MCMIX

In 1909 Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States.
In 1909 Fatty Arbuckle made his film debut.
In 1909 Orville Wright set a new United States airplane endurance record, remaining aloft for 1 hour 20 minutes 25 seconds
In 1909 Janet Jackson was born.

In Janet's lifetime she saw the invention of TV, color TV, remote controls, cell phones, microwaves, cruise control, space travel, computers.  She saw woman get the right to vote and people of color be allowed to sit in the front of the bus.

Today we buried Janet Jackson.  She was 104 years old.  I met her when she was just 100 and she told me she wanted to make it to 103.  She managed that and then some.  Janet didn't have any children and always looked upon Peter as the son she never had.  She met him over 50 years ago. Unfortunately at 104, there aren't many people left to mourn.  Janet had no children.  Her husband passed away 30 years ago (at 80!).  Her brothers and sisters are long gone.  In fact there was no one left but us to attend to her burial.  It's very sad to think about.

The last time we visited with her we took her out for a walk in the park.  We picked flowers and admired the trees.  She seemed to enjoy it very much.

Peter tells me he could never tell Janet he was coming to visit.  If she knew ahead of time she would make him the gourmet meal of pork and beans with wieners and pineapple.  For dessert she would give him coconut cream pie and artificial grey whipped cream.  He had to surprise her so that she would not cook for him.

Enough maudlin.  On another, somewhat inappropriate note...

We were talking to the funeral director today and he told us that the woman who prepared Janet for burial was named Elizabeth Taylor.  I think that's so fitting.