The Thing About Life

Is that it ends.

I know this may come as a shock, but I swear it's true.  We can battle, we can pray, we can eat organic fruits and vegetables and drive a Prius, but one day our ticker will stop ticking.  And there's nothing we can do about it.

This is my dog's shocked face.  Actually, it's his "Did you just say treat?" face.

Actually, there is something you can do about it.  Ready?  Write this down.  It's important.

I accept that one day I am going to die.  

So while I'm alive, I'm going to be the most kick-ass, kind person I can be.

Okay, I will step down from my soap box.

For those who have been wondering, my brother-in-law, is doing much better with his new heart.  It's been a long and bumpy road to recovery for him, but he's going to be home in the next week or two.

This week I'm getting my annual exam because it's October, Breast Cancer Awareness month.  My doctor is the only person I allow to touch my boobs and insert things in my vagina without buying me dinner first.  (Oh, simmer down.  It's a joke.)

Until next time.

Oh, hey.  There's a new death book out there.  It's called

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: and Other Lessons from the Crematory."

 I bought it yesterday and I'll get a review up as soon as I'm finished.

Have a great week!

Have a Heart

On August 10, my brother-in-law was out celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife. In the middle of dinner, he received a call from his heart surgeon. He had two hours to get to the hospital as a donor heart was available.

Jason received his new heart, but he has experienced many complications and is still in the ICU. His family could really use the help right now. If you'd like to read about his family and make a donation, click here.

Thank you.
Pamela

A Couple of Death Books and a Cinematic Let Down

I own a lot of books about death.  A lot.  Either I buy them to see what they have to say or someone gives them to me because I have a blog called the "death writer." A few weeks ago, my pal Tex loaned me a copy of Roz Chast's graphic memoir, "

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

"  Tex is a member of my

Death over Dinner

group and she was super excited to share this book.  So, I do as I always do and I consumed it in a one night, Evelyn Wood's inspired, reading spree.  Short review: Loved it, but it made me super sad.  (Having parents in their 80's can do that to a person.)  Anyway, I think that was the point of the book. In a perfect world, everyone would have a copy of it on their coffee table.  "Oh look, a cartoon book!"  Cartoons are funny and blah, blah, blah.  Well, I challenge anyone to read this book and not get to the point of ugly crying face by the end of it.

The second book I read this past week was "

Damned

" by Chuck Palahniuk.  I hate to admit this, but this is the first book I've read by Chuck.  I saw "Fight Club" because Brad Pitt is so darn good looking, but I never read the book.  My second admission of guilt is that I loved it (Damned), which is also kind of shameful to admit.  Chuck "Pal-how-the-flock do I say your last name?" is way out there, but I found myself laughing out loud at several points. That doesn't happen very often when I'm reading. I'll usually smile or maybe giggle.  But Chuck's words made me guffaw.  There are some sparkling gems of funny in this tale of eternal damnation.  Review:  Maddy Spencer rocks!

Random non-death related reading story...Last week I was at a Teen Writer Workshop and I brought up a scene in "

No Country For Old Men

," as an illustration of tension.  This just shows how out of the teen pop culture loop I am, as no one in this room had seen the movie.  Too young!  Anyway, this film has lots of death. (So maybe teens shouldn't be watching this particular film.) The coin toss scene in this movie is seriously one of the most tense moments in cinematic history.  You know you want to watch it.  If anything, do it for Javier Bardem's hair!

I watched the dang movie again and I realized that it also has the biggest cinematic let down of all time. Llewelyn's death is like a little blip.  A nothing.  We've traveled with him and rooted for him and then when he's taken out, we don't even get to see it.  Damn, you Coen Brothers!

What do you think of Chuck?  I want to know.