Beyond the Pall
New Post Every Wednesday
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

In Case of Emergency.....

2/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I am not dying.  I am not in a health crisis.  I wanted to write this letter to make sure I have said what I want to say in case life takes a turn I do not expect.
 

To All of You Who Love Me,
 
I love life.  I have even come to love the struggles. I love overcoming them.  I love our ability to transform our lives.  I love how we love each other and how that love never ends. I love meeting new people and sharing the journey of this life with them for as long as I get to.  I love life.
 
At some point in this life we share, I will no longer be able to physically journey along with you.  No one knows the manner of his or her life, but I wanted you to keep some things in mind when my body starts to no longer serve its purpose. Please remember that I do not wish to die in the hospital if that can be avoided.  I know that might be impossible, but if at all possible, I wish to die at home or in hospice care.  Since dying at home might make things difficult for you, reach out to those in the alternative death care world.  Find a death doula or get connected with hospice at home.  Get support for yourselves. 
 
If you wonder what kind of music I want to hear, remember I have always loved the music others want to share with me the most.  I have always connected to people who love music and I have grown in my appreciation of music by the love others have shown me of the music dear to their hearts.  On the other hand, if you wish to sing I would love to hear the Paschal Cannon, The Paschal Tropar in as many languages as you can manage, The Angel Cried and the Pascal Verses.  You might notice a theme here.  That is not by accident.
 
I want each of you to know that I love you and forgive whatever little thing you think stands between us.  It does not.  I hope that you can forgive my shortcomings for I know they are many.
 
Love,
 
Caroline

0 Comments

You're OK With Death - They Aren't

9/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you read this blog, you might be one of us who are able to speak freely about death.  You might have begun to write your funeral plans or you are just beginning, but most likely, you are fairly at ease with the topic of death.  I enjoy speaking and of course writing about all the different aspects of death and what people can do to make the process easier.  You might think that everybody in my family is as open and willing to talk about death.  You would be wrong.  I have members of my family who are not at all willing to talk about death. So what can we do to make sure that we have done what we need to do about our funeral or death plans when our family members and spouses might not be as interested in planning as we are?

In the first place, be kind and understand where this resistance comes from.  Death is just not a popular topic.  When we start talking about our own death, it might spark anxiety in our loved ones.  They are not interested in seeing us dead.  Who can blame them?  I do not like losing people in death either.  Funerals remind me that I have lost that physical connection I have always had with those I love.  It is the same for those we might need to talk to about our final plans.  Talking about death also reminds them that they are mortal as well. Talking about death is a radical thing to do, so be gentle with those you love. 

Making a will is a good place to start when making final plans.  Some things need a discussion.  If you are married and have children, you need to make plans on who will have custody of children if you should both die.  You need to discuss how your estate will be handled and all those things a lawyer needs to deal with in making a will.  I highly recommend everyone make a will.   If you do not make a will, the government gets to decide things for you.  The government might not think the way you do and might not see things as you would.  Take the time and get it done.

When making your funeral plans married people might have a spouse who does not want to engage in an open and frank conversation with us about funeral and burial plans.  What can you do then?  If you are willing and able, you can start doing the research on your own and start the process of planning.  When you have come to a place where you need to talk about ideas, I suggest you find a close friend or other member of the family with whom you can talk.  Write your plan down and keep it somewhere safe.  Make sure you have told your friend or family member where the plan can be found.  Tell your spouse that you have a plan, where it is and who will be able to help him or her in the event of your death.  Remember making a plan is an act of love for your family, and they will be happy that you have given them direction when the time comes.

What if you are not married?  Who do you talk with about your final plans?  If you have a sibling, or a close relative who will likely be in charge of your body at the time of death, start a conversation with them.  If you are part of a spiritual community, have a conversation with the person who will direct your memorial or funeral.  You have to find a trusted person who will be able to assist you in your plans. Always write your plans down on paper.  Tell them that you have made a plan, what it entails and where to find this plan. 

Just because we are open about talking about death and making our funeral plans, not everybody is.  Just because those close to us are unwilling to talk, does not mean that we can’t find someone to meet this need. Always act out of kindness and love.  Death is a tough subject and potentially touches on some deep pain, sorrow or fear.  It would do us no good to approach the topic from a point of conflict.  Perhaps seeing you process the topic and move forward might inspire those who are reluctant to move closer to being open about death. 

