Kathy and I drove to Marion this morning for the funeral services of our Uncle Jack. A lot of the extended family was there. The immediate family of Uncle Jack did a beautiful job with the service. Stories were told and people laughed and cried as we remembered his life. The church was nearly full of family and friends of the family.
Afterwards we went to the cemetery in Florence. The Sheriff of Marion County and his deputies did a nice job of controlling traffic for our long procession. Most people coming in the opposite direction, pulled over to the side of the road as a sign of honor and respect. Uncle Jack was buried right next to my parents and mom’s sister’s husbands. All four of them have plots next to each other. My grandparents are also buried in the same cemetery just in a different part of it.
A lunch was held at the Marion County Lake House afterwards. There must have been about 100 people that came to the lunch. More stories about Uncle Jack were shared, family members reconnected, and many hugs were given. It was a beautiful gathering full of love, family and friends.
After we got home, I took a nap. I was really tired and decided a nap would serve me well. It felt good to stretch out on my bed and rest. Not sure why I was so tired today, but welcomed the opportunity to rest.
I got rid of most of the desserts and treats that I had taken to the lunch. I will have to find someone to give some chocolate sheet cake and banana cake to but the cookies, peanut butter balls and chocolate dipped cashews are all gone.
It is a hot day on the prairie today. The temperature reached the high 80’s and with the high humidity level from all the rain we got yesterday it felt like it was almost 100. There is a humidity haze on the horizon this evening.
We got close to 2 inches of rain last night. It rained hard for about 30 minutes. We called those types of rains Pond Fillers. It was so nice to finally get a decent amount of rain. My two brothers who live in Lebo said they only got light sprinkles. The rains this year seem to be very scattered and some areas seem to get skipped over more than others.
I haven’t done much else today. I am going over to the house I am housesitting at to spend the night. Kathy leaves tomorrow for CT and she needs to be home this evening to pack and get her car loaded. She also needs a good night’s sleep in her own bed as she will be doing all the driving to get to CT. I wish her a safe trip. It will be good when she gets back home in two weeks.
I remembered to put the frozen turkey in the refrigerator downstairs to thaw. I will be cooking it Sunday for our family day. I am not fixing all the traditional turkey fixings with it but I needed to get it cooked up and out of the freezer. I am making space for the beef that will be coming in August.
Nothing on my calendar for the rest of the week. I will be going between the two houses taking care of critters and trying to keep them all hydrated and cool. It will be a relaxing rest of the week for me. I will need to mow at both places later this week and I would like to get some more deck painting done. We have a 60% chance for more rain Thursday, Saturday and Sunday so will see what the KS weather brings. I don’t always trust the forecast, especially when it is more than 24 hours out.
I am sitting in a good head space this evening. It was a wonderful thing to see family today and gather to honor my Uncle Jack. It was a sad day too but there was a lot of joy to be found during the day. Days like this remind me how important family is and how important it is to gather.
Grateful for all the love and care that was shown to the family today, grateful for a beautiful KS day, and grateful for afternoon naps that restore my rest and soul.