ANOTHER FABULOUS REVIEW!!!

on October 25, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This book is nuch too short, which is the only thing I have againt it. Short, pithy chapters, full of wisdom and wit and always with a little twist that moves you deeply and makes you reflect back about your own experiene. Take for example the hilariously funny and so poignant chapter about Becker’s mother. At the age of 87, sufferring from Parkinson’s disease and living in an assisted-living facility, she meets a younger, 84-year-old wrack of a man and they happily get married. Ms Becker dubs him G.I. Joe, because he had served in the Korean War. He makes serious plans to take his bride out of the facility after the wedding and move in with his daughter-in-law. Sadly, that was not to be, becuase G.I. Joe died of a broken heart – “he wanted his manhood and independence back so badly” (p. 35). Or take the “Shoes Again” chapter, which develops from what seems to be a frivolous, girlish preoccupation with footwear into a major lesson in human relationship, in fact leading to the most significant relationship of Ms Becker’s life, with her future second husband. “I am a woman, and therefore, I am defined by my footwear. How do I know? Because once, when I started a new job, a whole year and three months passed before a colleague spoke to me, and the first words she ever said to me were, ‘Oh, what cute shoes!'” Everything they say about the book in rhe reviews is spot on. But it’s much more than enjoyable, it is also a hugely satisfying book. Read it with close attention and you will get a lot of good tips for your own life changes. We do hope to hear more o Jacqueline Becker in the future.

Funeral or Pizza Parlor?

When I was studying interior space planning for commercial applications, we were given a funeral parlor to redesign. It was a local business, and looked more like a pizza parlor than anything else to me. The walls had walnut formica paneling halfway up. The top part was a blue and green floral print wallpaper. Heavy drapes closed the windows off for privacy. When I went into measure the two viewing rooms, I realized I was not alone.

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You have to forgive me – I was in my early twenties and I was not raised Catholic. But the bodies gave me a sense of purpose and drama. I decided to embellish on the theatrics. I drew up a stage on the diagonal. I thought about the kind of stage lights that give off a cloudy haziness. I wanted the body to be the focal point. I wanted 4 different colored upholstered light weight chairs that  could be moved around to form spontaneous conversation groups. I was thinking sorbet colors – soft blueberry, raspberry, peach, and mango. I wanted soft peach or blueberry carpeting. I thought the viewing could serve as the transitionary send off. I wanted to allude to a heaven that I desperately wanted to believe in.