0 Comments

Cemeteries - Home Owners Associations?

7/22/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
 Last week, a friend of mine had a disagreement with a cemetery regarding a grave marker.  I began thinking about grave markers and the power cemetery owners/corporations have over our choices in marking the graves of those we love.  Memorialization and grave marking are two related, but different things.  As I have stated many times, how and where we remember those we love does not belong to the cemetery, but to our hearts and minds.   Grave marking differs from memorialization in that markers indicate the earthly remains of those we love. For many, the grave is sacred because it holds the remains of the loved one. The marker becomes the lasting word as the physical proclamation of the person’s life and a focal point of the grave.

When dealing with a cemetery for your grave marker or gravestone, you must remember that they are like a Home Owners Association.  They set the rules by which you must abide and they can change them at will.  Unlike a Home Owners Association, you will not have a voice in the rules or in any change.  The cemetery wishes to maintain a certain look.  For a time you might be allowed to keep things on a grave and then the cemetery might be sold to a different owner or corporation and rules change. The cemetery also just might want to change their look, and then the rules change. You need to make sure you know what the rules of the cemetery are before you purchase the right for burial.  Some cemeteries require flush stones or markers and will not allow upright stones.  Some cemeteries require bronze on the marker, others will not.  Some might specify what kind of stone you must have for the marker.  Different sections of a cemetery might have different rules about what kind of marker is allowed.  Again, you must check before you buy. 

You do not have to purchase a marker through the cemetery.  The cemetery might tack on fees if you do not, but you have a right to purchase elsewhere.  They might insist that you pay for a survey of the site or for installation the stone.  If you purchase a marker somewhere other than your cemetery, you most likely will have to send in a sketch or specs on the marker you wish to use.  They will have the final say as to what kind of marker is placed in their cemetery.  Do not purchase the marker without the go ahead from the cemetery. You have the right of burial, but they can tell you how a grave will look.

Sometimes cemeteries get mixed up in family conflicts regarding grave markers.  If you want to place a stone on a grave, make sure you have the right to do so.  At the time of death, sometimes old family wounds that have never healed properly, get reopened.  Sometimes these conflicts are fought out over the grave marker.  Try to make peace in the family before it gets to the point of a war over a gravestone.  Remember, the stone on a grave marks the final resting place of our loved ones remains, and should not become a battleground.  Family service counselors do not know the family histories and might not realize a conflict is brewing.  Let them know that there might be a conflict.  By doing so, the cemetery will know that a potential problem exists and might be able to assist in a resolution before a problem takes root. 

Grave markers tell a story.  People take a great deal of time with wording and design of the marker for the person they love.  I love to walk in old cemeteries and read the engraved stones.  I feel connected to the person and sometimes what I read on their markers stays with me.  Grave markers communicate who the person was.  They are important for families looking for family history.  While the cemetery does not hold the monopoly on memory, the fact that they create the rules about markers means they hold quite a bit of power as to how the marker will look.  Take the time to research the cemeteries you like in your area and figure out which ones fit your vision on marking your grave. 

1 Comment

A Place of Memory

7/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
When I trained at the cemetery to be a family service counselor, we were taught a variety of sales technique.  One of them was how to sell niches for cremation.  We were instructed to emphasize that having a place such as a niche was a better place to hold a memory than the mantle or scattering to the wind. Cremation is the final disposition of a body and you need not by law bury the cremains. Cremation affords a family a many different ways to create a place of memory. You can scatter on your own land, be placed in bullets, pressed into a favourite record album or made into a jewel, just to name a few.  Cremation attracts people who do not want a lot of falderal in their funeral planning. The industry, knowing this, would like very much to be part of your decision-making and sell you a niche or a place in the lawn for burial.

I treasure the time I spend visiting graves.  When I was in High School, I went to Chaucer’s grave in Westminster Abby.  I remember standing there filled with awe and admiration.  I carry that memory always.  Standing by a grave is a powerful feeling at times be it your grandparents or a great poet.  Far be it from me to tell folks not to have a place in a cemetery or burial ground for those they love.  The place of memory is not my issue.  I take issue with making people think that a place of memory belongs to the corporate death care industry.

