ANOTHER SAD DAY TO GET THROUGH

ABOVE:  Today Stew and I are heading over to Tauranga for my Uncle Charles's funeral.

I still cannot get over his passing.  So sudden and unexpected.  And just too soon after the loss of my Mum... I'm still reeling.

In a way, I think this funeral is going to be harder than Mums!  Because I will be surrounded by all the family that couldn't make it to Mum's funeral.  All Mum's siblings (who live in NZ), and dozens of cousins and 2nd cousins.

To say I am dreading it would be an understatement.  I hope I don't spend the entire time just blubbing.

Snot/puffy red eyes is not a pretty look.

STORY:   When I attended Mum's funeral, upon leaving the Crematorium, I took 9 Memory Candles and Service Sheets to give to her 9 siblings.

When I got home and got them out of my suitcase, I had lost one of the memory candles.

I said to myself "Someone is not going to be getting a candle, dammit".

Then Charles died.  And I only needed 8 candles, the exact number I ended up with!

How creepy is that? 

Back to today: The funeral isn't until mid afternoon, giving us time to visit our friends, Jacqui and Martyn in the morning. As I have not seen them in quite a while, that will be a nice distraction.

And that is all I have for now.  We shall be heading off in a couple of hours.

ONWARD...

Right, I just have time to show you what I'm wearing today before we leave:

ABOVE:  It's a jumpsuit, exactly the same as the pure black one I worn to my Mum's funeral.  I have added a little lace thing under it instead of wearing a cardigan.

The lace thing is purely SLEEVES and it clips under the bust.  Whoever thought of it was pure genius.  I've had it for several years and not worn it before.

8.14 pm:  Today wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.

We met up with Jacqui and Martyn at a newish mall in Tauranga.  We had a wander around the shops then had some lunch together before heading out to the Funeral Chapel.

There was a Christmas Shop in the mall... and while I had already decided NOT to bother with Christmas decorations or tree this year (not in the mood really), we did end up getting these:

ABOVE: Stew spied this really cute decoration for Brylee.

She ONLY eats Weet Bix for breakfast, every day!

ABOVE:  A self-lit, flashing little tree.  That will be about all I will have this year. 

And that is mostly for the little grandkids, not us.

ABOVE:  My uncle's coffin was on the back of a Hi-Ab Truck.  Very fitting as he ran a large HI-Ab trucking business in Tauranga for years.

It was a very large funeral.  And it went on for a good hour and a half.  

I found it difficult when family members came up to me and offered condolences on the loss of Mum.  But I literally gritted my teeth, and HELD IT TOGETHER.

We ended up at one of my other Uncle's homes, and mixed and mingled with Mum's siblings; cousins etc.  

After an hour of that I'd had enough, so we came home.

ABOVE:  Once we got home, Steve, Bex and the boys called in for an hour or so.

We had a scary moment when Marley got a bit of plastic stuck in her throat!  She was choking!  I thumped her on the side, then Steve did and dislodged whatever it was.  PHEW!  I almost saw #3 death happen in front of my eyes.

I have this horrible feeling... Things go in three's.  

But maybe not.  I hope not.

And on that note, that's it for today.

Stew and I are both damn tired, so an early night will ensue I'm thinking.