The Family Plot Blog
Obituary as One Act Play: Shannon L. Marshall
Obituary as Play Script This creative obituary for actress Shannon Marshall shares her life story as a play script. It shares her passions in life and names the people who were special to her. Bravo to whoever wrote this obituary! A ROCK OF REFUGE An Obituary in One Act for SHANNON L. MARSHALL SCENE: Two figures stand together behind a veil of ethereal, wispy clouds. A woman is dressed in a beautiful white gown with a shawl of rainbow colors,...
January 17: Albuquerque Historical Society Presentation
Live Online Presentation On Sunday, January 17, 2021, at 2 PM. Gail Rubin, President of the Historic Fairview Cemetery nonprofit organization, will speak on the topic “Historic Fairview Cemetery: Final Resting Place for Notable People in Albuquerque History.” The program will take place by live stream on the Albuquerque Historical Society Facebook page. Historic Fairview Cemetery at 700 Yale Blvd SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was founded in...
January 16: Xeric Garden Groundbreaking at Historic Fairview Cemetery
Historic Fairview Cemetery Holds Groundbreaking for Xeric Demonstration Garden Historic Fairview Cemetery, established in Albuquerque, NM in 1881, is ripe for a low-water xeric garden. The cemetery is run by a local nonprofit organization. On Saturday, January 16, starting at 1:30 p.m., the organization’s Board and President Gail Rubin will hold a groundbreaking yucca planting ceremony. The planting kicks off a project to foster xeric...
Video: The Embalmers’ Cookbook Interview with Jeff Chancellor
The Embalmers' Cookbook Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Chancellor, co-author of The Embalmers' Cookbook. Written along with his friend Mike Brown, the cookbook is a fun collection of "Recipes to Die For" and trivia about embalming and funeral history. Fun Recipes and Trivia The recipes include drinks (Chemical Solutions), salads (Casket Sprays & Flowers),...
January 24: Online Death Cafe
Join the Conversation in the Next Death Cafe! The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place ONLINE on Sunday, January 24, 2020, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Due to self-distancing imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, we will meet through Zoom. RSVP to Gail [at] AGoodGoodbye.com to receive the link for the meeting. The objective of the Death Cafe is “to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of...
Books to Die For Video: Opening to Grief
Do we even recognize the river of grief we are trying to navigate in 2020? Claire B. Willis, co-author with Marnie Crawford Samuelson, of Opening to Grief: finding your way from loss to peace, offers insights that can help. Claire Willis is a clinical social worker who has worked in the fields of oncology and bereavement for more than 20 years. A co-founder of the Boston nonprofit Facing Cancer Together, Claire has led bereavement, end-of-life,...
Video: Understanding Sadness and Anger at the Holidays
Gail Rubin spoke at Wings For LIFE International about managing grief during the holidays. Using clips from the 2015 Disney Pixar film Inside Out, she explained how anger and sadness play important roles in our emotional reactions to change and loss. The scenes she showed brilliantly illustrated the impact of sadness on our emotional reactions to change and loss. Wings For LIFE International helps families and individuals impacted by...
TV Series “A Good Goodbye” Returns to Albuquerque Cable
Series starts January 5, 2021 on Comcast Cable Channel 27 The TV series A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die returns to Albuquerque’s Comcast Cable Channel 27 starting January 5, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. MST. The 14-episode series of 30-minute programs presents expert interviews on everything you need to know about funeral planning before there’s a death in the family. It’s hosted by pioneering death educator Gail Rubin,...
Video: New Trends in Cemeteries
Video: New Trends in Cemeteries "Where the Bodies are Buried: New Trends in Cemeteries" was a panel discussion during the 2020 Before I Die NM Virtual Festival. This session, which brought together leading-edge cemeterians (people who run cemeteries) from across the United States. Here are highlights from the panelists' presentations. Among the topics covered: addressing the rise...
December 20 Online Death Cafe
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place ONLINE on Sunday, December 20, 2020, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Due to self-distancing imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, we will meet through Zoom. RSVP to Gail [at] AGoodGoodbye.com to receive the link for the meeting. The objective of the Death Cafe is “to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” It’s an interesting,...
Kyle Tevlin on How to Create Meaningful Memorial Activities
How can you hold meaningful, memorable memorial activities, especially with the restrictions of a global pandemic? Kyle Tevlin, founder of I Want a Fun Funeral, spoke about “Raising the Bar on Our Funeral Traditions” at the fourth annual Before I Die New Mexico Virtual Festival. A Lesson in a Cartoon She showed a cartoon featuring two homo sapiens making cave paintings. The father...
November 22: Online Death Cafe
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place ONLINE on Sunday, November 22, 2020, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Due to self-distancing imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, we will meet through Zoom. RSVP to Gail [at] AGoodGoodbye.com to receive the link for the meeting. Please provide your own refreshments. Have a cup of tea or coffee and a cookie or other snack handy. The objective of the Death Cafe is “to increase awareness of...
Video: Property Reincarnation with Karen Hyatt of Estate Pros
Karen Hyatt, founder of Estate Pros New Mexico, presents "Property Reincarnation: Giving New Life to the 'Stuff' of our Lives." This one-hour presentation features insights into how to tackle clutter and downsizing, valuation of goods and furniture, and dramatic Before and After photos of clients' places where Estate Pros worked their magic. Karen provides great information about...
Video: Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico
In this video, Heather Moulton, author of the new book, Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico, discusses several old cemeteries in New Mexico. She also shares examples of pictures in the book, taken by photographer Susan Tatterson. The graveyards in small towns across New Mexico featured in this talk include Fort Sumner Cemetery and the grave of Billy the Kid, Shakespeare...
Funeral Directors & Cemeterians Highlight Before I Die Festival Events
People in the funeral and cemetery businesses need to be a part of these conversations in the Before I Die NM Virtual Festival.
Nov. 2: Managing Possessions Panel
What can we do with our loved ones’ possessions, before and after they die? How do we manage our memories and emotions related to objects? Downsizing and estate management can be difficult. “Managing Our Loved Ones’ Possessions Before and After They Die,” a panel discussion with authors and experts can help.
October 30: What the Dead Want to Tell You
“Women Who Know: What the Dead Want to Tell You” panel discussion takes place on Friday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m. MDT. Our panelists bring an upbeat message that death is not final.
Before I Die New Mexico Virtual Festival Schedule
The schedule for the 4th annual Before I Die New Mexico VIRTUAL Festival, four days of death-positive conversations and experiences, is now available. Events take place October 30 to November 2, 2020, at www.BeforeIDieNM.com.
October 11: Online Death Cafe
The next online ABQ Death Cafe will take place on Zoom on Sunday, October 11 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
Announcing the 4th Annual Before I Die New Mexico Virtual Festival
The 4th annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival is going online as a virtual, safe experience, held October 30 to November 2, 2020, at www.BeforeIDieNM.com.
Woodmen of the World had Amazing Memorial Markers
Some people say they would like to become a tree when they die. The Woodmen of the World used to give you a memorial marker that looked like a tree.