We’re tired, and feeling it to our bones, but glad, too, that we were in NJ Sunday and Monday for the wake and funeral for Agnes Curth, my dad’s third-oldest sister, and the second to pass away in the past two years.

It’s a sad fact of life that you never see as many people as you do at a funeral, and that was proved true again. Cousins who I haven’t seen for years – yup, they’re there. And my god, their kids have sprouted from near-infant to certifiable Little Kid, a veritable army of 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds – every one of them bored out of their minds by the pace and meaning of a funeral. Good God, someone give them a Nintendo DS!

But for the adults, the chance to see and talk with so many people – we need to find a more pleasant vehicle for accomplishing that. And so, my cousin David suggested holding a springtime picnic/afternoon at Monmouth Park, the home of this year’s Breeders Cup races in October. We’d bring some food, let the kids run crazy, place a wager or twenty and see how the whole things susses out. It sounds like a great plan to me.

Until then, my heart goes out to my Uncle Al, his kids, Aggie’s brother and surviving sisters, and everyone else affected by her death. It was touching to see how many lives she had touched.