The Albuquerque Death Cafe offers a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. We also provide options for those avoiding gluten and added sugar. For this event, taking place on Sunday, June 11 at 3:00 p.m., we will meet in-person outdoors at Historic Fairview Cemetery!

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. Please bring your own folding chair to sit upon. Drinks and snacks will be provided. 

Historic Fairview Cemetery is located at 700 Yale Blvd. SE. Directions to find us in the cemetery: Enter through the gates of Fairview Memorial Park, near the intersection with Caesar Chavez Blvd. Drive straight ahead toward the cemetery office. At the intersection, turn left and head north into Historic Fairview Cemetery. It’s just to the left of the wall that says Congregation Albert Cemetery. Once inside Historic Fairview Cemetery, you’ll be on Entrada Lane. Turn left on to Freedom Road. As you head west, look for a white Subaru Outback in the shady area to your left. Your Death Cafe host Gail Rubin will be nearby.

To RSVP for Death Cafe events, online or in-person, join the ABQ Death Cafe Meetup Group here.

Learn more about the Death Cafe movement here, or at DeathCafe.com.

Your Death Cafe Host

Gail Rubin and Death Cafe mascot Lola in Historic Fairview Cemetery, Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Death Cafes are hosted by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, The Doyenne of Death®, and a pioneering death educator. Rubin is a public speaker, a published author of four books on end-of-life issues, host of a TV interview series and podcast, a blogger, a funeral industry trade journalist, a Certified Funeral Celebrant, and an innovator in the funeral business. She created a conversation-starting game called Newly-Dead® The Game, introduced the Death Café movement in the United States, and held the first Before I Die Festival west of the Mississippi in 2017. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their 2019 Women of Influence.

Nurse and patient in the garden of modern senior home with daily care.

Knowing where to live in retirement can be one of the most critical adult decisions you’ll ever make. You have many options to consider. Every option for seniors has benefits and disadvantages.

This post explores several retirement living options you can take, so you can be ready once the time to make a decision arrives. But first, it’s crucial to consider the many factors in making your decision. Read on to learn more.

What Are The Factors To Consider When Making A Decision? 

There are several factors to remember since this is not a decision to be taken lightly. Here are some of them: 

• Cost – It’s essential to know the cost and if your retirement funds can support it.
• Location – You may choose a place close to family and friends so it’ll be easier for them to visit you or for you to visit them.
• Services and amenities – Would you like a place that includes housekeeping, transportation, and meal preparation? In addition, is it important to you if the facility has amenities like a gym or swimming pool? 
• Level of care – Is your mobility a concern, or would you need constant assistance? 
• Reputation – Look for facilities known to deliver high-quality service to their residents. 
• Staffing – Does the facility have sufficient and well-trained staff? 

You must consider and weigh all these factors when choosing your retirement living. If you are in California, it may help to check Newport Mesa senior center and other assisted living facilities in your area.  

Here are some options for your future retirement living arrangements: 

Staying At Home 

Staying at home has been the most prevalent option. Many people favor aging in place. It is a widely accepted practice. 

Aging in place is the concept of remaining in one’s home for as long as possible. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining familiarity and social connections. Experts say that familiarity reduces a senior’s isolation that can lead to depression. 

Aging in place is a cost-effective option. Nonetheless, it requires careful planning and modification of the home to ensure the senior can live safely and independently.  

Moving In With Family Or A Granny Flat 

Children who would like their senior parents close by can let them move into their home or build a granny flat within the property area. This arrangement can ensure a connection between the senior and the family, and the senior can get much-needed support anytime. Yet there are some drawbacks with this living option. 

There may be a lack of privacy and an invasion of personal space that may happen periodically. Seniors can be persistent and assertive about what they like, which can affect the family dynamics. Some situations may lead to conflicts and widen the gap among family members. 

Independent Living in Retirement

Seniors can live independently among people their age in communities offering services like housekeeping, transportation, meal plans, and social activities. Seniors who value independence and want to be surrounded by like-minded people may opt for this.  

There are many types of independent living options, depending on your lifestyle and budget. You may select an upscale community that provides luxury services like a hotel, and there are affordable independent living communities too.  

