It may seem odd to say about attending a funeral, but I had a good time yesterday. I left about 8:20 and, thanks to Mapquest, got to Bristol (Pa.) with no problem. Stopped at a florist's and bought a nice dish plant with fresh flowers added for Jen's mother. (I prefer to send or give flowers to the survivors, rather than have them left at the cemetery with the deceased.)
Got to the funeral home about 10:30. Jen and her mother and other family were surprised and pleased that I had come. Sat with Joel, Jen, and Joely, the little guy naturally a bit restless, but generally he was very good.
They had a Catholic service, with a priest from a nearby parish speaking and very effectively and kindly, too. I'm quite sure Jen's family doesn't attend church, but--as mine is--their cultural background is Catholic and you return to it in times of crises.
After the priest spoke, Jen's cousin read "a letter to Nan." Lots of tears were shed--mine, too, as I'm often teetering on the emotional cusp--but there's nothing wrong with honest grief. (Jen's grandmother had gone in the hospital for the removal of a malignant tumor and had been expected to recover, but had suddenly died of a heart attack.) Jen chose the song, "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and that was played over the intercom--a nice selection, I thought, and one of my favorites, too.
The burial was nearby and, appropriately, the sky was overcast and dreary as the brief ritual went on. We then all repaired to a restaurant for a buffet lunch.
I ate more than I usually do, including meatballs, sausage, and pasta. However, I had only small portions and skipped the delectable-looking chocolate cake in favor of fruit salad.
We stayed for several hours, chatting and watching Joely and his cousin, Gabe, play games on big Joel's cell phone. They're both Spiderman devotees, of course (are there 5-year-boys who aren't?), and they also ran up and down the walls and spun webs around each other--sort of.
When we said goodbye, Jen's mother was so appreciative--for the plant and that I had come "all that way." (It took only about an hour and a half to get there.)
Alison had baby-sat with Tristan and I followed J. and J. back to her house. When we got there, Mike was finishing up laying the tile at the front door. The addition looks great, although it isn't as close to being finished as I thought it would be. Alison is having the combined Baker, Phillips, and Molloy families on Christmas Eve, so I hope it will be further along then.
A. had taken Tristan grocery shopping, then to the nursing home to see Mike's mother, but came in shortly after we did. Angel baby Tristan is now a big boy of 4 months and so adorable. He now reaches for everything; while I was holding him, he grabbed my scarf and shoved it in his mouth to chew on.
Got home about 5:30. Jen's uncle, Jake, had had containers made up of the buffet food and had given me one, so I fed what it contained to Pat: roast beef, potatoes, and string beans. There were some meatballs, too, which I may serve with spaghetti today.
After I was in my jammies and robe, I actually fell asleep on the couch, something I haven't done for a long time. Pat woke me at 8:00 to watch "Countdown" and I revived. Made our popcorn and poured my wine, but went to bed shortly and slept deeply.