The Family Plot Blog
Listen to Gail Rubin on KKOB Radio this Saturday
On Saturday, December 1 at 2:00 p.m., pioneering death educator and Before I Die NM Festival coordinator Gail Rubin will be interviewed on KKOB News Radio. She's scheduled to be on the Jeffrey Candelaria Show for an hour. You can find KKOB News Radio at 94.5 on the FM dial, or 770 AM in Albuquerque, NM, or listen live online through this link. Among the questions and topics to be discussed: When is the best time to have a conversation about...
December 16: Albuquerque Death Cafe
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held Sunday, December 16, 2018, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will take place in the Fifth Floor Lounge at Manzano del Sol Village, 5201 Roma NE, Albuquerque. This is located just south of Lomas Blvd. and just west of San Mateo Blvd. 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 all about an interesting,...
Video: Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews
"Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews" was an innovative part of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival, held October 30 to November 4, 2018. Four funeral directors in their 30s participated in a panel discussion held at Tractor Brewing Company in Albuquerque. Among the topics discussed: funeral service and autopsies done at the Office of the Medical Investigator, the role of embalming in today's funerals, rising interest in green burial and...
Remembering the Remarkable Brother Arturo Olivas
Arturo Olivas died on November 18, 2017. On this first anniversary of his passing, let us celebrate his life and remember the remarkable memorial service held for him earlier this year. I had the opportunity to meet Arturo in 2013, 18 months after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He was given a prognosis of six months to live. Yet, he pursued cutting edge treatments that extended his life well beyond that initial "death sentence." He...
Video: Remembering Pete Goodwin
There's no more powerful reminder of your own mortality than when one of your peers dies. This recently happened to me, when a significant other from my past died at the age of 68 from liver and organ failure. Pete Goodwin was an important part of my life from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. A scene from Young Frankenstein comes to mind: Cloris Leachman saying in a heavy German accent, "He vas my boyfriend!" I moved to New Mexico with Pete...
Nov. 18: 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.” It’s all about an interesting, unstructured conversation – open and free-flowing with no specific agenda. At these events, people come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. The next Albuquerque Death Cafe...
Time’s Up! Before I Die NM Festival Starts Tomorrow
It’s finally here! The Before I Die New Mexico Festival starts tomorrow, October 30, and goes through Sunday, November 4, 2018. With a full schedule of upbeat events, conversations, and parties, the second annual BID Festival promises an exciting look into how people are thinking and talking about death and dying in these modern times. Hosted by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, a pioneering death educator and host of the award-winning TV...
Things You Need To Know Before You Die
Why isn’t death a trending topic? Even though humans have a 100% mortality rate, people only seem to talk about death and dying in hushed tones and behind closed doors, if they talk about it at all. Its high time death came out of the closet. If you agree, make plans to attend the Before I Die New Mexico Festival, one of the best places to openly discuss this important subject with like-minded people from all walks of life. The second annual...
‘Living While Dying’ Illuminates How to Live Life to the Fullest
In a world that sees death as something to vanquish, the 45-minute documentary Living While Dying presents an alternative: people living with terminal illness on hospice who greet the inevitable with courage, humor, creativity and acceptance. The subject is difficult. The film is surprisingly uplifting. Death is a big mystery, yet the outcome is 100% certain and we all will definitely face it one day. Living While Dying offers profound...
Get Your End-of-Life Affairs in Order
Humans have a 100% mortality rate yet the vast majority of us don’t like to talk about our end of life plans. The upcoming Before I Die New Mexico Festival is working to change this by helping people think and talk about death and dying. If you’re not sure how to get your affairs in order before you die, make plans to attend the Festival and find out what you need to know about getting ready for the end. The Before I Die Festival takes place...
The Latest Before I Die NM Festival Schedule
The second annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival is just 10 days away! News coverage is starting to appear. I'm especially looking forward to the Dia de los Muertos party in a cemetery on October 31. We'll be serving beer and wine that features the muerto artwork of Sean Wells on the labels. Other events to consider: Four Death Cafes at different times of the day October 30 to November 2 in ABQ. Seven speakers/panel discussion events in Santa...