Assisted Living in Retirement

Seniors who need assistance with everyday tasks, but not medical care, could opt for assisted living. In assisted living communities, help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and medication management can be provided 24/7.  

Nursing Homes 

If a senior requires high care and constant medical attention, placing them in a nursing home is necessary. The facility offers expert and professional 24-hour care and supervision. Licensed medical care professionals, registered nurses, and certified nursing assistants are available in nursing homes to ensure that all medical needs are attended to promptly.

Memory Care Facilities 

 Seniors living with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other memory impairments need specialized care and therapy. Memory care facilities provide the needed support they require for their condition.  

Seniors with memory impairments may experience improvement, particularly if the illness was diagnosed early. The facility offers personalized care, including cognitive therapies and memory-enhancing activities that may improve their memory or slow cognitive decline.  

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) 

CCRCs have facilities for assisted living, nursing homes, and independent living, all in one big community. The community exists because the senior doesn’t have to transfer far should their health circumstances change. For example, if they get better in their chronic illness and won’t need nursing care, they can move to the next unit with amenities fitting an assisted living facility. 

Co-housing 

The co-housing option is best for seniors who have a socially active lifestyle. The facility is a collection of small private homes or apartments clustered around shared spaces such as gardens, community areas, and others.  

Final Thoughts 

If you want to live a comfortable and secure life in your golden years, you must know what options you can take once you retire. The eight options listed here can help guide you to a retirement living situation that works for you. 

The post Retirement Living 101: What Are Your Options? first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

The funeral for my husband David Bleicher took place on May 3, 2023. His death was caused by multiple medical complications following prostate surgery. In three weeks, his health declined precipitously, with a heart attack, sepsis, cardiac arrest in the hospital, heart failure, and other medical challenges. I chose hospice care, which was an incredible blessing for a peaceful exit. Read about his journey and obituary here.

Dave and I are Jewish, and members of the Reform temple Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, NM. Rabbi Celia Surget and Cantor Barbara Finn conducted the funeral. Both were incredibly supportive leading up to and following Dave’s death. The funeral included traditional psalms, such as Psalm 23 and Psalm 121, and the prayer El Malei Rachamim. The Mourner’s Kaddish was recited at graveside during the burial.

A wicker basket casket, because Dave did the laundry. Matt the Traveling Bat is inside with him.

These elements made this funeral A Good Goodbye specifically for Dave:

• The casket was a wicker basket coffin from Passages International. Dave did the laundry in our family. When we were preplanning our funerals, he chose this model because it was biodegradable, and it looked comfy. Attendees at the funeral were impressed, saying it was simple yet elegant.
• A reading from The Lord of the Rings, since Dave liked that trilogy. I love the Song of Songs reading recited for men during tahara ceremony of ritual purification, and included the always thought-provoking reading, You Want a Physicist to Speak at Your Funeral. Text of the Song of Songs and the Lord of the Rings readings follow the video.
• Before Dave expired, I brought Matt the Traveling Bat to be with Dave during his last day on hospice. He carried this toy bat in his car, a faithful traveling companion. I wanted him to have it for his final journey. I asked the funeral home to make sure it was placed in the casket with Dave after his tahara.
• In a nod to our participation in the Wednesday Night Pickin’, Grinnin’, Drinkin’ and Lyin’ Society, we ended the funeral with the song “I’ll Fly Away” from the film, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

Video of the Funeral

Song of Songs 5: 9 – 16

How is your lover different from any other, O beautiful woman?
Who is your lover that we must swear to you?
My beloved is milk and wine, he towers above ten thousand.
His head is burnished gold, the mane of his hair black as the raven.
His eyes like doves by the rivers of milk and plenty.
His cheeks a bed of spices, a treasure of precious scents,
His lips red lilies wet with myrrh.
His arm a golden scepter with gems of topaz,
His loins the ivory of thrones inlaid with sapphire,
His thighs like marble pillars on pedestals of gold.
Tall as Mount Lebanon, a man like a cedar!
His mouth is sweet wine, he is all delight.
This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

(This version is from the translation by Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch)

Reading from The Return of the King, Chapter 9: The Grey Havens

(Frodo and Sam have met the Elven folk to depart Middle Earth)

“Where are you going, Master?” cried Sam, though at last he understood what was happening.

