Reasons to love a Monday Road Trip after a Sunday Funeral

It's not hard to find Reasons To Love Monday when you're at your parents' house with your dad cooking up two scrambled eggs and sausage... while I'm sitting on top of the big cozy bed, surrounded by pillows, my nest away from the nest in the room that every child in my family has had as their room before they moved out.... and the room that my two oldest lived in once they no longer lived with me... it has bits and pieces and remnants of all of us: the chat noir picture that Ryan loved, the rainbow I painted for Ziggy to hold for my first bulletin board in child care class, a calendar from 2003, my brother Michael's Micky Mouse that he painted, my brother Bryan's comedy and tragedy masks, Cody's baseball trophy... Marquee's games... my cousin Christie's baby's swing from where mom watched him for a couple of days... books, toys, bric-a-brac, a piano... it's a completely mismatched blend of who we all were - and are.

I'm up early today - back on my normal morning schedule because Pop is an early riser and once I smell coffee, I'm awake. I wouldn't necessary say it's "rise and shine"... for me it's more like, "rise and blog and play a little castleville and have a few minutes with the Lord and then... barely glow"... I'm not sure I'll have any shine for a few hours yet. I had a headache yesterday and it has lingered. I ache from moving so much yesterday and sitting for long periods of time. I haven't taken my blood pressure this morning. Last night it was 166/108 (I think? My mom took it as we were comparing blood pressure machines). It was high. My legs swelled yesterday any time I didn't have my feet up and you can imagine... driving and sitting and such... there were many opportunities for them to swell... and when they swell, my legs get red and hot and warm to the touch like they're sunburned. They aren't. (Yes, I will call the doctor when we get back home on Tuesday. I'm certain this isn't a good sign.)

The funeral was well attended and brief and Pastor Chuck (who we have known for years through ball and mutual friends and from back when I sold Avon to his wife) gave an awesome sermon... my girls were  beautiful... the flowers were gorgeous... the casket was cedar - something I had never seen before - and with it's purchase came a rocking chair made from the same wood which I thought was a precious  thing. It was sad but again... as a Believer... or "evangelical Christian"... we don't grieve as if we have know hope. Our belief is that we will see him again some day. Mercifully, it was a closed casket. I have a hard time when they show the body and you have to make proper affirmations such as, "he looks so natural"... when you know in your heart that Gramps would never wear pancake makeup and guy-liner.

Funerals always remind me of Purple Michael... his character in Dearly Departed... him singing Amazing Grace for the funeral of a friend's premature baby which was a sad, sad occasion but one in which he and I (and the mother of the deceased child) shared much laughter... the memorial service for a theatre friend who passed which was held in the lobby of a theatre venue where we had many memories... and it was conveniently located near a great antique store so we grieved and then we shopped... Michael and I, before he met Ross, seemed to always be each other's "plus one" for weddings and funerals...

Yesterday my "plus one" was my sweet steel magnolia... and one good thing about my lack of mobility is that I realize when my feet start hurting, grandma's probably are too. Two of my three boys came and my daughter-in-law and we took up a whole pew. Glad to be there - sorry for the need to be - but glad to be able to be where we could show our support. My Uncle Bruce had been to the viewing the night before, which I thought was really sweet of him. Our family is really made up of loving, caring people and I'm proud of how we show up when we should.

The graveside service was in Cleveland, right up the road from my nest, but since we were already down here, we didn't follow the caravan to Cleveland. It was designated so that Jim and Angie's friends who live in that neck of the woods could minister to them and love on them without having to make the drive to the southside of town. Grammy chose to bury Gramps up there because that is where she plans to live... they have a house up there already.

The rest of our family went back to my parents' house where we all had our screen/non-screen time, Pop watching golf, me on the computer, Austin playing xbox, Marquee writing a paper for school... then got back together for dinner (kentucky fried chicken, quinoa pilaf, greens) and watched The Help. It was SUCH a good movie... other than a bit of profanity, grandma liked it too... and I enjoyed the costumes, of course. And then I went to bed.

So here we are. About to embark on another journey. Scheduled for lunch with a distant relative and I'm not sure what else but I'm happy to be along for the ride. We'll spend the night somewhere out in the Far East (Georgia) and Cody is working in South Carolina for the next two days so back here at the homestead it will be just Mawmaw and Austin and Marquee and the fur babies.

And the cherry on top of that family Sunday sundae yesterday - I received a little gift from Grandma that will keep us going for another month or so. I'm too southern to really talk about money and too transparent to not mention it.  I was in a lot of pain for a lot of months and although I am still in pain, it is an enormous blessing to not have to face what I was facing every week. I don't know what the future holds but I know that we will never do without, by the grace of God.

It's Monday ...but I am filled with contentment from the reminder of who I am, who "my people" are, how loved and protected I am... feels like a Saturday to me! Hope y'all have a great week!