Funeral Day

Yesterday was a long one.

Yes, I know today is supposed to be the 'longest day of the year' (isn't it?), but yesterday felt like it.

I got up early, like 5:30, nursed baby, got dressed, loaded the car, and about 7:00, headed to the City where Gi-Gi and most other familial types live. My aunt's funeral was at 11, and we got there about 9:00. In time to feed the kids, dress them, fix their hair and instruct them that the Urn of Ashes is not to be opened.

Organique decided that 11:20 was naptime, and the as-yet-unfinished church was amazing in it's echo-ey acoustics. I only had to climb over 3 people before hurrying my squalling infant down (up?) the center aisle. Of course, I was in the second "reserved for family" row, so that was a long, loud trip. Once outdoors, I realized I hadn't grabbed my carkeys, so searched for a shady, discreet corner of property to nurse her. A group of mexican construction workers were enjoying lunch under the nearest tree, so we found a more distant one. Of course, the church, school, parish hall, parking lot and old church are crammed into half a block along a busy street, and there were only a handful of trees in a narrow patch of grass along the street. Ah well. She fell asleep, and we made our way quietly back to the foyer of the church. I missed a good portion of the service, but that didn't bother me tremendously. I am not much familiar with the traditions of Catholic funerals, to say the least.

The after-service-all-you-can-eat-time (wake?) was nice. A cousin of my mom and aunt's hosted it, and their home and patio were simply amazing, to say the least. I enjoyed seeing the relatives, and squelched my inferiority complex long enough to actually converse with a few of them. Even if *I* don't want to be a physicist or a biochemist-in-the-field-of-energy, I feel inadequate when such goals are piled up in every demographic in the room (except myself). Don't misunderstand; no one questions me or judges me (that I'm aware of), it's just that the 'go-against-the-flow' stuff really becomes obvious once you step into 'the flow.'

We left around 4:00, and went back to Gi-gi's. The girls played and some friend's of Gi-gi's came to visit. I went and saw some friends for an hour or two, admired their amazing trees (we have so few hereabouts... and I'm taller than most of them), enjoyed their air conditioning and conversation. By 8:15 we had the car loaded up again and the girls in their pajamas again, and headed home. Organique started howling at 9:00 (she does NOT like being in the car when it's time for bed), and continued for nearly 45 minutes before I stopped and tried to console her. She consoled immediately, and nursed a while, but turned it up again when I replaced her in her carseat. She did eventually quit, about 25 minutes from home. We got home around 10:30. Hubby had worked until 9:00 anyway, and while I wouldn't have seen him any more yesterday had I not left town, it felt like I'd been gone a long time.

I'm so glad to be back. Now, to tackle the morning glory that has grown sixteen feet since I left...