Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Gail Rubin and ABQ Death Cafe mascot Lola in a Passages International bamboo coffin.
The 2017 Frozen Dead Guy Days festival was another huge success! More than 20,000 people flooded the streets of Nederland, Colorado for this crazy celebration of the dead and the frozen. We had more than a thousand people, a 25% increase over last year’s number, who came to see the documentary “Grandpa’s in the TUFF Shed” and cheer on the couples who played The Newly-Dead Game®. You can watch videos of all three games through this Family Plot Blog post.
Thanks to our sponsor Passages International, leaders in environmentally-friendly and green funeral products, for their support of community outreach on preneed funeral planning through this unique festival.
Saw lots of interesting products and services at the convention and expo of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) in Nashville, TN. You can see Family Plot Blog posts with videos of new developments over the coming weeks through the Tools of the Trade section of the blog. There are already a few online, and you can peruse coverage of past expos, too.
The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held on Sunday, April 23 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at my home. First-timers can RSVP to Gail [at] AGoodGoodbye.com for address and directions. Or join the ABQ Death Cafe Meetup group to be kept apprised of upcoming events.
Links to recent posts at The Family Plot Blog, upcoming events and a funny quote follow. Please call 505.265.7215 if I can be of assistance!
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®
The Family Plot Blog Highlights
Click on the titles to read the blog post and see the associated videos. Review all posts on The Family Plot Blog or view just the Death Cartoons posted on the blog!
Favorite Funeral Film “Harold and Maude” Holds Time-Tested Laughs Film writer Mark Caro asks if “Harold and Maude,” a favorite film from his youth, can still hold its charms all 
these years later.
Checklist: Memorable Life Celebration or Funeral Must-Haves Wondering what information you’ll need to create a moving, memorable memorial service or funeral? Use this handy checklist of questions to have answered BEFORE a loved one dies.
Why You Want a Physicist to Speak at Your Funeral For those who want a funeral or memorial service without any mention of spiritual matters, you may find this reading to be helpful.
“Patient” is a Compelling, Honest Look at End-of-Life This documentary tells Dr. Jeffrey Piehler’s story about facing cancer and building his own plain pine casket.
Upcoming Events and a Funny Quote
See the Calendar page for a full listing of events.
Sunday, April 23, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Death Cafe at Gail Rubin’s home. RSVP for address and directions. More information here.
Saturday, April 29, 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Gail Rubin speaks on “Keys to Downsize and Organize Your Life” at the Delta Kappa Gamma convention for New Mexico educators. The event takes place at the Albuquerque Marriott, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. NE. More information here.
Tuesday, May 23, 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. — Gail Rubin presents “Kicking the Bucket List: Important Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die” at two Phaneuf Funeral Homes locations in Manchester, New Hampshire. More information here.
Mark your calendar for the inaugural “Before I Die” ABQ festival, October 20-24, 2017. “Before I Die” festivals are part of a growing social movement to foster reflection about how we as individuals and as a society manage death and dying. By providing space and opportunities to openly discuss end-of-life issues, we can improve the percentage of those who plan ahead and take actions to address our mortality. More information here.
“The one who dies with the most toys… still dies.” Gail Rubin
(available on T-shirts – more info here)
Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.
Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.
Known as The Doyenne of Death®, she also hosts A Good Goodbye Internet radio show and produces Mortality Minute radio and online video spots.
Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association New Mexico Chapter. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.
Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV, and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV.
Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.