“To the Havens, Sam,” said Frodo.

“And I can’t come.”

“No, Sam. Not yet anyway, not further than the Havens. Though you too were a Ring-bearer, if only for a little while. Your time may come. Do not be too sad, Sam. You cannot be always torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do.”

“But,” said Sam, and tears started in his eyes, “I thought you were going to enjoy the Shire, too, for years and years, after all you have done.”

“So I thought too, once. But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam…. But you are my heir: all that I had and might have had I leave to you…. Your hands and your wits will be needed everywhere…. And that will keep you as busy and as happy as anyone can be, as long as your part of the Story goes on.”

Shivah after the Funeral

The mourning tradition for Jews is for the immediate family to retreat to their home and stay there for seven days as they receive the support of their community. Prayer services are held in the evenings. I just held two nights of shivah prayer gatherings the first two nights. People brought food and women from the synagogue helped set up and put away the refreshments.

At the end of seven days, the family takes a walk around the block with their supportive community to signal a re-emergence into society. In my case, a group of close friends came and accompanied me on a walk around the park near my house. A friend took this picture. I’m the second person on the right. Notice the blue dot in my shadow? I think that’s Dave’s spirit, following me.

May his memory always be a blessing.

The post Sadness and Celebration: A Good Goodbye Funeral for David Bleicher first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

Since 2010, when my book A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die was published, I have been advocating for people to plan ahead for end-of-life issues. And I practice what I preach. My husband David Bleicher and I have written advance medical directives and discussed them often. We did our estate plans and set up a trust. We put our funeral plans and information on file with a funeral home a decade ago and funded those arrangements last year.

During the month of April, all that work was put to the test. You never know when you are going to be faced with life-and-death situations.

What Happened

On April 4, my husband Dave had a TURP surgery. That stands for transurethral resection of the prostate. It’s a surgery used to treat urinary problems that are caused by an enlarged prostate. Dave had a history of cardiac issues, and took blood thinners and other medications. But after consulting with his cardiologist, he was given the green light for the surgery.

One of the problems with surgery when you take blood thinners is you have to stop the medication prior to the operation. Two days after the surgery, while recovering at home, Dave complained of chest pains. While that was concerning, he didn’t want to go to the emergency room. The next day, he was lethargic and his blood pressure was disturbingly low. We went to the Urgent Care ER. Blood tests revealed he had experienced a heart attack, had failing kidney function, and was headed into septic shock. He was transported to the hospital to the cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Because of the compromised kidney function, the doctors needed to get him stabilized before doing a cardiac catheter procedure to understand what had happened to his heart. Turns out he did have a blocked artery which had caused the chest pain. The next day, he coded – his heart arrested, twice. He was revived after 23 minutes of CPR. Ribs were broken, he was intubated and in critical condition.

The doctors wanted to discuss Goals of Care. How aggressive do we want to be? They could put him on a heart/lung machine, called ECMO. During ECMO treatment, blood flows out of your body through a tube in a large blood vessel in your chest, near your groin or in your neck. A pump pushes your blood through tubes that carry it to a machine that adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide. Then the machine pumps your blood back into your body. And what would this aggressive treatment yield for a man with a damaged heart?

I knew that such a treatment was not what either of us wanted. I said to change his status to DNR – Do Not Resuscitate. That didn’t mean they didn’t try to save his life. He got off the ventilator after a day and a half. There were other cardiac issues and serious impacts from the CPR. They make it look so easy on TV for people to recover from CPR.

After a week in the ICU, we got the word that he had heart failure. We talked about discharging him to a rehabilitation facility. But after a good day sitting in a chair and using a walker to navigate a circuit in the ICU, his health declined further. He went back to bed and stayed there.