We have options for making a place of memory.  Cremains can always be scattered or buried on your own property rural or otherwise without having to make a notation on the deed. You can dedicate a place on your own property for full body burial through following your state’s laws. Full body burial might be easier in a rural setting, but it can be done. Always make sure you know and follow the laws in your state.  In ancient times, Christian communities formed around burial societies.  Old churches still have burial ground attached for members of the church.  I do not see why we cannot have more church run cemeteries or cemeteries associated with other groups.  Why don’t environmental groups set aside places for their members who wish to have a green burial?  Why don’t urban groups create burial coops?  I know cemeteries are tough to run, but we have options if we only look. We have options if only we take to time to create them for those around us.  We never have options if we take the industry representatives at their word.  We need to know our rights.  Modest burial grounds need not be moneymakers.  The municipal cemetery down the street from where I live sells plots for $250 – a far cry from the $18000+ in corporate run cemeteries.   

Many of us do not want to end up in a corporate run cemetery.  We need to face the fact that none of us have yet gotten out of this life alive, and research and plan our own deaths.  The time to make decisions is not at the time of someone’s death where grief can make the process more difficult, but when we calmly and logically look at what we and our family wants for a funeral and burial plan.  If we want to have the kind of funeral and burial we want, we need to start now looking at local resources. We might have to create the place of memory for our body at the end of our time on earth.  I do not recommend ever purchasing a plot for burial long before the time that it will be needed.  Once you purchase a right of burial, the cemetery will not likely return your purchase once the time for cooling off has past.  I do recommend setting money aside for the purpose of your final acts and let your money work for you, and not the cemetery’s corporation. 

The true place of memory will always reside in our hearts.  How we live our lives matters the most and remains with those who love and know us. Sometimes if we are lucky, our lives will be remembered from generation to generation. Having a place to visit at a graveside is useful for many.  Any place that reminds us of someone who has died becomes a place of memory. We need not pay a corporation for a place of memory.

0 Comments

Helping Face Death

6/3/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Death can happen anytime and sometimes without warning.  Naturally, when someone close to us suffers grief, we want to help them in anyway we can.  Some of us would love to help plan a memorial event.  The fact of the matter is that we cannot help unless asked.  I have attended funerals of someone I know, and see that the family has picked out a metal or an obviously expensive coffin.  I am saddened by it, and I will never say a word to them about it.   Our job as close family members or friends is to support those who have lost someone, not tell them they have done something wrong.

There are those who I believe are obligated to help families plan funerals and burials.  I believe that members of the clergy must play a central role in assisting members of their congregation prepare for death and all the rituals that follow.  Clergy are often one of the first ones called in a death and should have a basic understanding of the death care industry and how it works.  I know one clergy member who attends every meeting at the funeral home with his people.  Some members of the industry do not like clergy attending. Some clergy do not feel that it is their place to be with the family as they make choices about a funeral.  I am of the opinion, that having an objective person benefits families not only with the religious aspect of the funeral, but to help his or her people who are often overwhelmed in the face of planning the funeral.

So, what of those who do not belong to a spiritual community?  Are they at the mercy of the industry?  I hope not.  I hope that those who read this blog and books of similar topics will be ready when and if someone asks for your advice. When someone close to you dies, offer your time and let the family know you will do what they need for you to do.  If you are open about death, those around you will know that you are someone they can approach.  It’s a great gift to them that someone they know will not flinch when death is the topic.  Don’t be fooled.  I have brought down more parties and gotten more odd looks in restaurants while talking about death than I care to count.  I will go right on speaking.  I might not give all the details, but I will continue to speak and I encourage you to as well.  Our free words about such a taboo subject help bring death out of the closet one conversation at a time.  In doing this, we help those around us.

0 Comments

Cremation Offers Flexibility for Families

2/18/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The first death I experienced as a child was that of my Grandma. Grandma was cremated and my mother was granted permission to bury her as she wanted.   We had a public funeral where all of her favourite poems were read and all her friends and the whole family gathered.  All my cousins held up in one bedroom, shared stories and had a great time.  Later, my nuclear family buried her in a cremation cemetery attached to a church.  My father poured her remains into the ground and he had us each assist him in that task.  I will always remember that. Twenty years later, I was able to walk the path from the church and even though the cemetery was going through maintenance, was able to pick out Grandma’s spot even without her nametag.  Cremation allowed our family and others the flexibility we needed.   While cremation is not the greenest of the green burial options, many people choose this route for a variety of reasons.  In my other posts regarding cremation, Be a Tree and Is Cremation Green? I go into more depth about this topic and the environmental impact of cremation.  Today however, I want to talk about the flexibility of cremation for families.

