Note, I said vocation, not vacation.

In case you have been wondering where I have been the last couple of days — have no fear. I’m alive and well.

And working on my new job title — funeral memorial service planner.

Honestly — I don’t see how families do this without some outside help. The flowers, the set-up of the room, the amassing of photos — or in my case, the amassing of slides, the scanning and the printing of the prints. The phone calls asking friends of my mother to speak, the music choices, and that age old question — what are we going to have for people to nibble on?

Then there is the issue of my mother’s artwork. Both paintings and photographs. How many can I find? (My mother, bless her heart, never catalogued her artwork. I have no idea who has what, when they purchased it, or which picture it was. )

Meanwhile the two local art associations are joining forces to offer their support — which is most appreciated. Especially considering that the funeral home here seems to be a little, er, lacking in their support supplies for memorial services, i.e., large boards to hold photos of your loved one, and other such niceties that have now become more the rule than the exception for memorial services.

And when I asked them today to confirm that yes, I could put together a music list on my iPod and plug it into their music system, I was told no. If we used the music system, the music would play throughout the building, not just the area we will be using.

So what good is it? And why was my father and I told that the system would be available to us?

Oh, but I can bring a portable music system if I want to.

Can you tell I’m venting?

Oh, and if you are thinking what I’m thinking, i.e., go to another funeral home — I can’t. The other one in Slidell, LA had 8 feet of water in it during Hurricane Katrina and was never rebuilt.