Saying Good-bye

A funeral is one of life's bitter-sweet experiences. We take our places. We pay our respects.

In our case, we sing. We sang full-voice for our little Granny.

We said good-bye.

We have our own thoughts and feelings about this person who is no longer with us.


We document our remaining extended family members with a multitude of cameras ~ where the sadness gives way to the happiness of greeting each other; many of whom (regrettably) we have not seen for many years.

We tried to gather all the cousins together ~ which proved an impossible task. Some family members in fact objected forcefully.

Robin said there should be a funeral planner like there is a wedding planner; then everyone would be in the picture, and someone else would be going to KFC for the bulk order of box lunches.

It was striking to see strong family resemblances, and the beauty of each one.

Accompanying Death is always a burst of Life.

Some cousin bonds are like sister-blood, and will remain so forever.

Cousins that were always paired together because of age, are now holding their own cousins of the next generation.

We, officially juxtaposed now with this burial as The Parent generation, are quickly evolving into just a shadow behind their lives. No longer creating or providing their world, but observing ~ standing to one side and feeling joy in their autonomy.


A flag snapping loudly in the ever present dry, Little Colorado River plateau wind speaks a language that is understood by the generation who still requires intervention.


Saying good-bye.



Until we meet again.

* Jessie Maxine Morgan Tanner Sept. 1, 1925 ~ May 31, 2008

Scintillatingly Droll

Yawn. Current drama in American politics is blasé no matter what happens. I am not interested in benign polyps of the colon or ear wax removal in anyone's medical history. Kennedy assassinations compared to flagging campaigns must have been done before ~ I mean, really.

The awkward struggle to back-stroke with equanimity after foot-in-mouth statements on foreign diplomacy is like "impeccably bad" *theatre Dan Akroyd only dreamed about on early SNL.

The de-evolution of our national culture is depressing. Did you hear about the Wi-Fi sensitive residents of Santa Fe, NM who are suing the city because they are allergic to deadly signals menacing government buildings? How come no one anywhere else in areas more densely populated than artsy-fartsy little Santa Fe is experiencing this singular affliction? Does this mean I can get hives from my t.v. remote control? I don't know who to sue- Sanyo, Qwest, EverReady or Governor Napalitano.

I feel badly for the kid who tried to siphon gasoline out of a car with a vacuum cleaner (he recovered well enough to graduate with his high school class last week), but - really, what was he thinking? Monday's headliner was pretty much the epitome of our disposable culture: the inventor of the Pringles can died and had his ashes placed in his invention.

We are all attending a grand and sloppy festival of no common sense. Where do they find endless streams of people with abysmal anti-talent and grandiose, nay ~ towering self-confidence to populate all those popular reality shows? This is obviously the back-lash we deserve after 25 years of self-esteem awareness crap; (competition is bad, we can't have a winner because then there would be losers, it takes a village, don't highlight an achiever for fear of offending those that ain't, etc.).

I'm tired of potty-humor movies that do so little to explore dramatic script, inspirational film and a soaring musical score. I'm fed-up with the equivalent of lip-syncing instead of the thrill of real art and classic literature. Where is good old fashioned charm instead of overt sexuality? Finesse instead of le crass? My artist's soul languishes for intellectual and cultural stimulation ~ there should be more poetry in everyday life, deeper content in simple speech, more respect for language and the irrepressible magic of the written word. I need a good laugh.

Engrish:

Eat your heart out Shakespeare ~* Dan Akroyd SNL Theatre Critic Character: Leonard Pinth-Garnell was a recurring character played by Dan Aykroyd. Pinth-Garnell, always clad in a tuxedo and black tie, would lugubriously introduce a short performance of "Bad Conceptual Theater," "Bad Playhouse," "Bad Cinema," "Bad Opera," "Bad Ballet," "Bad Red Chinese Ballet," or "Bad Cabaret for Children," and then exult in its sheer awfulness. Aykroyd played the character nine times from 1977 through 1979, and returned for a single appearance on November 3, 2001, introducing "Bad Conceptual Theater." (The show was hosted at least one time by Laraine Newman as Lady Pinth-Garnell.) Pinth-Garnell was loosely based on the longtime PBS Masterpiece Theatre host Alistair Cooke.

Memorable quotes

• "Stunningly bad!"
• "Monumentally ill-advised!"
• "Perfectly awful!"
• "Couldn't be worse!"
• "Exquisitely awful!"
• "Astonishingly ill-chosen!"
• "Really bit the big one!"
• "Unrelentingly bad!"
• "Rally socks!"
• "There... That wasn't so good now, was it?"

Group Effort

Rachel's big day as a graduate of 8th grade has come and gone.She and cutie classmate Alicia revel in the moment.





Leiland & Chelsey gasp in awe and delight.






Jack is obviously impressed.















After a free celebratory gourmet chocolate chip cookie, Jack was more impressed.
Thanks to big sister Bi ("Bee") for acute fashion-sense and dress selection during a very fun shopping with sisters day!

Thanks to Asia's friend Tara for the great camera phone photo of creeper-Asia peering under the dressing room door unnecessarily alarming other shoppers!

Thanks to big sister Asia for finding the earrings & applying makeup wizardry & for the truly amazing, ear-splitting eagle screech at precisely the right moment!

Thanks to mom for altering what was once strapless to otherwise, & for the free hair styling!

Thanks to big brothers James & Leiland and wives bringing congratulations, gifts and kisses!

Thanks to dad for the flowers & a big steak dinner everyone else enjoyed while Rachel went to the dance!

It seems in our day we had a cupcake in class the last day of school and maybe a new dress...
I had the impression the principal was happy to see us go rather than spouting platitudes about our "flight into the world" as if we had all just collectively achieved the Nobel Prize. This is perhaps a culture study for another day.

Fly, Rachel ~ fly.