 

Most states consider cremation final disposition. Indiana for example is troublesome.  It regulates who can receive cremains and requires the recording of final disposition of the cremains with the county.  Most states, however, allow the family to receive the cremains after cremation.  Some states even allow the family to transport the body to the crematorium.  Some do not. Since cremains are considered final disposition in most states, the family is decide how they wish to honor their loved one.   Let no one tell you must have an expensive urn.  Unless you are burying on cemetery land, you can choose what you wish. Cremation offers a wide variety that simple burial does not.  Cremains can be: scattered on private land, shot into space, placed in a niche, buried in a cemetery, made in to jewelry, pressed into a record, and scattered in water.  Be aware that cemeteries require a cremation vault so that if there were ever a need or desire to disinter, there would be no problem.

 

For some families, cremation is a choice that fits.  In today’s death care industry where the prices for a funeral director and cemetery keep ratcheting up, one does not wonder why cremation is chosen more and more often.  Conventional funerals and cemetery products each year increase.  Pre-paid options for both sustain the ever-growing corporations. Cremation should always be a choice for a family, but not a necessity.  When we can be free to make our own choices, then we are truly free. I still find it ironic that doing something to a body is more frugal than doing nothing or very little.  Those are the times we live in. 

0 Comments

Making and Changing Your Death Plans

11/19/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
As the days grow darker, we might find ourselves thinking about endings and maybe about death. I think it is a natural result of the changing season as the earth in the North goes to sleep.  Some of us might find thoughts about death uncomfortable.  I can’t say that the thought of death brings me joy, but I know I must face death.  At some point our biological existence ceases and then someone who loves us must deal with the physicality of our death.  No one wants to think that those who love us most facing our physical absence and dealing with all the details that come with death.  This week, I went to check out my final wishes document I wrote almost three years ago.  My partner and I thought we needed to write our own wishes if we were going to ask others to write one.  She has a whole section dedicated to the music at her memorial.  She’s a musician, so that makes sense.  I had a whole section devoted to caterers.  I come from a long line of great hostesses who know how to throw a great party.  When I opened the plan this week, I knew I needed to update it.

I surprised myself because nearly three years ago, I firmly wanted a coffin, which I called a casket.  I would never call a coffin a casket these days, because I now know the use of the term casket is used by the funeral industry to get us to think that we are putting our beloveds in a special treasure box.  So, I looked at shrouds, and pasted websites of my favourites into the body of the plan.  You can find a nice list on the Midwest Green Burial Society page, Shrouds, Coffins and Home Funeral Guides. Because I live in Illinois, I had to include a funeral director in my plan, and changed that too.   I removed the caterers from my list, because if I die there is a restaurant next door to the church we attend. (Score!)  I still want a Jazz Quartet to play When the Saints Go Marching In after the burial rites are completed.  I had a professor at seminary that had this at his funeral and I love the idea.

While making a plan for my death is uncomfortable, I know my family and loved ones will benefit.  In the time of great grief, I found it difficult to recall what I had been told or in other cases, come up with an idea that made sense for a funeral.  Read the Midwest Green Burial Society’s Planning Form. Our form is a formless form that should allow you to make plans that fit your needs.  No two of us are alike, and that is why this form was created to meet most everyone’s needs.  Start thinking about what you want and I encourage you all to start writing your plans.  Take it slowly.  If you come from a family that shies away from the topic of death, find one person and start a conversation with him or her.  If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your family, find a friend.  If that does not work for you, talk to your clergy if you have one.  You must find at least one person you feel comfortable with to tell him or her what you want and where to find the plan.  I recommend telling more than one person.  What you will find once you complete this exercise is a peace of mind you never thought you would have and a clearer idea what is important to you.  I found that once I figured out what I wanted at the time of death, I could choose to live the life I wanted.  You can change your mind as you go along.  I did. Give yourself and your loved ones this gift.

1 Comment

Get On The Bus

11/5/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
I promised Ms Diane, our school bus driver, that I would mention her in my blog. I hope everyone who rents a school bus would get as wonderful a driver as she is.
I would like to direct you to the button on the side of the page.  Midwest Green Burial has launched Project OCEAN.  If you have enjoyed reading this blog and have found it helpful, please consider donating today so that we can continue to build out work.


