Arrangments

Deut 31:6 Be strong and of good courage. Do not fear nor be afraid...for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Today Bill, Elaine, Susan, Curt, and I met with the funeral home and the church to make final arragments for Dad's service.  Dad wanted eveything to be just like Mom's so we began with her program.  We walked in to the church with the readings and the petitions, they were amazed at our organizational skills.  We had to change a couple of things during the service, there is meditation song after Communion, and one of Mom's songs was too girly for Dad - but things are basically the same.  We wanted to have them sing O Holy Night as the recessional, because Dad always loved that song and belted it out each Christmas.  They couldn't do it as the recessional, because it's not the Christmas season yet (liturgical), but they will sing it after Mass, as Dad is being readied for the trip to the cemetery - so listen for it.  We also had to move the singing of the Ave Maria to before mass, when we are placing the Pall on Dad's  casket.  When Dad was so gravely ill, we played music for him.  I got him a Connie Francis CD for Chistmas, and as she sang the Ave Maia, Dad's lips were moving.  I said "Are you singing Dad?".  There was no reply, of course, but I know he heard the music and was happy with it.
At the funeral home, the girls were migrating away from the blue casket.  I personnally am not fond of blue, and didn't like  most of the blue linings.  Curt spoke up and said - "The only reason I'm here is because Grandpa wanted me to make sure he got a blue casket - like Mom's."  So - the girls said "ok.  Show us only the blue ones." and we found one we were happy with.  The rest was easy, because Dad had smoothed the way, as he always did.


I'm not going to retype the arrangements here, but you can find them on Carolyn's blog: http://ourdadsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/12/saturday-services.html