A to Z Challenge: J is for Journey

Today, we are off on a journey.

My father's sister, the last remaining relative of the older generations of the family besides my own mom and dad, died this past Sunday.  She was almost 90.

The funeral is today, thus we are journeying to NOLA for the usual wake/service/burial at the mausoleum/meal after with the whole family who are starving by that time that is our family tradition when someone dies.

The forecast is for rain, so the journey will be both sad and wet, but it's important for us to be there.

This circumstance, and a couple of high profile cases recently, have me thinking about the plans we should all make for when we take that final journey.  If yours aren't in place, do your loved ones a favor and make some.  This should include deciding whether or not you want your organs donated, as i do, and make sure your family knows that  if you want that done, you will come back to haunt them if they override it after you are gone.  (No, i don't believe that i can come back and haunt them, but i've told them that as a way of letting them know how serious i am about it.)

Now, please don't think i'm being flippant here, because it is meant as a bit of light relief after a heavy topic.  My mother was at the funeral of her best friend's mother when the best friend said, "Doesn't she look wonderful," while looking down at the casket.  My mother popped out with the first thought that went through her head, which was, "No, she looks dead!"

The friend laughed loud and long, and replied, "Thanks, I needed that!"

So my mother's orders are, when she makes that journey, that we need to post a note over her casket saying:

To anyone standing here commenting "Doesn't she look wonderful,"
The deceased wanted you to know that she does not look wonderful, she looks dead!
Thank you.


Today is

Barbershop Quartet Day -- founding day of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America

Buchenwald Liberation Day -- at 3:15pm local time, by the Third Army

Eight Track Tape Day -- do you remember those; someone who fondly does has a day to honor them

Festival of Unmediated Play -- just go out there and have fun, like kids do

French Quarter Festival -- New Orleans, Louisiana, US (celebrate all that makes the Vieux Carre special, antiques, food, and 275 hours of musical entertainment; through Sunday)

International "Louie Louie" Day -- a song that caused such a stir it deserves a day; on the birth anniversary of its composer, Richard Berry

Juan Santamaria Day -- Costa Rica (commemoration of the hero of the Battle of Rivas)

Liberation Day -- Uganda (fall of Idi Amin)

*M&M Crisis in Space Day -- on this day in 1996, American astronaut Shannon Lucid reported from Space Station Mir that she was out of M&Ms; it was the only thing she regularly requested for resupply in her 188 days there!

National Alcohol Screening Day® 2013 -- US

National Cheese Fondue Day

Ougadi -- Mauritius and some regions of India (the Telugu New Year)

Pet Day USA -- www.petdayusa.com

Ramayana -- Hindu (New Year celebration; through the 20th; local customs/celebratory dates may vary)

St. Antipas' Day (spiritual student of St. John, mentioned in the Book of the Revelation of St. John)

St. Stanislaus' Day (Patron of soldiers in battle; Cracow, Poland; Plock, Poland; Poland, where he is celebrated on May 8)

World Parkinson's Disease Day


Birthdays Today:

Joss Stone, 1987
Vincent Gallo, 1961
Meshach Taylor, 1947
Louise Lasser, 1939
Richard Berry, 1935
Joel Grey, 1932
Ethel Kennedy, 1928
Oleg Cassini, 1913


Today in History:

William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, 1689
The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place, 1775
President Abraham Lincoln makes his last public speech, urging a spirit of concilliation during reconstruction, 1865
The Shogunate is abolished in Japan, 1868
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized, 1876
Ellis Island is designated as an immigration station, 1890
Spain cedes Puerto Rico to the United States in the treaty ending the Spanish American War, 1899
The US Navy acquires its first submarine, designed by John P. Holland, 1900
Albert Einstein announces his Special Theory of Relativity, 1905
The International Labour Organization is founded, 1919
The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found in Arbroath Abbey where Scottish nationalist students had taken it from Westminster Abbey, 1951
Britain agrees to Singaporean self-rule, 1957
Apollo 13 is launched, 1970
The Apple I is created, 1976
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed, 1979
The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan, 1987
Australia beats American Samoa in a 31-0 win, the biggest ever in an international match of football, 2001
The French ban of Islamic women's face coverings goes into effect, 2011