I am making an effort at becoming part of the community. The week after Mom's funeral, I got called on to help with Aunt Bea's funeral dinner. (Aunt Bea is aunt to my cousins so that is how I knew her although we are not related.) The Ladies of the Club were responsible for desserts and the meal was catered so I made lemon bars. They were okay.

But first let's talk about funeral dinners. I don't know about the rest of the world, but here, where people travel great distances and there are usually no facilities (hotels/motels, banquet halls, huge houses) the family time related to the funeral happens at the community hall. The ladies of the community provide a meal, serve and clean up while the family eats and mills around talking to people they haven't seen in years, and may never see again. The burden of being host or hostess is taken off the shoulders of the family by the ladies of the club (and some men in this place and time).

Why is it that the good party happens without the guest of honor?