You would think sitting still for two months in a rural area while Carl works 60+ hours hauling corn silage, alfalfa, and sugar beets during the harvest season would be a quiet venture. A time to catch up on cleaning and laundry. A time to indulge in binge-watching shows. We even had a couple of wild turkeys wandering through the yard one morning, just to keep things interesting.
Those would be mistaken thoughts, apparently!
This past week, Carl flew south for his cousin’s funeral. Bryan Catoe was like a brother to Carl and Carl’s siblings. He was often part of family gatherings, visited Carl’s brother, Stanley, and his wife, Claudia, frequently, and attended our daughter’s wedding in Cancun. The guys were all in a special group text, constantly texting about sports, family, and the stock market. So, Bryan’s passing was unexpected, rather sudden, and shocking to absorb. I’m glad Carl could fly down to be with family during this time.
Flying from Gary, Minnesota, however, means flying out of Fargo, North Dakota—the closest airport. That is an easy 70-minute drive one way. Since his first flight was at 5:00 am, we needed to leave Gary before 3:00 am so Carl could arrive at the airport on time. Seventy minutes on rural roads going 60 mph in the dark is not my idea of fun!
His flight out was Tuesday morning, and he arrived back on Thursday afternoon. It was a quick turnaround, but Carl still got quality time with family and then came back to work a shift Thursday evening, which suited him just fine.
I spent my time working on one book project, quoting on two other projects (and getting hired to do them!), finalizing an article for BookLayoutPro.com, and indulging in a little frivolous activity.
Driving to Fargo on Thursday to pick up Carl at the airport was a full afternoon of rural hustle. I first drove to Ada to drop off a UPS package. Then I drove to the Walmart in Dilworth to pick up a grocery order. Aldi was next door to Walmart, so I made a quick stop to buy their chicken salad (so good!). Then I made my way over to the airport to wait for Carl’s flight. It was supposed to arrive seven minutes early but arrived 26 minutes late!
Once we made it back to Gary, we drove directly to the farm so he could start another shift hauling corn silage. Then I drove home to unload everything before going out to dinner with my friend, Kathleen.
This is probably more than you wanted to know about our week. But Bryan’s unexpected death also brought home something that’s worth talking about: GET YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER!
Like so many families dealing with an unexpected death, Bryan’s family now has the added responsibility of sorting through finances, paperwork, and estate matters.
If you don’t have a will, living will, durable power of attorney, and health care power of attorney – get them done ASAP! If you do, review them and make sure they reflect your current situation and wishes.
Create a list of all of your financial accounts, and give a copy to someone you trust.
I created a secure spreadsheet listing our investment, retirement, checking, savings, and credit card accounts, along with a general list of monthly and yearly subscriptions and bills. Our daughters know how to access that information if they ever need it. They also have copies of our wills, living wills, and other important paperwork.
It gives us peace of mind that they can navigate things if something happens to us. And if something happens to me, they will have enough information to help Carl, since I handle most of our personal financial accounting.
I would like to establish a revocable living trust, but that is down the road when I have more time to invest in that.
Bottom line, though, is DON’T WAIT! Getting your affairs in order is one of those things that’s easy to put off, but doing it now can save your family and friends from unnecessary hassles if something happens to you unexpectedly.
Much love, and keep it riveting!
