On a Warm Day in December

Today was the planned install of Aislinn's Mailbox.  If you're wondering why this thing exists, I'll explain.  I wanted someplace for people to put things they bring when they go to visit the site.  I didn't like the idea of leaving things out in the open.  And I think the Sexton or his minions remove them after a while when they are set near the monuments.  Now, if you bring flowers, obviously those can be left outside.  Sorry, I have to clarify that because some people can be a little too literal.  So, other than the function of a mailbox, I wanted something more than just the monument to help make it a more special space.  We're not done with it either.  In the spring we'll have an artist come out and do some custom artwork on the mailbox.  We just wanted to put it out now with some color on it, so we painted it like it is now for that purpose.

Before you look at the pictures, be aware that because of the proximity to the monument you'll see a good portion of it.  So, if you haven't seen it in person yet (shame on you, you should've ran up and visited that day!) then you'll see it below.

The hole we dug in early November

Mixing the concrete to hold the base in place.

The base in place.

Pouring the concrete into the hole, around the base.

 

Mike and Tierney with the mailbox in place.

Mike is the metal sculptor.  He doesn't talk a lot, but he just exudes friendliness and warmth.  Tierney talks a lot and is a whole lotta FUN!  They are married and are the coolest couple I've met in a long time.  They did a bull riding camp at the end of summer this year.  They are awesome.

When they came back with the initial quote, and I was like "Okay, but we're gonna have to push it back some so we can afford it" they were so supportive and generous and helped work out a way so that we could get it done now and make it more affordable.  They didn't have to do that, and they didn't have to go the extra mile of doing the temporary painting and install themselves.  That was very kind of them.

They took pictures of the monument and mailbox for their portfolio, website and etc.  While they were doing that, Tierney told me about how when she moved here to Utah from New York, she met someone named Siobhan, and when she pronounced her name correctly upon introduction, the lady stared back at her in shock.  No one ever got her name right.  Ever.  So, we laughed about that and she told me how beautiful she's always thought that name was.  And now all of us can wow random people with the name Aislinn or Siobhan, when we meet them.  And Carter can even do it with a dramatic Irish brogue.  But Caren's already one up on us, as her personal book liaison at Borders in Texas is named Siobhan.

So, that's it...oh and you press on the small heart in the middle of the mailbox to access the secret opening where you can put stuff in.

Done and Done

On Friday afternoon, I got a call from the monument company that Aislinn's monument was set to be installed Monday.

I don't remember six months ago, so I don't recall what we told who, but the first appointment with the monument "designer" (i.e. sales person) went horribly.  It took months to feel good enough to look for the right company for us.  When we thought we had, they claimed up and down that people who wanted original and unique monuments came to them.  Well, they hadn't met Lesli Hinshaw yet.  So, the first appointment was extremely underwhelming because the "designer" wasn't listening to me AT ALL.  And if she wasn't listening and getting me, then how was she going to help me create my vision?  And then there was the snide remark she made under her breath about us obviously not being LDS.  And you wonder why I don't like people, religion and the two mixed together.

Two days later the designer called to confirm the follow up appointment, and I straight up told her I wasn't interested in working with her further.  I don't know how she did it, but after about 10 minutes of arguing she convinced me not to cancel and said she'd be bringing one of the artists with her.  That way they could just draw out what I described.

She didn't keep her word, but she did bring the owner of the company.  That lady and I clicked instantly and within 2 hours we had a solid foundation that was pretty much what I had in my head.

After 2 more visits, countless phone calls and emails, the monument was finally completed and installed today.

On a Cold Day in November

When I spoke to the monument installer on Friday, at the end of the call it was understood that the install today was tentative depending on weather.  In my mind tentative translates to definite and will absolutely happen.  Heh, heh.

It snowed almost 3 feet in our area over Saturday and Sunday.  But tentative still meant definite in my head.

I called the monument company first thing this morning and asked if we were still a go for installing today.  The office said that the guys were already headed to our area and were planning on installing.

An hour later I got a call from the installer, Dustin.  He said that the two others they had planned on installing in Heber and Park City couldn't be done, there was too much snow when they got to each place, and what was the status of the Francis Cemetery?  Apparently the Sexton of the cemetery wasn't answering his phone.  So, I threw on my coat and boots and drove over to get them an answer.  Tentative = definite.

Well, the lanes through the cemetery had not been plowed, so the monument company definitely wasn't going to be able to get in close enough to install.  The Sexton still wasn't answering his phone.  I called Dustin and told him that it wasn't plowed but I was going find a plow, so he should head on over to Francis.

I'm driving back home and contemplating stopping various snow removal trucks currently on the road and asking them to come clear the snow at the Francis Cemetery.  My daughter needs her marker!!

I neared our house and noticed our neighbors, the Georgie's, have an SUV with a snow plow blade on it.  Bingo.

