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<DIV>Thank you for this wonderful story, Nancy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"My" Fred requested to be buried in a pine box also. As my sons and I
were consulting the funeral director, I told them of his request. Oldest Son
Scott said, "Well, we could build one." The funeral director said he had a
source in the L.A. area for pine caskets that were usually used for Jewish
funerals. He ordered it. Someone from the shop met someone from the funeral home
at the top of the Ridge Route, and we had it in time for the rituals. The
plain box with a split top and nicely turned wooden handles was beautiful.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>The Time My Father Died </EM>is such a wonderful piece of
writing, and has obviously influenced many final rites.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Blessings,</DIV>
<DIV>Jann McGuire. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 9/6/2012 1:30:25 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
nancy@songaia.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Dear
Ones, <BR><BR>The image of a PINE BOX seems to be emerging as a topic of
another story ... and as it has, I would offer the story of a "pine
box". As the day of Fred's memorial service was dawning our son Bob and
his son, Mason went to the barn here at Songaia where all reusable and
some not so, are kept. Much of the salvaged material was Fred's doing ... "it
might come in handy one day" ... Fred's body was cremated so it was his ashes
were available for the ceremony.<BR><BR>However, it seemed appropriate for a
man whose whole life had been one of simplicity and frugality to have the
image of the pine box as a means of burial. <BR><BR>Bob and Mason built
the burial box with several pieces of wood that they found ... they fashioned
it with love, a bit of sanding so it would be smooth and brought it into the
house just before the memorial service. Yes, yet another ritual was
immediate ..... each of the family members decided what objects Grandpa
Fred needed to take with him .... a piece of lichen (Bruce) , a Kenyan statue
(Bob) ,his wedding and community (silver) rings (Nancy), a piece of blue cloth
(Nancy), a puzzle piece (Sandy). There were several other items the
strangest of all was a piece of bread with spaghetti sauce on it - spaghetti
was one of Fred's very favorite meals.<BR><BR>The second anniversary of Fred's
death comes very soon, 9/9 2012. Although he continues to be missed,
quoted, remembered with his writings and stories, songs and of course, his
presence, our lives are full and good. A wooden owl sits high on top of
the gazebo in our Songaia garden - the gazebo was dedicated to Fred during our
Festival of the Earth in May of 2010 - the owl was found and place on the roof
in Fred's honor .... his middle initial is O - for Orville. Our
community seems to find, create and use spaces for sacredness, song and
ritual at a moments notice.... it is certainly one of our most wonderful
gifts. <BR><BR>With love,
<BR><BR>Nancy<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>OE
mailing
list<BR>OE@lists.wedgeblade.net<BR>http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>