25 May ‘hungry’
The staff at the Funeral Home is beginning to look like relatives. I hope we don’t have to return for a good long while yet. My sister pointed to where I have a plot; she said she’d ‘be right next to me,’ to which I said, ”oh, good, so we can continue hacking it out.’ Leaving the funeral home, Mark made the comment: “Jews should never direct traffic.’ (What a pile up of non-moving cars facing old men whose waving arms and panicked expressions stagnated traffic). Aunt Denise was buried today. As soon as I got home I went for my sunset walk; I passed a neighbor shoveling dirt, trying to plant an enormous birch tree. I grabbed a shovel and joined in, (assuaging the dirt I shoveled onto Aunt Denise’s coffin). Strangest thing: all I could think about all during the funeral was how hungry I was, conjuring up what would please me most….visions of grilled shrimp with lots of garlic and parsley over pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil, imported parmesan cheese, red wine. (This would greatly please my Aunt, as she was a famous French chef and had no patience for grieving). My other thought was, “It’s so great to be on this side of the earth.”