I parked my car and knocked on my neighbors door.  I explained the situation and asked if they would use their plow to clear the cemetery for me.  She said that her husband didn't want her to learn how to use it and he was at work, so she'd call her brother in law, Darren, who has one too.  He said he'd do it but he was concerned that Rick (the Sexton, apparently they're friends) needed to give him permission.  So we called Rick.  He just had surgery and answered when his friends called.  He said that Darren was good to go plow!!

I grabbed Buzzy at home and we headed back over to the cemetery.  Darren was there and already clearing snow when we arrived.  Darren did an excellent job clearing the lanes for our vehicles and then waited in case we needed anything else.

Darren the Hero

Buzzy began to panic because he wasn't sure where the plot was.  It was marked a few weeks ago by the Sexton, but that was now under 2 + feet of snow.  Dustin and Bruce, the installers, asked me to go stand where I thought it was because "Mom's always know where it is."  I start clomping through the snow and stood where I knew it was.  They began shoveling snow away and BAM, there was the hole adjacent to Aislinn's grave that we dug in preparation for her mailbox, and then there was her spot and the markings the Sexton made.

Dustin and Bruce
Notice the singular path that I made when I walked straight to the spot

Darren cleared the snow over and around the spot that was shoveled, with his truck and blade, and then we were ready to Rock'n'Roll.  Tentative = absolute.

After Darren cleared the plot

Below are the photos of Dustin and Bruce doing the install.

This is called the mow strip, it's set into the ground

We went with a piece of grey granite rather than concrete...concrete is so ghetto

This is the base, the sub-base (which goes under the base) missed being shipped, so they'll add that in the spring.  It will make the monument 10" higher and will cover much more of the grey mow strip.

The base, with our surname

Dustin and Bruce

The guys who installed Aislinn's monument stone in freezing cold, blizzard like weather while mucking through a ton of snow.  They could have rescheduled, but they didn't.

Scroll below to see the final result:

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Psych.  You'll have to go visit the site in person if you want to see her awesome monument.

Awesomeness

The process of installing the monument was so interesting to watch.  You wonder how they do it when the stone is so heavy.  They have all these nifty tools that they use very precisely.  The entire process from start to finish took about 3 hours.  By the time it was over, Buzzy and I were Popsicles.

The monument came in 3 pieces, and as they were setting it up, I'm thinking "Oh my, this is quite big.  I LOVE THAT!"  And when the base is installed, it will be 10 inches higher.  Yay!!  I wanted it to dwarf everything else in that cemetery.  I know that's awful to say, but it's Aislinn's place, no matter who else is buried there, it's her place.

When I began the process of creating ideas for the stone, I walked through both sides of the cemetery a couple of times.  The first time I went through it, I loudly proclaimed "Francis Cemetery, watch out, I'm jazzin this place up!!"  The second time was to see who her neighbors were.  That probably seems odd, but when you don't have a lot, you find yourself doing those sorts of things.  One of the stones in our section is literally a piece of rock, tilting to one side because there's no base for it.  It's for someone who hasn't even been dead very long.  Then there's another one on the upper side that is just a piece of wood somebody carved into by hand.  It broke my heart to see both of those.  To know that the person's loved ones, if there even were any, couldn't do much.

The monument was my concept, from start to finish.  All that is engraved on it, came from my brain.  I went through a few different ideas before I settled on the final version.  They can do some pretty cool things with solar lighting and monuments.  I saw something online that gave me the idea to have a stone carved like a person hunched down or sitting, and it would glow a little bit, so it would scare the hell out of people driving by, thinking it was a ghost.  Buzzy didn't like that idea one bit, so I got shot down.  I told him that if our daughter was any part of me, she'd find that freaking hilarious.  Well, maybe I'll just make that my stone.  He can't veto me on that!

Not sure what people know and don't know, but we have 8 spaces in our family plot.  We call it "The Plot".  This will be important to know later.  We're still deciding on our nickname for the cemetery.  We're doing that because Caren brought a story to our attention and we really appreciated the idea.  We don't want to always have to say we're going to the cemetery, so we're creating a name for the place that will be our own.

Next year we will be installing a bench for the family plot.  This bench will be an extension of Aislinn's space.  We are inviting everyone in the family to create something to put on it.  Anything you want at all.  It's a year away, but you can begin planning what you want to put on there at any time.  The only part that is already taken is the top of the bench, the seat.  But everywhere else is up for grabs.  I'll post a picture of the bench we've selected as soon as I can find it again.

If you go to visit Aislinn and you bring flowers, make note that the vase that was supposed to be a part of the monument was overlooked by the quarry and the monument company will be adding it in the spring when they add the sub base too.

Aislinn's Mailbox is being painted right now, and we'll get it installed as soon as it's done.  When it's up, you can put things you feel like leaving for her, in there.

The grounds manager at Buzzy's work offered to do some special landscaping for us in the spring/summer.  So, we'll look forward to that.

Well, I guess that's enough talk of stone, plots, and dead people.

Here's a shout out to Aislinn and Friends.  We wish you were here where we could see and touch you, but we'll settle for hearing, feeling and knowing you're near us.  Thanks for the help with everyone today, it was almost too easy.  ;)