Choosing Hospice

It was time for comfort care. I stayed with him overnight in the hospital ICU. The next day, a hospice representative met with me to admit Dave to hospice. On a lighter note, she had heard me speak a few years ago and gushed, “You’re THE Gail Rubin? I’m such a fangirl!”

Dave was on in-patient hospice care for a week. He was mostly non-responsive, but could still hear and understand the people speaking in the room. He occasionally tried to communicate with us, but it was hard to understand what he was saying. The staff was incredibly kind and supportive, keeping him pain-free and clean. They provided me with trays of food. It was a quiet and homey atmosphere.

My brother runs a metaphysical store. One of the psychics who does readings there said that she sensed Dave would not leave while I was there with him. And I was at the hospice around the clock, save for a few hours in the afternoon when family would come and sit with Dave while I left to shower and do a few errands. But on Friday night, I left the room to make a phone call. Within 15 minutes, the nurse came to say his breathing had changed and to come to the room. He had already exhaled his last breath. He did not want me to see him die.

Choosing hospice was the right thing to do for Dave. His body was devastated by so many medical complications. Not enough people know the benefits of hospice or are brave enough to embrace comfort care available at end-of-life. It is hard to lose a person you love. It is a blessing to know you helped them make the transition in a peaceful, pain-free way.

Who was David Bleicher?

David Bleicher

David Bleicher was 71 years old when he shed his mortal coil on April 28, 2023 due to medical complications after a surgery. Born in Los Angeles, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was 16, just shy of getting his California drivers license. He was disappointed New York didn’t grant drivers licenses until age 18. As a teen, he grew his amazing mustache, a facial feature for his entire adult life.

When he was a teenager, he thought he’d be a rabbi, but that didn’t happen. But as a cartoonist and graphic designer, he illustrated many children’s books for the publisher Torah Aura. Titles included I Can Celebrate the Jewish Holidays, I Can Learn Torah Vol. 1, Whole School Shabbat Stories, and others. He also painted rocks with cute characters and charming scenes with elves (before Keebler cookies started doing it).

He did graphic design work for the Yellow Pages, Scholastic, and as a freelancer in New York. He could tell with a glance if a line of text was one pica off. He had wonderful handwriting.

He moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1990. With his former boss Roe Libretto, who moved west at his invitation, they founded NoBul Graphics.

After the business wasn’t fun anymore, they closed the company and he went back to school to become a teacher. At Rio Grande High School, he taught English, film, and journalism. In 2010 he became a National Board Certified Teacher.

As a film buff, he was known for extensively quoting dialogue from Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and Casablanca. His personal symbol was the bat. He worked with both bats and birds as a volunteer with Talking Talons. He carried pictures of Bernie the bat he fostered as a baby.

Dave was a midnight cookie muncher. He did the laundry and cleaned up the dinner dishes. He always had a cloth handkerchief in his pocket, offering it to his wife if she sneezed or started to cry about anything. She is certainly crying a lot these days.

He is survived by his wife Gail Rubin, his mother Myra Ross and her husband Alvin, his brother Steven Bleicher, an extended family including brother-in-law Mitch Rubin, and many heartbroken friends. He is predeceased by his father Norman Bleicher.

Thank you to the dedicated staff at Presbyterian Hospital for saving his life, and the caring staff at Kaseman Hospice for helping him gracefully exit. In lieu of flowers, please support the Talking Talons education and youth leadership program.

The funeral will take place in Albuquerque on Wednesday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Albert, 3800 Louisiana Blvd. NE, followed by burial in Fairview Memorial Park, 700 Yale Blvd. SE.

May his memory be a blessing.

The post How I Made A Good Goodbye for David Bleicher first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

Organ donation saves lives, even as the donor loses theirs. April is National Donate Life Month. It’s designed to encourage people to register to be organ donors and to talk to their families about it. But few people outside of hospital staff see the process in action.

I’ve recently been spending a lot of time in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital. My husband had a heart attack, coded and was revived. This is heavy stuff, experiencing a life and death situation. I’m glad that my husband and I have done advance medical directives, estate planning and funeral planning. You definitely want to have all of those things in place when a medical crisis hits.

