Today is Saturday, December 3, 2022. I know I’ve been absent for two days, owing to an obligation to attend a funeral in Allentown on Friday, so here I am writing to you a little after 11 p.m. I’m late today because of another obligation to a dear friend to attend his son and daughter-in-law’s baby shower in Jersey City at 4. Can you believe the juxtaposition of such events in two days: the inextricability of life and death from one end of the spectrum to the other in just 24 hours. I had the baby shower scheduled first, so this was my first obligation. I had worried that the funeral for my Easton friend’s mother would have been scheduled for today and what better weather could you have had for a funeral like the weather we had today: soaking rain. However, the service was scheduled for Friday instead and that worked quite well in my scheduling, except for a dermatological appointment that had to be rescheduled for next Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. This is just a follow-up visit, so this was not so serious in terms of having to reschedule it. I was afraid I might have to reschedule it for after Elliot and I return from Florida, which is on the 20th of December, but I was given time on Tuesday, fortunately.

I would have written a blog yesterday when we returned from Easton, but I just had no energy and motivation to write something after we came back, which was around 8 p.m. We had to drop off our adopted “niece” “Elizabeth” at her apartment in Astoria before driving back to Forest Hills. Thus Friday was a very enervating day that started for us around 7:20 or so when we woke up at our Holiday Inn Express guest room to have breakfast downstairs and then had to travel to downtown Allentown to attend the service for “Sandy’s” mother at K.V. Knopp Funeral Home, on East Susquehanna Street. Many family members were there when we arrived around 10:50 for the service that went on at 11. I have not attended many Christian funeral services in the past, as this service represented maybe the third type of service that I’ve actually attended; however, the pastor who delivered the eulogy for “Maribel” was more engaging than most. He demonstrated a familiarity with the decedent that was very refreshing and limited the prayers to just a few. He also invited funeral goers to come up and offer their insights into the life of Maribel. The immediate family came up: Sue, her husband, “Jeff,” and their daughters Elizabeth and “Rivka.” Even Elliot strode up to the podium to deliver his thoughts about meeting Maribel about 20-odd years ago. As usual, he was able to speak extemporaneously, a gift that I definitely don’t have. We all received a very good picture of the life of Maribel from all of the speeches extolling her as a very unconventional mother and grandmother, but a beloved one nevertheless. Sandy’s two daughters visibly sobbed as they recalled their memories of their grandmother.

After the service, interment immediately followed at Cedar Hill Memorial Park, where we all followed the main car with Maribel’s body and had our flashing lights on and headlights on to signify that this was a funeral procession. Here we were in the last car and I was a little worried that we’d get separated from the cortege, but everything turned out all right. We entered the cemetery with every car in front of us. We all gathered before the area where Maribel was going to be buried near her husband, “Clark.” The pastor spoke briefly and it was hard to hear because of noise in the background.

After the burial service, we all got into our car and drove to the Mexican restaurant, Cactus Blue, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The site was only about 15 minutes or so away from the cemetery, so it was very convenient. Of course, I put on GPS to guide us to the destination.

We all piled into two long tables in the rear of the restaurant. I hate to say that I was hungry at this time, and I was experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms, practically. I had only one cup back at the hotel around 8. The time now was close to 2, I think. It took awhile for all of the orders to be processed, so I had to think of something other than my appetite at this time. I spoke to one of Sandy’s cousins about his hernia surgery; it seems that he had an umbilical hernia repaired because of his straining the area as a result of weight training. So he had pain at the site and had to have the surgery right away. He claimed that he recovered very quickly and that the incision is not as bad as that performed in an inguinal hernia, which is what I had. However, this cousin was 22 when he had the surgery; I’m slightly older than he is. So that could be a factor with me if I ever had the second surgery.

Anyway, after our Mexican repast, we said goodbye to the family that were at the restaurant and drove back to Jeff and Sandy’s house where we stayed until 5 before leaving with Elizabeth and her belongings. She napped all the way back to New York, it seemed.

Today was a different kind of event that I attended. It was a baby shower for “Harold”‘s son, “Zander” and his wife “Nalah,” who are expecting a girl sometime in April. The only glitch from attending this happy event was that I spent about a half hour looking for the couple’s building from the PATH station at Newport. I have to admit that I have no sense of geography. Elliot has laughingly pointed out that I could get lost in the apartment. The actual time is about 4 minutes; I spent a half hour on Waze, taking me circuitously around the neighborhood before I finally found myself at the adjacent building. I now realize that I should have been on Google Maps and not on an automotive app. Stupid me! I still got to the couple’s building before 4, but if I had left later, I would have been late – no question about it.

Anyway, I had a very nice time at the party. I met some of the couple’s young friends and neighbors. I felt so ancient compared to many of them who were in their 20s. There were older guests at the party – Harold’s wife’s sister and her daughter, who is in her 30s, I imagine.

So it’s getting very late here.

Have a good Sunday.

Stay safe and be well.