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I am in St. Paul this weekend to spend time with my dad and help him celebrate his birthday. He turns 82 tomorrow. I love being here but it is also a very emotional experience. Today, my sister came over and we had lunch with my dad. Then, she and I did the rounds of the cemeteries. I haven't ever visited my mother's grave before. She is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery which is rows upon orderly rows of simple white headstones. It is aesthetically satisfying and mentally sobering at the same time. My mother has a nice view. Her final resting place is on top of a hill that looks, at this point, over open cemetery land. I can't say it was very satisfying to visit my mother's grave but I am glad I went. We also checked on my grandparents' graves. My mom's parents also reside at Fort Snelling. Ann and Eugene are in a more cramped area of the cemetery but they are under a tree. Granted, at this time of the year, the tree is bare. They seemed to be doing well in their spot by the tree. They are a quiet couple. 

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