Since everyone but us had to leave early (the last crew was gone by about 4:30 or 5), I had no one to sing to. So no song format today. Just more of my indomitable prose.
Chris was rudely awakened at six thanks to the previous tenants setting the alarm. She handled it gracefully, though. Figured out how to turn it off, rolled over and went back to.
Corey serenaded the unseen wildlife as he practiced for his part in the service.
Robert missed his coffee terribly. Coffee maker but no coffee. Janell came to the rescue. Opened some K-cups we happened to toss in. Good coffee. Nice job, Janell
Lauren and Cathy and Chris put together a great breakfast of bacon and eggs and blueberry toast with cinnamon butter. So good even the smoke alarm sounded its great pleasure at the bacon-y aroma. Over and over and over.
Everybody pitched in to finish a cat jigsaw puzzle in honor of Sam. Just for fun.
I thought the graveside service went pretty well. I guess you’ll have to ask those who came what they thought. We arrived at the cemetery a little early and got the headstone set in place. Then some of the home group folks took turns digging the hole for the interment of the ashes.
When the relatives arrived, we were ready to begin. Corey led off with a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace on his violin. I prayed and read some scripture, then talked about some of the fun things Sam enjoyed, like Coke Zero and Tillamook cheese and … cats. Now we had to conclude that fun section with Sam’s absolute favorite song of all time, “The Altuve Polka.” Yep. I played the song on my phone to the chuckles and grins of the crowd. Can’t say I’ve ever done that one before.
We finished up by sharing the plan of salvation, as per Sam’s wishes. With the box of ashes (and her Altuve t-shirt) in the hole, different ones took turns shoveling the dirt back in. It seemed to be a pretty moving experience.
Afterwards, we left the tubs of photos and genealogy materials with the respective families. From there we took our photos of Sam’s headstone and the headstones around hers. Those pics we took to City Hall so they could record the location. They were most appreciative.
From there we drove down to Mineral Wells. Can’t be that close and not have lunch at the World Famous Bluebonnet Cafe. Good stuff. Any place that has fried chicken livers and all kinds of pies is a winner in my book.
On the way back to the lodge, we stopped at the Inks Lake State Park. No particular reason. Just to say we did. The highlight of that excursion was the hike to Devilshead Outlook. We didn’t see the devil, though. Just rocks and trees and water. Pretty place.
Last night Lauren pulled out the other cat puzzle we brought. Thus began a marathon attempt to get it done. They were planning to leave extremely early, so they finally left it in the hands of me and Chris. We stayed up some later. Just long enough to do something that would leave my final mark on the weekend. We finished all of the puzzle … except the cat. Looks much better that way.
Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.
Father, please be with Lauren and Cathy and Jonathan as they drive to Oklahoma for another funeral. And be with us on our trip home as well. Amen.
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