Have You Planned Your Funeral Yet?
Have you planned your funeral? Ask anyone this question and you’ll likely get a strange look instead of a straight answer. Death has become a taboo subject in modern society and people don’t like to talk about their impending mortality. Still, we are all going to die someday, so why not talk about it and get our affairs in order while there’s still time? The Before I Die NM Festival is the perfect opportunity for those interested in putting the...
NM Cemeteries Offer Free Cremated Remains Interment
If you have the cremated remains of loved ones around your home, and you'd like to give them a permanent final resting place for free, take advantage of the Catholic Cemetery Association's Cremated Remains Committal Program. The Vatican has said it's okay to be cremated, but those cremated remains must be kept intact, not scattered, and placed in a cemetery. On November 2, 2018, the Diocese of Santa Fe will hold a committal service in Mt....
Before I Go: The Essential Guide to Creating a Good End-of-Life Plan
To prepare for end-of-life issues, every adult in the English-speaking world needs to read and use the advice in Before I Go: The Essential Guide to Creating a Good End of Life Plan by Jane Duncan Rogers. It’s a practical, comprehensive, upbeat guide to just about everything that needs to be addressed before you die. Like many of today’s death educators, Jane Duncan Rogers came to the field because of a death in the family. Her husband Philip...
Sept. 14: Women Make a Difference Lunch and Learn
It's not too late to sign up to attend the September 14 Women Make a Difference (WMAD) Lunch and Learn event with Gail Rubin speaking on "Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die." The event takes place at the JCC of Greater Albuquerque, 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE. The lunch features a healthy buffet of fresh, seasonal salads with proteins and veggies - something for every diet! Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. with the formal program at...
September 23: Albuquerque Death Cafe
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe is scheduled for Sunday, September 23 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Manzano de Sol Village, 5201 Roma Street NE. That's just south of Lomas Blvd. and just west of San Mateo Blvd. The meeting will take place in the Fifth Floor Lounge. The objective of the Albuquerque Death Cafe is “To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” At these events, people come...
Before I Die New Mexico Festival Celebrates Life and Death
Death almost always seems to be a surprise, and that’s why most people are woefully unprepared when it happens. The Before I Die New Mexico Festival, taking place Tuesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 4, 2018, in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Belen, will help people plan ahead for their 100% guaranteed mortality with 31 death-friendly events. According to Gail Rubin, coordinator of the second annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival, by taking...
Funeral Arrangements for Aretha Franklin and John McCain
The funerals of Aretha Franklin and John McCain are coming up this Saturday. With thousands wanting to pay tribute to these outstanding individuals, it's a challenge to coordinate multiple events in different places. Funeral directors are rising to this challenge. Aretha Franklin's Funeral Arrangements Consider the many elements the Swanson Funeral Home is handling for "The Queen of Soul" in Detroit: Public viewings on August 28, 29 and 30 -...
Sept. 4: Laughing and Learning in Rockwall, Texas!
Rest Haven Funeral Homes and Cemetery proudly presents a light-hearted evening of laughter and learning about downsizing and end-of-life issues. Pioneering death educator Gail Rubin, award-winning speaker and celebrated author, will present Kicking the Bucket List: Downsizing & Organizing Things to Do Before You Die. The event will take place on Tuesday, September 4, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Rest Haven Funeral Home Reflections, 2500 State...
Prepare to Die at these Habitat for Humanity Talks
August 30 and 31, Gail Rubin presents on "Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die" at Albuquerque's Habitat for Humanity offices. The talks will take place from noon to 1:00 p.m. in their offices next to the ReStore, located at 4900 Menaul Blvd. NE. The talks are free and open to the public, and snacks are provided. More information and registration here. These talks are based on Gail's book, KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100...
August 25: Put Those Cremated Remains in a Cemetery!
If you've had a death in the family, you may be keeping human cremated remains somewhere in your house. If you'd like to give those ashes a permanent final resting place in a cemetery - for free - mark your calendar for Saturday, August 25, 2018. My friends at FRENCH Funerals & Cremations and Sunset Memorial Park invite you to participate in their second Scatter Day event. Families are invited to scatter remains in Sunset Memorial Park's...