Well the days just keep being filled. We started out this morning at the funeral home after a night of not much sleep due to normal mind-stuff as well as a gastric system freaked out by my-mother-just-died-and-I-can-eat-anything-I-want-to foods. 
Pie is good. Faux Mexican food is good. But. Pie and Mexican food and so forth and so on when you're not used to eating food like that can keep your ass awake at night and I am not kidding.
Just saying.

Anyway, the funeral home guy was terrific. Mother had taken care of everything back a long time ago and we just had to update a few things and they didn't try to sell us any fancy urns or upgrades. It was beautiful. My brother Chuck got there before we did and opened the door for us and said something like, "Velcome!" in a Count Dracula accent and I remembered once again how much I love my brother and I started laughing and then realized I was at a funeral home and felt a little bad about laughing but then I stopped feeling bad and it was fine.

After that, we all met up at Mother's room at the assisted living and started going through her stuff. Toss, donate, keep.
"On my god. Look at this."
"You want this, baby?"
"Mmmm. Maybe. Let me look." Etc.

Memory Lane, Memory Road. Memory Highway. Memory Street. We traveled them all today. There were things that made us laugh so hard. I found a stash of white cotton gloves that I have NO idea why my mother kept. I showed them to Chuck and he put one on and did his Michael Jackson impersonation. I said, "Oh god. Can I take a picture of that and put it on my blog?"
He said I could.
I did and I did and I am. Here it is.

My brother Chuck is one of the funniest people I know. And one of the blessings of Mother's death is that we get to spend time together. He is so busy with his children and his job but we are necessarily thrown together and it is a joy. 

So we got through a ton of stuff today and will go back tomorrow. My brother Russell just got here and he'll be with us and so will Hank and May and Lily and the boys, and Jessie and my brother White are all here in spirit. 

One of the things I discovered today is that my mother was an inveterate collector of newspaper clippings. I spent my high school years in Winter Haven and the Winter Haven News Chief was obviously hurting bad for news because this was one of the many clippings I found today. 

Was I rocking those horn-rims or what? I made that dress, ya'll. I had no idea how gorgeous I was. A gift from my mother. Along with a whole lot of S&H Green Stamps and more address books, greeting cards, memo tablets and address labels than anyone needs.

Well, so okay, Russell is here and my across-the-street neighbor has brought me a ham. For the first time in my life I don't feel bad at all about receiving food. My mother died. It's okay. Bring me a ham. I am a southern woman and I want to cradle that ham in my arms and love it. 

I wrote Mother's obit tonight and I sent it out to my kids and my sibs and I completely forgot to list Chuck's kids. Well, all I can say is- my mother died and I am not in my right mind and I will make the correction. 

Send hams and reminders. 

Love...Ms. Moon