The Family Plot Blog
Body Composting, Funeral Parties, and Other News
Every now and then, there’s a surge of news related to death and funerals. The past few weeks, we’ve seen these news stories that you may find of interest.
Eternal Remembrance Offers a Different Memorial App
Eternal Remembrance offers memorialization content, accessed by GPS (Global Positioning System) technology based on location. No QR codes needed!
Dying Matters Awareness Week Starts May 13 in the U.K.
2019 Dying Matters Awareness Week events map. Every year in May, Dying Matters Awareness Week takes place in the United Kingdom and Wales. The week of activities get people talking about dying, death and bereavement, and places the topic front and center on the national agenda. In 2019, Dying Matters Awareness Week runs from the 13th to the 19th of May. The theme for 2019 is "Are We Ready?" If U.S. statistics are any indication, most people are...
How Grief is Like Driving on Your Emergency Spare Tire
An emergency spare tire, a.k.a. "donut" tire. Have you ever had to use the emergency spare tire on your automobile? It's smaller than your regular tires. As a result, you have to change your driving habits when you rely on this emergency "donut" tire. Experiencing grief and mourning is a lot like driving around on your spare tire. Consider: You have to slow down. The emergency spare tire's label warns you to keep your speed below 50 miles per...
Creative Urn Towers Offer New Options for Cremated Remains
When you have the cremated remains of people and pets, there’s a new option for keeping them at home or putting them in a cemetery.
How to Get a Green Lawn with Pearl’s Premium
Let’s talk grass.
April 23: A Good Goodbye at B2B Networking Expo
As an Albuquerque-based business, A Good Goodbye is connected to many people and organizations in the community. The award-winning Before I Die New Mexico Festival is successful because of contacts Gail Rubin has made. Lola, the ABQ Death Cafe mascot. Gail is paying it forward with a booth at the annual B2B Expo on April 23, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Isleta Resort and Casino. You can find her and products from A Good Goodbye (along with Death...
April 18: Come to the Death Cafe at Passages International
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2019 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the headquarters of Passages International. Passages is a leading provider of environmentally friendly funeral products for burial and cremated remains. This will be a unique setting for Death Cafe conversations about end-of-life issues!
Virtual Roundtable on Death Cafes and Before I Die Festivals
On Thursday, April 18 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Central Time, check out the NFDA Virtual Roundtable: Death Cafe Culture and Before I Die Festivals. Funeral directors can get their needed continuing education credits by participating in this one-hour discussion.
Videos: Fun Times at Frozen Dead Guy Days
Watch videos of couples and individuals playing The Newly-Dead Game at Frozen Dead Guy Days!
April 28: Albuquerque Death Cafe
The regular monthly Albuquerque Death Cafe will take place on Sunday, April 28, 2019 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
New Mexico Before I Die Festival Wins National Funeral Industry Award
The 2018 Before I Die New Mexico Festival is being recognized with a prestigious national funeral industry award. A Good Goodbye from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has won First Place in the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s 2018 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards. The KIP Award recognizes the best in personalization in the cemetery, funeral service and cremation profession.
April 3: Kicking the Bucket List Talk in Reston, VA
On Wednesday, April 3, noon to 3:00 p.m. Gail Rubin, CT, presents “Kicking The Bucket List: Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.” The event takes place at at the Reston Community Center, 31 Colts Neck Road, Reston, Virginia. Lunch is included for $15/residents, $23/non-residents.
March 22: Laughing and Learning End-of-Life Workshop
This Friday, March 22, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., kick end-of-life planning off of your bucket list with Gail Rubin’s Laughing and Learning End-of-Life Workshop.
April 1: How to Make Your Funeral More Eco-Friendly
If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, learn how to make your final disposition more environmentally friendly by greening your final arrangements.
Fun Photos from Frozen Dead Guy Days
The 2019 Frozen Dead Guy Days festival in Nederland, Colorado drew a record-breaking 20-25,000 attendees March 8-10. In our little corner of the festival, we had 1,200 people come to watch the 1998 Robin Beeck documentary “Grandpa’s in the TUFF Shed” and play (or watch others play) The Newly-Dead Game®.
NPR Story: How to Discuss Death with Children
Today’s “Morning Edition” program on National Public Radio featured this story: The Dog Isn’t Sleeping: How To Talk With Children About Death.
Frozen Dead Guy Days Promises Freezing Fun in Colorado
The Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival, taking place March 8-10, 2019, is a wild and wacky celebration that draws 25,000 people to Nederland, Colorado. And yes, there is a real frozen dead guy at the center of the party.
Video: Consumer Funeral Planning Issues You Need to Know
Funeral consumer rights to know before someone dies, death discussion movements, and the basics of preneed funeral planning are covered in this TV interview.
March 24: Albuquerque Death Cafe
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.”
Why are people calling me for body donation services?
As The Doyenne of Death®, I get a lot of phone calls asking about body disposition, funeral questions and cemetery issues. Just don’t call me for body pickup. Here’s a handy list of contacts for body donation services.