The TEDxABQ Main Event on September 12 was exhilarating! What a thrill it was to hear so much laughter and applause from the Popejoy Hall audience of at least 1,500 people. The videos of all the remarkable TEDx speakers’ presentations will be online soon — links to be shared when ready!
The Death Chicks, an online video interview series hosted by Patty Burgess and Myste Lyn, brings death out of the dark with humor. Hope you can join us Thursday, September 24 at 3:00 p.m. ET/noon PT for a live Google Hangout conversation that will bring a light touch to the serious subject of death. Here’s more information and links to watch.
Albuquerque counselors, therapists and social workers who need CEUs will want to check into Checking Out? This fun, three-hour continuing education workshop on October 16 is discounted to $45 or $50 until October 1. There’s more information through this link.
In honor of renewing my insurance agent license in New Mexico for the fourth time, I just published an article about the pros and cons of pre-need funeral insurance compared to final expense insurance. Yes, there are differences! Read the article here.
Selected recent posts at The Family Plot Blog and upcoming events follow. Feel free to call if I can be of assistance – 505.265.7215.
Live long and prosper,
Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®
The Family Plot Blog Highlights
Click on the titles to read the blog post. Review all posts on The Family Plot Blog or view just the Death Cartoons posted on the blog!
[Video] New Trends in Death Care View the video of this 20-minute talk on cremation, home funerals, green burial and creative celebrations of life.
[Video] Imaginary QuitBit Wearable Lifespan Monitor This two minute video is actually a clever commercial for pre-need funeral planning.
Radio Interview on “Having the Last Say” Listen to the latest A Good Goodbye podcast on FuneralRadio.com with Alan Gelb, author of this book to help you capture the legacy of your life in one small story.
Upcoming Events and a Humorous Quote
These two upcoming events are in the Washington, D.C. area!
Tuesday, October 6, 10:30 a.m. to noon “Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film” presentation at Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Road, Rockville, Maryland. Jewish traditions regarding death and dying, the funeral, the treatment of the body, burial, mourning, and annual remembrances are very different from Christian practices. This talk will include a section about Jews and cremation.
Wednesday, October 7, 10:30 a.m. to noon “Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning” presentation at OASIS at Macy’s Home Store in Westfield Montgomery Mall, 7125 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, Maryland. This upbeat talk illustrates funeral planning issues with clips from comedy films and television programs. Learn what you need to know before someone dies to reduce stress, minimize family conflict, save money and create a “good goodbye.”
Friday, October 16, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Albuquerque CEU presentation for counselors, therapists and social workers on professional and personal planning for end-of-life. Checking Out? is a three-hour continuing education presentation that provides a framework for professional practice management and personal preparation for life’s only inevitability (besides taxes). Dr. Emily Driver Moore and Gail Rubin, CT, will use humorous film clips, real life stories and plenty of Q & A time to help you make the most of this finite lifetime and prepare your practice and family for the time when you check out. Registration fee ranges from $45 to $60. Click here for more information.
October 18-21, 2015 The National Funeral Directors Association holds their annual convention in Indianapolis, IN. Gail Rubin will be there to cover new developments in the industry and talk to funeral directors and vendors at the largest funeral exposition in the world.
Tuesday, October 27, 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Uniting New Mexicans Against Adult Abuse Conference. Gail Rubin presents The Many Faces of Grief: Mourning in the Movies.
Friday, October 30 is Create a Great Funeral Day!
Sunday, November 1 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Gail Rubin presents a Day of the Dead talk at the Tome Gallery, 2930 Highway 47 in Los Lunas, NM. Tome Gallery website.
“I suppose that I shall have to die beyond my means.” — Oscar Wilde, upon being told the cost of an operation.