.
Jackie, I’d been meaning to tell you this, since you had previously asked about the flowers and music at Mom’s funeral.
I decided, knowing the style of the two speakers and knowing it would break their rhythm, to not have music during the service itself. I did want entry music for those entering the chapel, so I used an old iPhone to make a 30-minute playlist on Spotify. It was patched into the chapel’s sound system and began playing a half hour before the service began. I wanted a mixture of sacred and secular, and these were the songs I chose, all as piano solos:
Amazing Grace
You Raise Me Up
Wind Beneath My Wings
Hallelujah
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
May the Angels Lead You into Paradise
How Great Thou Art
Beyond The Sunset
I must have done a fairly good job with the selections…the funeral director was blinking back tears when she handed me the iPhone after the service.
As I believe I mentioned, my mom’s favorite color was pink, with lavender a close second. The casket spray I chose had, among the greenery, many pink roses, white mums, and what appeared to me to be sprigs of foxtail fern dyed lavender. If so, that would be even more appropriate, as that was the plant that provided the backdrop for the urns I had planted for her in the spring and that she so much enjoyed.
I was pleased, and I know Ghostmom was, too.
Jackie, whatever you were thinking, it’s very unlikely it was any worse than what I was thinking about lillyblack and the yeti. 😉
I wonder if she (if “she” was indeed a “she”) still checks in here. My guess would be “yes”.
That sounds lovely Ghost. As you might suspect, funerals are even more important in my opinion than weddings but because of emotional pathos they invoke seldom do they receive the planning they deserve. Your choices for your mother sound impeccable. I hope she was wearing pink or lavender. That is so soft and perfect for the skin and complexion.
Hope Village doesn’t find it odd to care so much about funeral services?
Death is part of life.
Debbe 😉 Sirius played this for me on the way home this afternoon. Yes. I’m sirius. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze3p-WeLCGk
Since she is on TDS and still yucking over there apparently, probably.
Are your parent’s and sister’s headstones a light gray marble in a traditional double or triple one piece design? Or are the headstones individual with an urn in space between?
My description of their headstones, along with a factoid about the dates thereon, inexplicably dropped into the Dark Hole of Moderation.
I didn’t realize that “headstone” was a dirty word.
Stay safe Florida!
So far, so good here in central Florida! Parts of the yard resemble rice patties but we still have power and cable. The eye is due east of right now. We’re in kind of a lull with the rain and higher gusts but expect that it will pick up again.
The birds are taking advantage of the lull to look for snacks. Unfortunately, although we dumped seed on the ground when we took down the feeders last night, we didn’t think about the fact that it was in a low spot. So now we have confused cardinals hopping around the edge of the puddle. Bob went out on the front porch a while ago and startled a wren that had taken shelter there; another was on a window ledge. (Winds are now from the north – house faces south.)
Ghost: just the idea of the wind chime in the cemetery is lovely!
Thank you for the update, Ruth Anne! Hang on and stay safe. Hope Jerry and the rest in the area are okay.
I had thunder storms last night late, still raining. Put on cute hot pink and black pajamas in case any visiting nurses beyond my normal crew come by. Have black puffy circles under eyes to go with spots
Seven pounds of fluid have vanished magically however. Off sodium and try to pour most of Diet Cokes down sink.
Afraid to look at hurricane reports on Weather Channel app. Worried about my friends.
Only had time to glance at The Weather Channel on TV this morning, just long enough to see that they are doing what they always do best…sending their poor reporters to stand out in the rain and wind to report that it is raining and windy. Of course, Cantore likes doing that, so…
I will always remember from 2005 how much can change, weather-wise and otherwise, over just a few short hours.
And now for a “Feel-good” story on this otherwise rather depressing morning…
http://www.minot.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/958921/out-of-the-boneyard-into-the-fight-ghost-rider-flies-again
Giraffe browsing off to right, hippos in river. Close expl ore before clicking. Peace,
http://expl ore.org/live-cams/player/african-safari-camera
Nobody on the Atlantic Puffin loafing rocks. They spend most of their non-breeding months out on the open water. Birds of some sort out on the briny, but too far or flying to fast to ID. Soporific waves. Close expl ore. Peace,
http://expl ore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam
Delightful TIP BlogSpot. Wonder if this went viral, what % of viewers would take it seriously. They’re out there, they can vote, and one candidate appeals more to them. NB: I didn’t say which. Peace,
http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/
Just saw a road sign in Kentucky as we drive to Atlanta for Crackedr Barrel that said we break for Chicken Fried steak. If I wasn’t in such a hurry I will stop and get some.
Enjoying Sirius, bit long trips are the only reason 2 have it. Not sure if it’s worth all the cost