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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Don't have to do too much planning as the family owns a cemetary.  Thus, I 
don't give it too much thought.

Now, my mother talked about it for years.  Creeped out most of the 
boyfriends I brought home <g>  She didn't get the white pleated skirt and 
blue angora sweater.  Somehow I didn't think she'd have still wanted it in 
her 60s.  Besides, I wouldn't have had a clue where to find something from 
the 50s!  She did get the blue though and a special stuffed animal from my 
cousin's little boy who didn't want her to be lonely and wanted her to have 
something from Keifie (his little brother who had drown).  He asked DH if he 
would "give it to Granny."  There we are at the cemetary and DH goes over 
and opens the lid of the casket and puts the stuffed animal in.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>


I think it's good that you plan what you want and then put it down on
paper and make sure that you've got agreement for those that will put
your plan in action. My grandmother got crazy a few years ago and
drove to town. Came back $6000 lighter in the purse, but had her
funeral planned out down to the music. I told her she was crazy. About
a year later my dad died unexpectedly. He was a character and our
relationship not so great. Left everything to his latest girlfriend
who said she didn't have enough $$ to pay for any thing.

For years, dad had said when he was dead, "cremate me and dump the
ashes in a dumpster". Brother and I were all for that (strained
relationship). Sister had a fit and wanted a service with a Baptist
preacher. I had enough respect for dad that I nixed that idea and went
for a visitation, but no funeral. Was really weird for us and the
guests. Sister had the ashes buried near his mother's headstone. I
held out for the dumpster, cause I really think that he'd have got a
kick out of that.

Anyway, after all that, I called grandma and told her that even though
I think she's nuts for spending so much money on her funeral, it's her
money and I'm really glad that she had the wisdom to take care of all
those decisions for the people she leaves. I then talked to mom and
her husband and let them know that they had better make plans ahead.

Planning ahead is what you want to do if it's important to you. Dad
thought that it was crazy to spend a lot of money on disposing of a
body, but I had to fit tooth and nail to not have his body embalmed
before cremating it.