And that's how it's done

Yesterday when I said it was a "fun"eral, it was bullshit and bravado. Today, I find out that there will be a modicum of "fun" available to us.

Years ago my mother died of breast cancer, and about a year after her death, my aunt arranged a memorial mass in her name at the church where were grew up, where my sister and I went to Catholic school, our home parish, really. We all showed up for the service, dutifully mournful and heartbroken. We sat down together and waited for the "un"fun to start.

What unfolded next had us giggling and nudging each other all over the pews for the better part of an hour, because as we sat waiting, lots of guys started filing into the church, guys who look like this:




Oh, come on. You know you want a better look at that hat.



So there we all were, mystified as to what all these fuzzy hatted people with their swords are gleaming and shoes all shiny were doing at my mother's memorial mass.

Then we got a hold of a bulletin and realized that there had been a miscommunication between my aunt and the Monsignor. My mother's mass had happened the day before, and we were crashing some kind of... event... for guys in large fuzzy hats.

Well, what could we do? Nothing. We sat through it and had a good laugh and moved on.


This morning, my step mother called and let me know that we should expect a "large presence" of the Knights of Columbus at the funeral - that not only was my dad a member, but an active one and a local officer.

We had no idea. (We being my brother, sister, and I).

So whomever else shows up at this funeral, we can expect the place to be run half over with the K of C - which we, personally find hilarious (because of their headgear) but also because, well, come on. My mother is laughing her purple pants-suited ass off right now - and the thought that my dad, a guy I thought I knew pretty well - owned a piece of headgear matching the above description?

Well. I. am. speechless.

Have a good Tuesday.