Back in Massachusetts and its roller coaster weather once again to take care of some more family business. My dear Auntie Marge’s wake and funeral service is this weekend, so the family has gathered from across the country once again to pay their last respects. There’s also work to be done as continue to explore senior housing opportunities for my Dad, with applications and forms to be filled out and financial statements to be gathered.

My brother Dave has a nice tribute to Auntie on his own website. If you want to get a great feel for who Auntie was and what she was like it’s a must read.

I’m really kinda mad at myself. Back in October of 2015 I was visiting my folks, and Auntie and Uncle Don had come up to play cards as they normally did on Saturday nights whenever Auntie and Unc weren’t snowbirding in Florida. I was watching some TV and listening to the same comfortable and familiar chatter I’d heard for years and years whenever the four of them would gather around the whist table it occurred to me to take a picture of them since I was heading back to Arizona in a couple of days. A long winter was coming, and it would be another eight months before we would all be in the same room again, and who knew might happen over that time? So I snapped a picture on my dumb phone and thought no more about it.

Of course, events after that took over. It was just after the holidays that my Mom got sick for what turned out to be the final time ahead of her passing in June 2016. When Auntie passed a couple of weeks ago I went searching for that picture, but do you think I can find it? I’ve searched my phone and computer file folders everywhere. If I find it, will post it for y’all.

Anyways, rest in peace, Auntie – you’re with my Mom now and it’s up to the rest of us who are left behind to make whatever we can out of the rest of our lives.