A SAD DAY

This is a picture of my Topsy Turvey tomato plant this morning. I think it looks petty health.

WEDNESDAY'S WEATHER: Low clouds, fog and poor visibility conditions will improve around 11am. Partly to mostly sunny with temperatures warming into the mid to upper 70s. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

It was beautiful morning on Wednesday. I didn't have to go into work until 10, but it was still not warm enough to have my morning coffee on the porch.

Sad news on Wednesday. My cousin's died this morning. He was a coma due to a blood clot in his brain. they pulled the respirator today. Her brother and his wife are coming from Florida so I will be hosting them for Monday Tuesday and Wednesday next week. It may be too much for my cousin to have guests in her home right now.

After work I took a large bowl of cut fresh fruit to their house. Family members gathered, with a lot of other food. It was a beautiful night so we were able to sit around the pool and talk about some fond memories of Dom. The wake will be Monday and the funeral on Tuesday. The women visiting gathered and planned a strategy for who would be bringing what kind of food on what days. The tradition for us is everyone gathers after the wake on Monday evening at the deceases home so food will be needed then and on Tuesday everyone will father there again after the funeral so more food will be needed. A few of us will get to the house before the ceremonies are over and get the food ready to be served. It is suppose to be warm Monday and Tuesday so we will be able to have everything outdoors.

His son is a Roman Catholic priest so I am sure the services for the funeral will be beautiful.

When my mother died her service was held at the beautiful old Catholic church just down the street from where she grew up, met her husband, married him in that church, baptized her children there, where my brother and I attended elementary school and I baptized my daughter. The priests participating in that service were the pastor of that beautiful church, the pastor from the church where my parents attened after they moved out of the city, the pastor of the church I was attending at the university where I worked and my cousin who is the priest. I have never been to a service with that many priests on the altar. I was so overwhelmed. I hope Dom will be afforded the same beautiful ceremony that my mother had. I am sure he will, seeing that his son is a priest.

My daughter always said she would love to get married in that big old church with the big stain glass window above the choir loft. Unfortunately that church has closed.

The day my father died the same thing happened. Everyone started gathering at my house and bringing food and drinks. It was my favorite time after his death. I couldn't wait for everyone to arrive so I could here all the wonderful things that I knew everyone would have to say about him.

I hope this day was as cherished for my cousin as it was for me.