Mary Ortega Trainor, 1932-2008

Mom died yesterday afternoon around 4:15. This came as an unpleasant surprise to Carlos and I; neither one of us were present at the time, and so we didn't find out until a couple of hours later. According to her doctor, the cause was heart failure, probably aggravated by any number of other conditions.

My brother and I are now in the process of sorting through papers and making decisions about things. While Carlos is executor and sole heir -I didn't want anything- he's leaning on me to get some things done since he hates paperwork in all its forms, while I, for my sins, am a somewhat competent bureaucrat. So I spent some time on the phone today calling Arlington, the Bolling AFB chapel office, the VA, and making arrangements as best I could. The only thing that's set (albeit loosely) is that we're not going to inter Mom at Arlington until late September or maybe October; there's currently a five-week backlog, so Carlos and I agreed that putting it off until the fall makes more sense.

More stuff later as we become aware of it.

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you for your kindness and sympathy.

Mary Ortega Trainor, 1932-2008

Mom died yesterday afternoon around 4:15. This came as an unpleasant surprise to Carlos and I; neither one of us were present at the time, and so we didn't find out until a couple of hours later. According to her doctor, the cause was heart failure, probably aggravated by any number of other conditions.

My brother and I are now in the process of sorting through papers and making decisions about things. While Carlos is executor and sole heir -I didn't want anything- he's leaning on me to get some things done since he hates paperwork in all its forms, while I, for my sins, am a somewhat competent bureaucrat. So I spent some time on the phone today calling Arlington, the Bolling AFB chapel office, the VA, and making arrangements as best I could. The only thing that's set (albeit loosely) is that we're not going to inter Mom at Arlington until late September or maybe October; there's currently a five-week backlog, so Carlos and I agreed that putting it off until the fall makes more sense.

More stuff later as we become aware of it.

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you for your kindness and sympathy.

a quick, mercifully short detour to the 19th century

Thanks to yesterday afternoon's storms, the power was out in Foxchase until about 2 PM today. So if you were wondering why the previous post didn't go up last night, well, that's why. Maybe throwing out that assload of votive candles wasn't such a good idea after all.

Got to head out to a lymphedema therapy appointment. Maybe dinner later with P, maybe not.

a quick, mercifully short detour to the 19th century

Thanks to yesterday afternoon's storms, the power was out in Foxchase until about 2 PM today. So if you were wondering why the previous post didn't go up last night, well, that's why. Maybe throwing out that assload of votive candles wasn't such a good idea after all.

Got to head out to a lymphedema therapy appointment. Maybe dinner later with P, maybe not.