Montana trip

Just got back from a trip to Montana with my family for my grandmother's memorial service and some family time. It was a good trip, with Nana's memory being honored at the same time that we had a lot of family fun. Nightly Scrabble games, skiing, a lot of wine, and some learning experiences all played a part. Mariellen and I listened to four and a half audiobooks on the drive up and back, and I visited the Museum of the Rockies for some education on the dinosaurs and other subjects. So I learned some things. See my other blog for a review of at least one of the audiobooks.

Anyway, it was a good trip.

Nana

My grandmother died on Tuesday. It was faster than anybody really expected, and my mom was pretty broken up. It was her mother that died. We had been discussing whether to have Thanksgiving here or in Spokane when we got the news that she was sick, but now Thanksgiving is still on in Las Vegas. Some of Nana's last wishes were that her family would have a good time in Las Vegas, so we're going to try to do that. It's a tough time for my family, so please pray for guidance and support. Nana was 82, and she had been widowed for 40 years. She loved writing letters and gathering news clips to send to her family, which is the main way she and I communicated. I will miss her, and I probably carry on many of her characteristics. Maybe I will talk more about that later -- maybe not. The memorial service is planned for sometime next year, as Nana wished to be cremated and memorialized at the graveside in Bozeman, Montana, where her husband is buried, and she wanted to have the service at a "convenient" time. It seems right now that the best time to do that will be in the summer. We'll see if that changes.