29 Leftovers--Flowers, Food and a Dream

Day 29 - February 17

Things to do on the day after a funeral:

· Ask sister in-law to create multiple smaller flower arrangements from the bountiful array of flower baskets and bouquets sent to the funeral home and memorial service. Use up all the generic florist vases under the cabinet and in the closets.

· Have them delivered to nursing homes and hospitals.

· Grab some butter, honey, brown sugar and one can of every fruit in loved one’s kitchen cabinets. Also find raisins, cloves, an apple, and an orange from the refrigerator.

· Take the ham donated by friends of the family, throw all the fruit, sugar, honey and raisins in the pan around it, coat it with a butter-honey-brown sugar mixture and score the fat in a diamond design. Ask son’s girlfriend who doesn't cook to place a clove in the corner of each diamond.

· Bake and serve for lunch with leftovers, to the amazement of family members who observe the process.

· Take a flower arrangement to the door of each friend who helped the family make it through the week.

· If loved one left the office furniture and books at a place of employment to a friend, remove personal items and call friend.

· Since vases are important while creating flower arrangements, notice loved one’s incredible vase collection from around the world and pack them away immediately to preserve--especially if loved one dreamed of having a country home with an attached green house.

· Begin to imagine fulfilling that dream. Envision the vases standing at attention on an upper shelf encircling the green house.

· If executor of estate says loved one wanted one last dinner at Olive Garden for family on his credit card, enjoy one last dinner at Olive Garden!

· If spouse must depart for airport to return to work, appreciate good-bye hug--it will have to last for twenty-one days.