I am not a fan of the long line of cars in procession to the cemetery. I personally do not like the mad dash to the car after the funeral and the getting in line to what might be a long trip to the cemetery.  It seems to me that many drivers these days don’t know what is expected of them when faced with a funeral procession.  Some cars cut in the middle of the procession while others allow the procession to move through.  The last time I was in a funeral procession we drove for forty-five minutes at varying speeds.  I felt at times I needed to speed to keep up and other times we crawled along at a snail’s pace.  I drove alone, which usually I don’t mind, but I did feel cut off since it was such a long drive.  Would I do it again?  Yes, I would because I loved this person, but maybe there is another way? How about renting a school bus for the day?  

I confess, this is not my own idea, but I love it. No need for long funeral processions with everyone on the bus.  People could share a beverage and perhaps a bit of something to eat on the way. Make a playlist of favourite songs of the person. This relaxing atmosphere makes for easier story telling with no worries about getting lost or driving in an emotional state. Funeral buses make driving safer, more enjoyable and create a cozy atmosphere.   With a bus, you would have one mode of transportation, instead of many cars on the road.  They are not terribly expensive considering the funeral price lists I have on hand.  In my area, you could rent a school bus for the day for $250.  Funeral limousines in my area range between $260-$515, and sometimes these have mileage limitations.  You must always check beforehand.  If you wanted to, you could rent a fancier coach or party bus, which would have more amenities such as screens on which you could show a slide presentation, washrooms, etc.   That is totally up to you, but I think a funeral bus makes a whole lot of sense.




This song kept going through my head as I wrote this post, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 
1 Comment

What is a Decent Burial?

10/1/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Sitting in the back of a limousine on the way to the cemetery, seven and a half months pregnant with our first child and first grandbaby on both sides of the family, stricken with the grief of the loss of my beloved father-in-law, I mused on what aspects of the funeral were absolutely necessary.  His death was the first death my husband and I had to deal with in helping to make final arrangements.  We would grab snippets of time during the visitation, giving each other notes on what we did and did not want for our funeral.  Today I wonder, what constitutes a decent burial?

A decent burial must respect the person who has died.  It must reflect his or her beliefs about life and death.   We have all heard about Joan Rivers’ funeral with all the fanfare of a Hollywood event.  For her, that was a perfect and decent burial.  Through my work in the cemetery and meeting people through our events with the Midwest Green Burial Society, I know that each one of us has a specific idea about our final wishes.  Some of them are very interesting.  Some people really do not want their bodies to go back to the earth and are afraid of the elements reaching their bodies.  For me, I do not ever want to be put in a mausoleum because I don’t know how I would get out.  I realize that just does not make much sense, but there you have it.

Maybe the question is: What is a bad burial?  Maybe a bad burial is one that takes place without much forethought.  Maybe it is one where afterwards the family realizes they have spent too much money on what they did not want to or need to have for a beautiful and meaningful event.  Maybe a bad burial is one that does not reflect the person’s ideals or way of life.  Maybe a bad burial is one where families fight over little things because they do not realize how their grief has affected them.

Perhaps the question should be:  What is a shameful burial?  Are they burials that take place because the family does not have the money to bury?  I don’t think so.  I think a shameful burial is one where the system fails, when laws do not allow families to fill out forms for burial because they do not have an education to embalm, or when there are not affordable options open to them.  The shame is on our society, not the families.  How can we allow our fellow citizens the difficult task to bury their loved ones by crowd sourcing the bill?  How did we get to a place where an average funeral is $10,000.00 before cemetery costs?  I think this has everything to do with our fear of death and our fear of talking about death.  Since death is such a difficult topic for so many of us, we are willing to stand by while the price of a conventional burial rises so far out of reach.  It seems too ridiculous to me that the average cost is so high, and I wonder who can really afford to die these days, and why are there not more accessible means available for us? 

When I think of the many funerals and burials I have been to, I know that they have all received decent burials surrounded by those who loved them.   We all gathered, prayed with those who pray, listened to poetry with those who did not.  In the end, we all told stories, wept and remembered the person who had died.  To me, a decent burial is one where people gather and love each other in their grief. What is it that they want when they want a decent burial?  Ultimately, I think this can only be answered on a personal level. The trouble comes in when our ideas clash with the conventional death care industry and our pocketbooks.  I would like to see more variety for families making plans so that they do not have to go into debt simply because someone they love has died.  I would like to see more support within faith communities, and social communities to help support their members in grief.  It might be asking too much for a revolution in the hearts of our society to turn and face the fact of death and help those around us to make simple and decent choices.  I hope not.  I hope we can mature enough to break free from our fear and love those in need.  In the end, a decent burial is what you decide to think of as a decent burial; it does not have to be what convention dictates to us.