The Walk of Honor

While keeping vigil at the hospital, my brother-in-law noticed a crowd of nurses and other staffers lined up along the corridor in the ICU. What was going on?

One of the ICU patients who was not going to survive was about to be taken to have their organs harvested. The hospital personnel had gathered for a Walk of Honor. They were there to salute this person’s gift of life. I joined the silent crowd.

A team of what seemed like a dozen medical personnel wheeled the patient through the unit. The person’s ebbing life was still supported with multiple IV drips and a portable vital signs monitor. All eyes focused on the crowd moving this person to organ harvesting surgery. Silent tears welled in the eyes of many. I put my hand over my heart.

This hospital’s staff does this Walk of Honor salute with every patient who opts to donate their organs.

One Organ Donation Story

Connie Diamond received a life-saving liver transplant. During National Donate Life Month, she wanted to share her story through this letter she wrote to the family of the donor.

Dear Donor Family,

When I awoke in the intensive care unit after the transplant surgery, I remember the nurse asked me, “How do you feel?” I said, “I feel grateful,” and I cried tears of joy.

After numerous diagnostic tests, a team of transplant specialists placed me on the transplant list over a year ago. My liver deteriorated to end stage liver failure due to a non-alcoholic auto immune disease called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. I had complications which resulted in several hospitalizations. Transplant was my only viable treatment, my only hope.

In May, I was given the green light by the transplant team to relocate to Arizona for several months to be readily available for an organ donor match. I flew out to Arizona immediately, by myself, packing a bag big enough to fill with hope, optimism, positivity, and determination. I lit prayer candles. I opened the window coverings so I could see the sunrise on a new day of hope for a donor liver. I kept my cellphone fully charged and placed it on my chest as I slept. I met some special people who had transplants and were recovering. They became my angels while I waited for “the call.”

I am a 70-year-old youthful grandma and proud adoptive, single mother of accomplished twin girls, now age 34: Lauren, a registered nurse, and Jennifer, an honor student in Chemical and Biological Engineering. I also have a precious granddaughter, Maggie, 9 years old, my swim buddy and joy of my life!

While I waited for an opportunity for a transplant, I prayed and maintained a positive attitude. I readied myself to be physically and mentally strong. A driving force that kept me holding on was my wish to be able to attend my daughter Lauren’s wedding in California. August 2, “the call” came and I knew the angels were circling. I made a miraculous recovery and was discharged in record time. Less than two weeks later, on September 10th, I walked my daughter down the aisle with her dad.

I count my blessings every day, and every day think of you and your loved one who gave me this gift of life. I once had a vibrant career and I was forced into retirement, but now I feel like I have more to do in this life, a bigger purpose, and I feel compelled to give back.

With every beat of my heart, I live in gratitude for this precious gift of life from a beautiful loving soul and family. May you have solace in knowing that your loved one’s organ saved my life.

Make Your Wishes Known

National Donate Life Month (NDLM) was established by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. Observed in April each year, National Donate Life Month helps raise awareness about donation, encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors, and to honor those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. Learn more here.

There is a difference between organ and tissue donation and whole body donations. You can learn more through these Family Plot Blog posts:

• Comparing Cornea and Organ Donation
• Medical Body Donation
• Why are people calling me for body donation services?

If you decide to become an organ donor, talk to your loved ones about what it means to you to make this life-giving choice. They are going to be the ones who have the final say once you are terminal.

The post Organ Donation at Death: Witnessing a Walk of Honor in the Hospital first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

The first Before I Die Tucson event takes place this Sunday, April 16, which is also National Health Care Decision Day, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This free event (a $5 donation is suggested) will take place at The Loft Cinema, 3233 East Speedway, Tucson, Arizona. Learn more at www.BeforeIDieAZ.com.

Before I Die Tucson features insightful presentations about end-of-life decisions, with speakers, videos and door prizes. It starts with a short talk by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death and founder of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. David Fitzsimmons, Arizona’s Progressive Voice and recently-retired cartoonist and columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, will be the closing presenter.

National Health Care Decisions Day exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and health care providers about the importance of advance care planning. Advance care planning involves discussing and preparing for future decisions about your medical care if you become seriously ill or unable to communicate.

