Riding the family crazy train!

Gallery

Posted on by

Since the ability to observe bizarre human behavior isn’t available I’m drawing from my family. We have a little bit of crazy there.

Say what? – My sister-in-law wrote her obituary recently. She’s been involved in a lot of organizations in her lifetime and wanted to be sure each one was noted. She is distraught because there are no funerals locally so no eulogies. The obit has to say it all. At best there is a drive-by at the funeral home. Can’t even imagine that. Maybe the survivors stand on the front steps and wave. She has to book her exit for a better time.

In keeping with the macabre – We also discussed cremation. We have a family burial plot but some of us are considering cremation. My sister-in-law decided to do that but has concerns. She has instructed the funeral director (who is a personal friend) that she doesn’t want to be processed naked. She wants a sheet over her. The beloved husband said but you’re dead so it makes no difference. I suspect she wants the blue eye shadow on too. Vanity conquers all.

The fourth is the charm! — A grandniece recently took in an adult cat. It’s her fourth cat. She couldn’t believe how much fun it is to have four cats. I can’t agree with her more. It’s very manageable. Costs more for food and vaccines but I never worried that anyone was lonely. I was fortunate that mine all get along. I miss having that fourth cat but I’m trying to downsize. We’ll see how that goes.

Any crazy in your family you want to share?

52 thoughts on “Riding the family crazy train!”

  1. My cat, Theo, is a ‘must be an only pet’ kind of cat. In spite of the fact I’m actually quite allergic to cats, he keeps me from morphing into the crazy cat lady.

    Which brings me to odd family members. Every family has one … the black sheep who doesn’t quite fit the family mold. It occurred to me some time ago that I was probably that one.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  2. As you know (despite my blogging name), I have five cats. I love them all, but I don’t know that I’d do five again at one time. My original three were very manageable. Since adding the two foster fails….they don’t all get along, so that is hard. But of course I wouldn’t have it any other way!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • When they don’t get along it gets much harder. I had 3 in the 90’s and one of them didn’t get along with Jake. She barely got along with the other female because that female was submissive. I had to gate her to the upstairs. It was a hassle. Each time I adopt I’m on the lookout for those magic words “must be the only cat.” That doesn’t work here.

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • It wouldn’t surprise me. Sasha came through a friend. Morgan happened when I dropped off towels at the shelter (which I am not allowed to do). Gracie happened because my husband saw her picture in the paper and she looked like Morgan. (She’s nothing like Morgan but they are both gray one-eyed cats.) It just happens.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  4. I enjoy reading about family crazies. It’s nice when the crazy ones cause no harm, which isn’t always the case. I like the idea of writing your own obituary, but where would it be published? It’s not like anyone gets a newspaper anymore.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  5. My DH has instructed me that if he goes first, he wants a sign by his coffin that says “Remains of the Day”. We’ll see on that. But if I do, I will need to have another one that says “He insisted on this.” Anybody who knows him will know it’s true!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  6. I’ve got to think about it one day and find a person to handle it – who to pick? My boss is medical designate and it would be wise to let him finalize details (since I don’t care for the attorney who resumed our file after our attorney who was to handle both duties suddenly became a district court judge and had to turn his files over to someone else), but my boss is 9 years older than me. Makes it dicey. Can’t squabble with him either for the same reason – though he knows I have a DNR on file. I collected teddy bears for years and my mom used to say – they’re all going to go into the coffin with you if you go first – what the heck will I do with 52 bears staring at me? (Hmm – I don’t know Mom, but I now have ducks and roosters staring at me in every room but the bathroom.) 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • It depends on what you want to do. One of my walking friends has paid a service. When she or her husband dies, someone calls the number and they come and take the body for cremation. Everything is paid. No decisions. All that is done. For will purposes you can do an irrevocable trust so there is no probate. I suggest finding an attorney you like.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

      • That is a good idea. Neither my mom nor I cared for this guy. And it turned out he did not do the will correctly because when I wanted to put the house in my name since our wills left everything to each other, I was told it was done incorrectly and had to pay $1,800.00 to go through probate proceedings. The attorney I hired said if he had put a “ladybird clause” I would have had no problems at all. Perhaps I should just go to the same attorney – I hate to go through the new wills, POA and Durable Medical POA to have new documents made again. That attorney said our documents were not up to date in lieu of the Terri Schiavo issue which had recently happened. (The fact that he thought an attorney who became a judge was incorrect never sat well with me.)

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

  7. That’s interesting about writing your own obit and not a bad idea. Who knows what others may write or leave out if you want some thing included. I know others have done it but I would feel like I jinxed myself if I did…:)
    Cremation is much more popular than it used to be the covering is a little different..:)
    We all have crazies.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • My ex’s father wrote his own obit. Unfortunately his wife/kids didn’t know it until after one was published. They had included all the information he had written so all was good. It’s ok to write your own obit but it’s best to let someone know where it is.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  12. We have some “quietly crazy” people in our family – or did anyway – many are gone…..but they were sort of “closet crazies” in that they didn’t seem crazy to non-family. BUT WE KNEW! We’ve been thinking a lot about obituaries, services, memorials, etc. and already decided on cremation ages ago – now we’re thinking why have any of the hooopla. We have hardly ANY family left. The hoopla would be unattended. Maybe we will just quietly slip away. Of course we’ll be coming back to haunt some people…… 🙂

    Hugs, Pam

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  13. I love it-all of it. Who better to write an obituary than the person it’s about. Go Betty go. Also cremated is inexpensive and green-So to speak. Best of all is deciding what to wear to your own cremation! A sheet is nice and simple. I think I want a toga also but no sandals. What’s under the sheet stays under the sheet. Just poke me with a hat pin before shoving me in the fire. If I wake up hold up and get a bathrobe

    Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  14. It must be the week for this kind of stuff, I guess. My wife has been going back-and-forth with a sibling about how their late mother’s gravestone should be written. Part of their problem is that their mother never made her wishes known, so they’re struggling to come up with something everyone will accept. Maybe your sister-in-law is onto something here. – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  15. I felt the same when I got my fourth cat. I had the three siblings, then a stray came along and joined the family. I was worried about them getting along, but he fit in perfectly. I have a lot of good memories of those four.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  16. When you look up the definition of “CRAZY”, my family’s photo is placed there to add visual interpretation. The stories I could tell! And I’m going the cremation option as well, and I’m not even going to think about whether I’ve be naked or not. To be honest, I’m more concerned that my ashes may include some from the person before me that were left behind, or that they leave some of me behind that mixes into the next person’s ashes!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  20. There is so very much crazy that I have a blog for my family. But mostly it’s high-functioning crazy.

    My siblings keep putting photos of new and fancy cocktails in our group chat. I hate the taste of alcohol and am beginning to find it very irritating. Trying to remember that we are all bored and they are just trying to include me. Am thinking of sending back pictures of seltzer water with food coloring and fruit on skewers.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  21. Blue eye shadow – sounds like one of my aunts.
    As you said to “easyw.” A lot of what we do is just to make us feel better – and nothing wrong with that – especially considering those that do that generally spend a great deal of their lives making others feel better. A little self care at the last minutes – Better late than ever?
    Crazy always makes me smile – crazy with family sounds perfect!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!