Wednesday, Jan. 18

Up at 6 a.m. this morning to get ready for a trip south to attend the memorial service for my ex-husband.

It was a sunny, but br-r-r, really cold morning. We left home at 7:30, and arrived at the funeral home near the appointed 10 a.m. hour. The well-attended service lasted about an hour.

My great-grandson thought it amusing that both of his great-grandfather's ex-wives attended the service. Of course, no matter what the relationship between us and his great-grandfather, we wanted to be there in support of our children, who naturally loved and will miss their father.

Afterward, my children, their spouses, a granddaughter, and a grandson, and Great-Grandson (ten of us in all) went to a favorite Italian restaurant for lunch. I hope this provided a pleasant stress relief for my family after a very difficult few weeks.

We arrived back home around 4 p.m. Mother and Sis had prepared a recipe of New England stew. Sis couldn't stay for supper, but she took helping of the stew with her for hers and Nephew's supper.

Hubbie, Mother, and I enjoyed the stew at our usual 5 p.m. supper hour. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then we watched TV, including the 2003 movie, "Mona Lisa Smile," starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Julia Stiles. A forward-thinking young art professor at Wellesly college urges her 1950s conservative female students to think outside the box of getting married and having kids as the only life course they should pursue.

Note: phooey, I discovered this afternoon that the fluorescent ceiling light in my office is burned out. Hubbie suspects it might be a starter problem. Always something around here.