07 June 2010

The Waiting Game

This morning I got an email from the funeral home with the obit for proofreading before it was submitted.

Oh. My. Lord.

After I had straightened them out as to her parents name and the fact her dad was still very much alive, thank you, I talked to Pop about the "condominium" that Mom is in (that's Uncle's name for the columbarium inurnment at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell). He gave me the numbers and I called them up.

They gave me the info to contact the National Cemetery Schedules Office and I set an appointment with the funeral parlor to bring in my DD-214 and make things happen. I've decided against a burial at sea now, since the wife will be in the "condo" I'll just join her there rather than burden the kids with disinterment requests and all that.

They also let me know that she will be ready to go tomorrow, so I went to the airport and rented a bright red Mustang convertible for the trip. We had talked about getting a car like this so I thought she might like the ride, with the ulterior motive of deciding if I really wanted one of these or not.

I want one of these very badly, as it turns out.

So tomorrow I will get everything set with the Florida National Cemetery and pick Laura up for our last outing. After that the parents and sibs want to go to Norfolk/Virginia Beach to see the sights there.

For some reason my nutty younger brother wants to ride out and back on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Seventeen and a half miles of bridge and tunnel from Norfolk to the Delmarva peninsula only to turn around and come back. Tourists, what do you do with them.

Wednesday we break up into our respective groups, my parents and sibs will head west back to Iowa and Eldest Daughter and family will head south to Jacksonville FL. Middle daughter and I will follow them down and then we will continue to Bushnell to put Mom as close to Grandma as we can.

Pop says we can take our time bringing Laura down, but she was never one to wait. It used to make her very upset whenever someone kept her from her self-appointed schedule, and since that someone was usually me, I learned not to keep her waiting.

I'll take the weekend off, the Mustang goes back a week from Wednesday, and then the weekend after everything goes back to as close to normal as we can make it without her.

It has been good to have everyone together, even if the reason wasn't good.

12 comments:

BeckoningChasm said...

Thoughts and prayers to you and yours.

Blazer said...

Hang in there, GGE. I wish I could say that I would have half the strength in facing something like this that you have shown.

Godbless you and your wonderful family and may he watch over your beautiful wife in heaven, until you can be by her side again.

Anonymous said...

Just want to let you know that you are in my prayers. May God bless you.

Larry said...

Thanks everyone. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

Anonymous said...

I have been following your comments at AoS a long time. I am so sorry for your loss. It was evident to me, (and I'm sure everyone else), that you were a very good and loving husband. That's all we can really hope for in this life, that someone will really love us for who we really are, warts and all. Sounds like your lovely Laura was a very lucky woman, indeed. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Di Butler

Larry said...

Thanks Di, but I was the lucky one.

Mr. Bingley said...

I'm awfully sorry for your and your family's loss. May the Lord Bless you and keep you in his care until that day you are reunited.

Larry said...

Thank you Mr Bingley, it is appreciated.

Sheep_dog said...

Heartfelt sinsere condolences for your loss. No amount of words can ease your pain, but hold the loving feeling, and the knowledge that her suffering/pain has subsided, and she rests in a better, shining place.

May the Good Lord bless and keep you and your family in these troubling times....

Mike Rogan said...

Just got here from Ace's, Larry. I'm so sorry for your loss, and so young. I pray that God's strength and peace help carry you, and that in time you'll be reunited for eternity.

Larry said...

Thanks Mike

Larry said...

Thanks A_R.
Due to a peculiarity of Blogger and Hotmail, I am approving these comments as I see them in my email. That's why they get answered in opposite order to when they are posted.