1 Comment

The Choices We Make

8/27/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
We face choices everyday of our lives.  Some choices appear to be small, while others we make form the rest of our lives.  I grew up in a family that spoke freely about death and choices we make at the time of death.  It was generally agreed upon that cremation was the most earth friendly method.  We all wanted to go back to the earth as easily as possible. Having said this, I have not always made the most earth friendly choice for those I loved at the time of their death, mostly because I did not know my rights and the impacts my choices would make on the earth.  I did not always educate my clients at the cemetery about the most ecological manner of burial, but it was through working in the conventional death care industry that lead me to the work I do now. I have and insider understanding of the industry as well as having been I been a client. Today, I advocate for people’s rights and wishes at the time of death and hope that people choose more earth friendly choices. I believe that everyone should have his or her last wishes met if possible, providing it is according to the law. I wish to educate, not make people feel uncomfortable about their choices.

The ideal and greenest of the green burials scenario would be a conservation burial adjacent to conservation land.  In this scenario, the person would be buried in a shroud, preferably a shroud made of a recycled natural material like an old quilt.  The body would be lowered in the grave by ropes or with a shroud board made of local wood, perhaps that even repurposed.  The grave would be dug and filled in by hand.  There would not be a marker, but GPS coordinates that would allow loved ones to find and visit the grave.

Ideals can be hard to reach.  Sometimes we must do what we can and aim in the general direction of our ideals.  We must never feel guilty because we could not accomplish the ideal.  In fact, some of us do not want the greenest of green burials.  Some of us want a marker of some kind. Several certified green cemeteries allow for stone markers, others do not. If you can get local stone, not import it from India or China, you are going down a better road.  Educate yourself and make wise choices.  If you need a few other hints, check out my Five Simple Green Burial Hacks.

Our choices make us who we are.  If we choose to go green, we need to look at our lives and make changes in that direction.  Not many of us are able to go off the grid and live on a homestead raising our own food and generating our own energy.  I, for one, would love to have solar panels on my house, but I cannot do that today.  When we make arrangements or prepare our own plans for burial, we have to take into consideration what we can realistically do.  If we do not have a certified green burial cemetery near by, we make do with what we have.  Like the rest of life, making burial choices is a balancing act.  It might not be possible for us to achieve the ideal state where we do not negatively impact the earth, so make choices with which you can live. Do not be angry with yourself for your past choices; move forward in the knowledge you have gained.  Know that not one of us is perfect.  We are trying to do the best we can.

0 Comments
<<Previous


    RSS Feed

    Caroline Vuyadinov


    I graduated from St. Vladamir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York with a Master of Divinity.  I trained as a chaplain following graduation and worked with a wide variety of people. 

    When I moved to Canada, I began work in a women's halfway house in Hamilton, Ontario which worked with women in conflict with the law on a federal level.  I became the program manager and  loved working alongside the women, creating their plans for their reintegration back to the community.  I also worked as a liaison with the parole board, parole officers and other community service providers.

    Upon my return to the United States, I worked in the Death Care Industry as a Family Service Counselor, which lead me to become a green burial advocate. I co-founded Midwest Green Burial Society with Juliann Salinas. I speak  to community groups and have developed practical seminars for a variety of audiences.  I have been interviewed on a national podcast and was featured on a WGN spot dealing with green burial. 

    Archives

    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Children's Graves
    Comunicalbe Disease And Burial Practice
    Cremation
    Cremation Urns
    Cultural Conflicts And Medical World
    Death Of A Child
    Depression
    Ebola
    Family Rights
    Fear Of Death
    Fr-thomas-hopko
    Funeral Laws
    Funeral Planning
    Garden Memorial
    Green Burial
    Grieving Parents
    Heirloom Seeds
    History
    Infant Death
    Live Streaming Funerals
    Mausoleums
    Memorial
    Memorialization
    No Embalming
    Non Religious
    Orthodox
    Orthodox Christian Grave Practices
    Pre Planning
    Pre-planning
    Remembering The Dead
    Serbian Cemetery Rites
    Suicide
    Tree-memorials
    Vaults
    Zito

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly