Just as we arrived at the cottage, we got a call from my Uncle Kevin who told us my mother's luggage was still at his house (she thought it was with my Aunt Fran who was coming to the cottage a bit later). My brother and I headed into town, stopped by two stores to pick up some things we needed for that night and the next day as well as the luggage.
When we arrived back at the cottage, my cousin Cory was just coming out of the cottage. He laughed when he saw us, saying "I guess I found the luggage after all." My mother, convinced that Fran had her luggage had sent him out to double check her car. We immediately schemed to let Cory carry the luggage in while Jon and I waited outside for a minute before going in. My mother had out her cell phone and was ready to call when we came in and let her in on the joke ... although it took another ten minutes to convince her that Cory did not actually find the luggage in Fran's car. Once that was finally clear, she looked at the cell phone in her hand and asked, "So, who was I going to call?"
The funeral went well. The internment was quite cold and sad. The dinner that followed included my grandfather's favorite food even though he was not there (he is also experiencing dementia and could not be convinced to get up). Roast pork, mashed potatoes, green beans, the best gravy I have had in a long time (Jon said that we need that gravy at every family get-together), salad, and a variety of cakes made up the meal. We met and talked with many relatives we had not seen in quite a while, took a number of pictures, packed up and headed back to the cottage.
Most of my aunts and uncles joined us later at the cottage (after Jon, my father, and I walked out on the lake for a bit). We shared stories, ate pizza and food left over from the past two meals, and enjoyed each other's company. Jon, Cory, Aunt Brandy, and I played two of the craziest games of foosball that I can remember playing. I was laughing harder than I have in a long time, giving myself a tremendous (although completely worthwhile) headache.
Our gathering ended with a phone call from my grandfather (there was an amusing bit where Uncle Kevin was looking for the ringing phone that was in his back pocket). A group of us then went to visit Grandpa. He still didn't remember be me, but he remembered my father. He also remembered Grandma's visitation, although he called it a party. He said that "they did a good job with Ginny; she looked good" making me think that he understood that she had passed away until he added "but she wouldn't talk to me." He was quite lucid and looked better than I had seen him last (or the recent pictures that I had seen). Even though he didn't know me, I was glad to see him and to be there with my mother as she got to visit with him on the day her mother's body was put into the ground.
We left early the next morning, stopped by a cheese shop in Wisconsin (one that was closed before the one that was open), ate $7 to $9 hot dogs in Chicago, saw Jon's apartment (which he has lived in for nearly a year but which I had not yet visited), and had another terrible (although not quite as bad) drive through Michigan.
The trip was exhausting, but went as good as it could have (with the exception of the drives through Michigan). I wish that I hadn't lost so much contact with my extended family. I always enjoy my time with them. I look forward to being back this summer for my cousin Teresa's wedding.