Grave Robbers

Let me preface this post by telling you that I LOVE living by the cemetery. If I didn't have the knowledge of the Atonement and live in a place where the bulk of the people buried here have that same knowledge, I don't think I would enjoy it quite as much. But it is a truly peaceful and joyful place to be.

I love seeing families gather together and pay tribute to their loved ones. I especially love the funerals of public servants and military personnel. We have had 2 soldiers that died in Iraq buried there - one of them had a processional for over a mile up to the cemetery and hundreds of people gathered on the sidewalks and raised their hands to their hearts as his casket was driven up the street draped in the American flag. Scouts in full uniform from several stakes lined the road on both sides and held flags. It seemed like the entire city was silent - it is one of the most reverent experiences I have ever had. And when a former fire chief was buried, 2 of the fire trucks extended their ladders and came together to form an arch over the entrance of the cemetery - SO cool! Anyway, the cemetery is a beautiful place, and you really can't complain about noisy neighbors!

So, this may sound creepy but I assure you - it's not. Each Memorial Day, thousands of flowers are placed on graves by family members. A week later, the city cleans up all of the flowers and puts them in garbage bags to take to the dump. Anyone that knows about it can go there and pick up some of the bags and keep whatever is inside! I have gone over there for the past 3 years to gather mums for my yard. This year we picked up 6 huge bags and divided the booty between myself, my mom and sister, and 3 of my neighbors. It's always fun(ny) to drive through the cemetery and pick out the perfect bags. This year we got some really good things!

Here is my portion of the haul from this year's venture...



Most of the flowers in my yard have come from the cemetery, especially the mums. They come back bigger every year! Here is one of them from last year...



So if you still think it's creepy, just think of us as less "grave-robber" and more "dumpster-diver." It's better than throwing them in the garbage, right?!