Topics to be covered include organ donation, advanced directives for dementia, getting your affairs in order, and much more. Fill in the blank “Before I die I want to ___________________” by texting your reply to 520-907-5207.

Speakers at the event include:

• Mary Ganapol, coordinator of Before I Die Tucson, provides a welcome statement
• Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death® and founder of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival
• David Fitzsimmons: “Not dead. Just resting.”
• Tucson End of Life Doulas: Death Doulas 101
• Kristin Delaplane, the author of “Storytelling”
• Compassion & Choices on the Advance Directive Addendum for Dementia
• Roots & Roads will present resources on “The Crosswalk”
• Donate Life Arizona will be on hand to register people for tissue and organ donations

There will also be a video of the Harlem Gospel Choir performing “This is Your Show” with Carmen Ruby Floyd. Supporters of the event include Death With Dignity, Compassion & Choices, and Roots & Roads Community Hospice Foundation.

The post First Before I Die Festival Tucson this Sunday, April 16 first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

Natural organic reduction, or NOR (a.k.a. body composting), might become legal in Maryland! It could become the seventh state to legalize natural organic reduction – but we need your help right now. Here’s a video message about this from Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®.

What is NOR/Body Composting?

Body composting vessel and compost from the Natural Funeral.

As you may know, natural organic reduction or NOR is the process for the final disposition of human remains which converts them to soil in a controlled vessel.  Because it doesn’t directly consume fossil fuels, NOR is considered a “green” or eco-friendly funeral option that avoids carbon emissions – with some estimates that indicate it prevents a metric ton of CO2 in comparison to conventional burial or cremation methods.  You can find out more about natural organic reduction from recent articles in the National Geographic, Popular Science, Yahoo News and even the New York Post.

On behalf of my friends with GreenLegacy.com in my hometown of Silver Spring, I hope you’ll let your voice be heard. The state legislature is currently considering HB 1060 – Cremation – Natural Organic Reduction – Regulation. If it passes, this bill will legalize NOR in Maryland and allow the state oversight agencies to regulate it. You can find a copy of the bill here. The Maryland House of Delegates has already approved the bill and now it is in the Senate Finance Committee’s court to decide.

I am urging all my friends in Maryland to let the Finance Committee know you care. Sign up to testify. If you can’t sign up to testify, then send an email. If you can’t send an email, then call. We need you to speak up for HB 1060 and let your elected officials hear from you.  BUT ACT FAST – THE HEARING IS THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 AT 1PM.

You can do both/either of the following options:

1. Email your written testimony to the committee. A list of the emails for committee members is below.
2. Submit your written testimony through the MyMGA portal. You must submit during the hours of 8:00AM – 3:00PM on the day before the hearing (Tuesday, March 28). Please create an account, click “Witness Signup”, navigate to HB1060, select “Favorable with Amendments”, select “Written” from the Testimony drop down menu, and attach your written testimony (must be a PDF). Then scroll back to the top of the page and click “Save”. Please don’t navigate away from the page until it has processed your submission. You can check that it has been processed successfully by clicking “Signed Up Items” (next to the “Save” button).

Please send a courtesy copy of your testimony/emails to Delegate Anne Kaiser, the bill’s sponsor, at Anne.Kaiser@house.state.md.us. You can also call Legislative Aide Caroline Davenport at 301-858-3036 if you have any trouble.

Stay tuned to agoodgoodbye.com for updates and more news.  And thank you for getting involved.

