19 June 2012
We had an encounter
with Lady Justice today, and she treated us very well.
After discussing it for some 10-15 years or so, talking about
actually making an appointment for 5 years or so, talking with the kids, who
asked all the right questions and went over all the financial files with Walt, after Marta
offering to find an attorney who could help us with estate planning, we finally met with
said attorney and have put the ball in motion.
In fact, Ms. Atty assures me that our estate will be planned and
papers signed before we fly off to Prague, so if the plane goes down, the kids won't have
to deal with probate. And they will have our official permission to blow up the
house instead of cleaning it out (I don't think that is actually going to be in the estate
plan, however--but it's understood!)
The attorney was very nice, very efficient, very knowledgeable -- but
then she'd have to be. I liked her. She gave us an end of life directive form
to go over and sign, and asked a couple of questions we hadn't thought of before which we
have to think about, but basically, finally it's done.
I suspect it's very easy to make an estate plan when you don't have
scads of money and when your children all like each other and get along well together.
Somehow I can't imagine them fighting over the infamous punchbowl or my collection
of Tupperware or my box of junk jewelry. There might be some discussion over
Delicate Pooh ("you take him." "No YOU take him!" ) but in my heart of
hearts I think I love the memories of that pile of rags more than my adult children do.
It's also very easy to choose an Executor when you have a relative
(Walt's sister) who does that sort of thing for a living and who is married to an
attorney.
So that's why this can all be done so quickly and I can cross that
little thing off of my bucket list.
After our meeting we went to Great Wall Mongolina BBQ for lunch.
I love that place and my lunch
I think Walt had a nice Father's Day. Ned's sister-in-law
Lindsay and her husband Brad invited their family to come for a BBQ and included us.
Ned actually did the BBQ-ing, since he isn't a father so he got to
take care of those who were. We had a chance to compare trip stories with
Brad's parents on trips we have taken. We met them on our trip to Russia. They
were on the ship that was a couple of days ahead of us, but we were all in St. Petersburg
together and after many attempts we did manage to have lunch with them. They have
made several trips not on Viking since we last met. They aso visited China,
but not with Viking.
The center of attention yesterday was young Charlie, who I think is
in his 2's. He was asleep when we arrived and was kind of groggy when he woke up, so
I was able to get some photos of him sitting in his grandpa's lap...
Of course Walt and Marta's father had their usual after-dinner
bonding.
And when it was time to go home, Ned and Marta, who recently
purchased a little motor scooter, got dude-ed up and headed off toward home.
And Walt got two cards about sleeping on Father's Day.
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