Last year my sister hosted what we call the Death Party. No, not one of those living wakes or anything, just an informal get together with an actual goal in mind. She came up with the idea after gpa died and she was part of this amazing scramble to find not only a legal will but also come up with something akin to his last wishes. Our goal at the Death Party was to document our last wishes, funeral/cremation decision, etc and then provide a copy of this information to a second person who would have it on hand if something happened. Little tidbits, like what flowers do you want, where do you want your ashes taken, do you have a song or quote you'd like played/read, who to contact or where to find your will (if you have one), blah, blah, blah.
It really was a great idea, plus she had these little sugar cookies with smiley faces on them, but the eyes were x's (hilarious!!).
Anywho, for the record (yes, seriously), here are my 'last wishes':
What to do with the body: Take everything you can save and donate it, burn the rest. If I have (finally) gotten my 'totem' tattoo, call a taxidermist and save it if you want--it'll make a great wall-art conversation piece at parties until someone asks what's it made of. "This is an amazing ink design! What's that on, bleached leather?" "No, that's my sister."
Ashes to be evenly distributed to 1) outgoing tide at a quiet location somewhere on the coast of Alabama, 2) Loudoun St Mall somewhere in Winchester--I just love the old store fronts and with luck it'll eventually become this local legend with the kids. "Timmy, don't sit over there!! That's where they buried this crazy girl and if you sit there her ghost will come out and give you a noogie!"
Alternative disposal options: (What can I say? I've got some weird issues--donation may not be possible.) Contact an injury risk assessment program at some university and donate my body (or parts of it)--they always need actual bodies for really good testing; strap my torso to a test parachute and throw me out of the nearest plane. Bonus points if it involves explosives.
My ultimate dream: have my ashes packaged into a series of fireworks and put on a great show. (I like the gold sparkle with swirlies type and those crazy hollow-sphere colored ones, thanks.)
For the memorial service: Field location early summer, sunny day. Picnic meal to include: fried chicken, mashed potatoes or mustard potato salad, a fresh fruit salad (must include blueberries), lemonade and (southern) sweet tea. No tables except for the buffet and folks who actually need chairs, bring blankets or red-checked table cloths, no body wears black. Shorts and games are preferred. Please play Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill.
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