I guess I spent quite a bit of time organizing and actually putting things into the suitcase. Washed the last two loads of laundry. Confirmed the cat sitter!! Important things.
On Friday night, I saw "Kung Fu Panda" with Barb and Zander. When we came out of the theater, the air was very strange. It was smoke from one or more of the local or not so local fires. There was ash all over the cars in the morning.
On Sunday, we all got up really early. I picked up Jeremy and Daniel and we went for breakfast at Noah's before getting on the plane to go to Los Angeles. The occasion was the unveiling (officially noting the marker for my sweet mother Ann Levine, who died on March 11, 2007. Wow. Incredible that it has been more than a year. And what a year it's been. It was a very lovely intimate service led by Rabbi Pinky Dubin (well, his given name is Paul, and his Hebrew name is Pinchas, but he goes by Pinky). Just me, the boys, my father and my sister, who had gone down on Saturday afternoon. Pinky came back to the house afterwards and it was a nice visit and lunch.
It was an important occasion. No one has gone to Mother's grave in the past year. That may change now. We each shared a brief memory. Pinky was very impressed. I don't think anyone would ever say an unkind word about her. What a role model of kindness and acceptance.
Back tonight (well it feels like Sunday night even tho it's past midnight). Ketzl was not amused. I did let him out for a short visit in the night air.
I'm really too tired to compose coherently. I did read some of the grief book by CS Lewis. Elinor said I should have just taken it with as Jack is not reading much any mmore. We made some preliminary plans on visits over the summer, constrained by other trips and of course the September 6 trip to Europe. We're aiming for every 3 weeks now, and more phone calls.
Well, morning will come far too soon, and I need at least a little bit of sleep.
I'm beginning to feel really daunted at the prospect of what needs doing in the next 3 days.
