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“ Flower Drying With A Microwave”
A handy book gives simple instructions on how to dry flowers after a memorial serviceI’ve enjoyed the beauty of flowers and their meaning since I was a child. Back in the 80s, I began playing with different fresh flower drying methods. I have a distinct memory of getting a call from my mom after she returned from the funeral service of her friend Bonnie’s mother. She said Bonnie wanted to know…
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Turn to White: Islamic Funeral Traditions in Morocco
For the Islamic of Morocco, white has always been the new black when mourning a deathMorocco is dripping in color and culture. Muslims, Berbers and Arabs dot the hillsides and winding roads. Cityscapes are flushed in burnt yellows and deep, majorelle blue with a kaleidoscope of tiles. However, this abundance of color is forgone when it comes to the simple, white fabric of Islamic mourning garments that one finds in…
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Medicare Now Offering Some Patients at Select Hospices the Option of Receiving Palliative and Curative Care Concurrently
With the new end-of-life care pilot program, “Medicare Care Choices Model,” one could die in peace rather than suffer through overly aggressive treatments.Medicare recently announced that 141 hospices will be allowed to have its patients participate in receiving both palliative and curative care simultaneously as part of a new initiative. This new initiative, the “Medicare Care Choices Model,” plans to evaluate whether letting patients with life-limiting illnesses opt for both types of care will “Increase access to supportive…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates the most beautiful hearts in an ongoing celebration of loveMy Heart Is Always Aflame In Your Love It’s an honor for SevenPonds to share with our readers the story of the Monday Hearts for Madalene project, a true account of the power of love in the midst of death. The project’s origins take us to 2005: the moment Page Hodel encountered Madalene Rodriguez and fell “instantly, dizzyingly in…
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“Peace”
Hughes’ funeral poem reflects on the futile nature of war when the ultimate price soldiers pay for peace is through their deathsWar and its consequences wreak havoc on countless lives with its numerous casualties — whether they are civilian members or the soldiers involved on either side. In his poem, “Peace,” one of my all-time favorite poets, Langston Hughes, captures the irony of war’s goal to achieve peace no matter what — even if the very origins for the…
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Breathing Light: James Turrell at LACMA
A retrospective of artist James Turrell’s work offers a personal, spiritual experience to viewersArtist James Turrell (b. 1943, Los Angeles) played a pivotal role in the West Coast’s Light and Space Movement during the 1960s and 70s. The movement was rooted in the flexibility of perception and manipulation of space, and Turrell’s pieces targeted the viewer’s senses like homing darts, enveloping him or her in an environment seeming…
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How Can You Care for a Loved One Immediately after Death? (Interview)
One Washcloth offers a simple, moving way for the bereaved to care for one who has diedToday SevenPonds speaks with Susan Oppie of One Washcloth. Susan has been in the medical field for over 19 years and has worked as everything from a Home Health Aide for the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston to working extensively in hospice. Together with a group of two other women, Susan launched One Washcloth, which…
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Our Weekly Tip: You’re Never Too Young to Have An Advanced Healthcare Directive
How having an advanced healthcare directive as part of your estate plan helps loved ones know your exact wishes when you’re unable to voice themOur Tip of the Week: It is hard to think about death when we are young and living life to the fullest. No one, however, is immune to death, and we cannot predict when and how it will strike. Therefore, it is very important to prepare and have an advanced healthcare directive on hand in…
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“7 Ways to Create an Amazing Celebration of Life”
