The Brookston Family Blog

Saturday was the memorial ceremony. A boat had been chartered for the entire family plus close friends of Pinky, Sarah's grandmother. The plan was to scatter Pinky's ashes by the buoy where many years before, her husband (Sarah's grandfather, known to everyone as Pappy) had his ashes scattered in the waters of Puget Sound in which he so loved to fish. We weighed anchor about noon for a five-hour plus cruise around Widbey Island from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, through Deception Pass to Skagit Bay and the buoy near Oak Harbor, and then back again.



Uncle Dave holding Alice and cousin Jules. (The urn behind his head contains Pinky's ashes.)



When on deck, we kept Alice in the Bjorn to avoid any catastrophic mishaps. But there's still room for toast. Here, Sarah takes Alice for a walk in the sun.



Deception Pass. This is the first time we'd seen it from this angle. We drove over this bridge to get to Widbey Island everytime we'd gone to visit Pinky.



Many beers were consumed during the long voyage to the buoy. For reasons that pass understanding, Porter took it upon himself to insure that everyone had a fresh beer. He kept pulling them out of the cooler and handing them out to anyone with an empty hand. I was very proud. My friend Geoofrey Larson (who's also the owner of Alskan Brewering Co.) would have been very happy with Porter's tatse in beer, too.



Many things that Pinky valued during her lifetime were collected to scatter along with her ashes. Apparently she love a good hot toddy made with Bacardi Gold. It looks like Alice may have inherited that trait, as well.



The collected items included lifesavers, sheet music to her favorite song (cut up into small pieces), roses from her garden, seeds, her favorite scissors, scented soap, and even her appendix (which had been removed in 1935 and saved in a vial of formaldehyde) to name but a few. It was a very beautiful idea and it was hard not to think "what would people choose for me?" In my case, I'm sure potato chips, beer, and view-master reels would top the list. What about you? What would you choose for me? And what would you want for yourself? Post your comments here to answer this question.



The buoy where Pappy's ashes had been scattered and were now joined by Pinky's.



After the solemnity of the ceremony, on the ride back we tried to return to happier thoughts as Uncle Tuck attempted (in vain) to fly a kite off the boat.



The Brookstons near the end of the cruise, with the kids looking visibly tired. (That's Deception Pass again in the background on the left.)



The whole crew of family and friends of Pinky back on shore, with our boat behind us.