Sen. Melony Griffith, Chair Prince George’s County	410-841-3127	melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Vice-Chair Baltimore County	410-841-3620	katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Pamela Beidle Anne Arundel County	410-841-3593	pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Arthur Ellis Charles County	410-841-3616	arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Dawn Gile Anne Arundel County	410-841-3568	dawn.gile@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Antonio Hayes Baltimore City	410-841-3656	antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Kent, Queen Anne’s, Cecil, Caroline	410-841-3762	steve.hershey@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer Montgomery County	410-841-3151	Ben.Kramer@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Clarence K. Lam Anne Arundel, Howard	410-841-3653	clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Johnny Mautz Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico	410-841-3590	johnny.mautz@senate.state.md.us
Sen. Justin Ready Frederick, Carroll	410-841-3683	justin.ready@senate.state.md.us
Cut and Paste Committee-Wide Email	melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us, katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us, pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us, arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us, dawn.gile@senate.state.md.us, antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us, steve.hershey@senate.state.md.us, Ben.Kramer@senate.state.md.us, clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us, johnny.mautz@senate.state.md.us, justin.ready@senate.state.md.us

The post Let’s Help Legalize Body Composting in Maryland! first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

From the 2023 Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival in Estes Park, Colorado, check out these photos of the whole crazy scene. There was lots of music, activities and generally good vibes. Planners would have been happy with 3,000 to 4,000 attendees. The event drew 6,000 to 7,000, a hugely popular turn out in this new location.

Gail Rubin was there to present Newly-Dead® The Game, thanks to the company Steps After Life. Steps After Life helps families with an online concierge who works directly with each family to swiftly resolve matters after a death. She also partnered with The Natural Funeral, which was an official sponsor of Frozen Dead Guy Days.

Coffin Race Teams

The highlight of Frozen Dead Guy Days is the Coffin Races. Twenty-eight teams competed to run an obstacle course with six pallbearers and a corpse in a home-made coffin. My favorite team was the Redrummers, inspired by the Stephen King novel and Stanley Kubrick film, The Shining. King was inspired to write the book after staying at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park in the 1970s. John Cullen, owner of the Stanley Hotel, bought the rights to the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival and Visit Estes Park put the event together in three months.

Frozen Dead Guy Day Costumes

There were lots of people in colorful costumes, playing on the themes of “frozen” and “dead.” There were also just plain weird outfits. “Beetlejuice” was played by funeral director Stacey Cole-Winsor, who works with Allnutt Funeral Home in Estes Park. She provided the starting blast signals for the Coffin Races.

Frozen Dead Guy Day Contests

The Brain Freeze ice cream eating contest was very popular, as was the pie tossing contest and Newly-Dead® The Game. Video from the Newly-Dead contest to come!

Hearse Graveyard

The Denver Hearse Association brought a collection of hearses to display in one section of the Estes Park Events Complex.

Fun at Frozen Dead Guy Days

All in all, Frozen Dead Guy Days in 2023 was a big hit! Thanks again to Steps After Life. Learn more about the company in this video.

The post Crazy Photos: Frozen Dead Guy Days Coffin Race Teams, Costumes and More first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

Two popular elements of Frozen Dead Guy Days are coming to Estes Park, Colorado for the 2023 festival: Newly-Dead® The Game and the humorous documentary, “Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed.” Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, who previously presented these activities in Nederland, is bringing both to the newly-relocated festival, March 17-19, 2023.

Newly-Dead The Game is like the old TV game show, The Newlywed Game. Couples are quizzed on how well they know their partner’s last wishes. The four questions get progressively more challenging and award more points. The couple that gets the most answers right receive the most points to win the game. Prizes will be awarded to all participants, and couples could be featured on YouTube!

Two sessions of Newly-Dead The Game will be held on Saturday, March 18 at the Estes Park Events Complex, 1125 Rooftop Way, Estes Park, CO. The games will take place in the Pavilion Building at 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. Couples can sign up in advance to participate at Barn W, where “Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed” is being shown. This is a free activity as part of ticketed access to the festival.

Gail Rubin, a pioneering death educator who puts the “fun” in funeral planning, created the Newly-Dead game specifically for Frozen Dead Guy Days. She debuted the game in 2011 and has returned almost every year until the pandemic shut down the festival in 2020. Learn more about the game at https://agoodgoodbye.com/to-die-for-shopping/the-newly-dead-game/.

“In 2010, I was transfixed by a national TV news story about Frozen Dead Guy Days – the coffin races, the whole crazy scene. I swore I would be a part of it the next year. Creating Newly-Dead® The Game was my way to get involved. Showing the documentary about the Frozen Dead Guy came a year or so later,” said Rubin.

