Cats, Clutter & Coming Home
A post-Egypt blur of book culling, cemetery podcasts, and death-positive planning—with a dash of eyeliner.
📸 A Pyramid, A Cat, and the Perfect Photo
That photo above is my favorite from our recent visit to Egypt—not just because it captures the Great Pyramids at dusk, but because of the cat. Cats are everywhere in Egypt. While most are strays, they’re surprisingly friendly and seem well-fed, clearly at ease among humans.
Felines have been a vital part of Egyptian life for thousands of years. In fact, the word “copycat” partly stems from how ancient Egyptians mimicked cats’ naturally dark eyeliner, using kohl to rim their own eyes. So yes—this photo captures history, mystery, and one very confident kitty.
🗳️ Quick Poll: How Often Do You Want Emails From Me?
Before we dig in, I’d love your input:
👉 Do you want to be notified every time I post (usually once or twice a week)?
👉 Or would you rather just get these twice-monthly roundups?
🧭 Here’s What’s in This Issue:
Back in Texas (featuring book piles and thunderstorms)
Why I finally organized my cemetery books
Cemetery podcast recommendation & sweet shout-out from Loren Rhoads
A thoughtful $1 guide for your final wishes
Join me for a once-in-a-lifetime cemetery tour of Italy!
Substack newsletter spotlight: The Silent Sod
📦 Feels Like a New House
Our home always feels a bit surreal after a long trip—familiar, but also a little foreign. This time, that sensation was dialed up: while we were off adventuring, our dear friends Raymond and Jessie repainted the entire downstairs!
To do that, they had to box up everything on our shelves: books, knickknacks, oddities—you name it. So, returning home this time felt less like unpacking from a trip and more like moving into a new house.
I’ve spent the past week offline, knee-deep in boxes, sorting through years of memories and tchotchkes. It’s been chaotic—but also cathartic.
📚 The Satisfying Part?
All that upheaval came with a silver lining: I finally gathered my cemetery books, brochures, DVDs, and other history research into one glorious, dedicated bookshelf. It feels amazing—like a personal archive of the afterlife, finally in order.
And yes, I’m dying (ha!) to dive back into those books. Everything’s so easy to find now!
🌧️ A Dreamy, Stormy Return
Even the weather has leaned into my nesting vibe. North Texas greeted us with gray skies and rumbling storms—perfect for staying in, cuddling the cat, and getting cozy. These past few days have blurred together in the best way.
Tomorrow we’ll take a carload of books to Half Price Books, the final step in this unexpected fresh start. Of course, I’ll probably come home with a few new reads… but at least now I’ve made space for them.
🕸️ Meanwhile, in Procrastination Land...
Sure, I still need to:
Deal with my hijacked website (sigh)
Write my next American Cemetery article
Finish writing not one, but two books
Answer emails, DMs, texts, voicemails (basically acknowledge the outside world!)
Blah, blah, yabbity, blah…
But honestly? It’s fun just being home. Playing with my books, birdwatching, snuggling Miss Otis, and binging paranormal podcasts? That’s my kind of decompression.
🎧 Cemetery Podcast Love & A Shout-Out from Loren Rhoads
Speaking of podcasts—I’ve been catching up on one of my favorites: The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery. Naturally, I had to start with the episode featuring Loren Rhoads, since earlier this year we spent a wonderful afternoon together exploring Cypress Lawn in Colma.
And guess what? Loren gave me a very kind shout-out! I was so touched. (You’ll hear more about that day in next month’s American Cemetery & Cremation, where I share the full story of our time together.)
Here’s the link if you’d like to listen or watch:
🔗 Episode 223 – For the Love of the Cemetery: A Chat with Author Loren Rhoads
Sometimes I chuckle that so much of my social life and dearest friendships stem from visiting graveyards around the world. Is it funny—or simply fitting?
💼 Planning Ahead: My Final Wishes & Affairs
I wanted to share a helpful tool I discovered through Cat Griffin’s $1 Pick & Mix sale:
🗂️ My Final Wishes & Affairs: A Complete Guide For My Loved Ones
It’s a downloadable PDF that helps you clearly document your wishes, passwords, accounts, and more—so your loved ones don’t have to be detectives when the time comes. (It’s just $1 for a couple more days, and still a great deal at $9.)
Even though I spend so much time in cemeteries, I still squirm thinking about my own death. But I’ve seen how much easier it is for families when everything is spelled out in advance—versus vague notes on a yellow legal pad (which is what my dad left us.)
🛒 Check it out here: My Final Wishes & Affairs guidebook
📰 Substack Spotlight: The Silent Sod
Now that you know my favorite podcast, here’s one of my favorite Substack newsletters:
🌿 The Silent Sod by Sarah Zureick-Brown
Sarah describes it like this:
“A newsletter about history, memory, and meaning. While our physical time on earth is limited to a century or so, our memory can live on much longer if it’s maintained by the living. The Silent Sod examines this tension using historical examples and personal reflections. More questions will be asked than answered.”
Sarah’s writing it thoughtful, poetic, and if you like what I share, then I bet it’s right up your alley.
🇮🇹 Join Me in Italy This Fall!
Have you ever dreamed of exploring Italian cemeteries with someone who can decode all that mysterious symbolism?
I’m thrilled to be the symbolism guide for a cemetery-themed tour based in Rome this fall! We’ll explore Etruscan tombs, ancient catacombs, and stunning monumental cemeteries rich in art and history.
🕯️ The tour begins on October 31st (yes, Halloween!) and is led by the brilliant Lisa Statkus. Space is limited, and I’d love to see a few of you there.
🗺️ Click here for tour details and how to join us: In Search of Immortality: Italy’s Monumental Cemeteries and More with Symbologist Tui Snider
💬 Until Next Time…
Thanks for reading and spending a little time with me here. I so appreciate this community and the conversations that bloom here.
Drop me a line—I love hearing from you.
📚 🪦 💀 Tui
Thanks, Tui, for illuminating what the cat knows seven times. Such mystery is buried in what we assume to be out last 'bus stop.' I'm reminded of that remarkable book "Lincoln in the Bardo."