Rubin will also show “Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed,” a 1998 documentary by award-winning filmmaker Robin Beeck. It tells the strange but true story of how Norwegian Bredo Morstoel became the Frozen Dead Guy and a resident of Nederland. His grandson, Trygve Bauge, a colorful character in Boulder and Nederland in the 1980s and ‘90s, his mother Aud, and local witnesses are the key players in this delightful 26-minute film.

“Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed” will be shown at the Estes Park Events Center Barn W on Saturday, March 18 from noon to 5:30 p.m. as part of the festival. It can also be seen on Sunday, March 19 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Lonigans Grill Pub, Saloon & Nightclub, 110 West Elkhorn Avenue. This is a free event. Food and drink are available for purchase at Lonigans.

Festival attendees can register for a prize drawing of fun funeral-related items at event locations on Saturday and Sunday. Prizes include eco-friendly cremation products from Passages International as well as T-shirts and books from Gail Rubin. The winner’s name will be drawn and notified after Frozen Dead Guy Days. Registrants need not be present to win.

These game and film presentations are sponsored by Steps After Life. Steps After Life helps families with an online concierge who works directly with each family to swiftly resolve matters after a death. Their website is www.StepsAfterLife.com.

For tickets and the latest information about Frozen Dead Guy Day events, visit www.FrozenDeadGuyDays.com.

The post Coming to Frozen Dead Guy Days: Newly-Dead® The Game and Film Screenings first appeared on A Good Goodbye.

Everything you need to know about body composting, aka natural organic reduction (NOR), is the topic of the inaugural Body Composting Conference: Rejoining the Cycle of Life Through Natural Organic Reduction. Being organized by The Natural Funeral, the conference is bringing together visionaries, innovators and movement makers in the death positive field for two days of networking, connection and education.

Mark your calendar and make your travel plans to Denver for the conference March 16-17, 2023. It’s right before the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival in Estes Park, Colorado March 17-19. Come for the conference, stick around for this wild and wacky celebration of all things dead and frozen!

Participating speakers include NOR pioneer Katrina Spade; Caitlin Doughty, bestselling author, funeral industry disruptor, and “Ask a Mortician” YouTube star; and yours truly, Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®. The full schedule of events and speakers follows.

The conference will take place in downtown Denver at the Sonesta Hotel, 1450 Glenarm Place, Denver, Colorado. The Sonesta Hotel is an eco-friendly property, with an emphasis on energy reduction and efficiency. Easily accessible by public transportation, hotel rooms and parking are available at a special discounted rate. To reserve a hotel room from the conference room block at the Sonesta Hotel in Denver, click here.

The Body Composting Conference Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 16 – Conference Day 1

0900 – 0915 Welcome by Seth Viddal

0915 – 1015 Intro to NOR by Katrina Spade

1045 – 1145 Panel of NOR operators

1315 – 1400 Environmental impact of NOR by Dan Ziskin

1400 – 1430 The science of NOR by Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs

1500 – 1600 Natural death care techniques by The Deathwives, Katey Houston, and Ray Green

1600 – 1645 Laying In demonstration by Nicole Matarazzo

1645 – 1700 Closing remarks

Thursday, March 16 – Special Event

1900 – 2100 In conversation with Caitlin Doughty, including her induction into The Natural Funeral Hall of Fame

Friday, March 17 – Conference Day 2

0900 – 1000 NOR terminology and messaging by Micah Truman

1030 – 1130 Advance planning for NOR by Gail Rubin and David Heckel

1300 – 1400 Panel of families who have chosen NOR

1400 – 1445 Panel of funeral homes offering NOR by Feldman Mortuary and The Natural Funeral

1515 – 1615 Land Stewardship Panel by Eric Rooney, Emily Miller, Elliot Rasenick, and Susan Nemcek

1615 – 1645 Laying Out demonstration by Ben Martin

1645 – 1700 Closing remarks and call to action

Purchase your ticket today for the Body Composting Conference here!

The post Body Composting Conference in Denver March 16-17: Register Now! first appeared on A Good Goodbye.