February 2019

Page A16 FEBRUARY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Funeral Directors Research,Inc. AMRA INSTRUMENT, LLC 623 N. Tower (P.O. Box 359) Centralia, WA 98531 “the shorter the supply line the better off you are” WEB DIRECT GIFT & PRICING TM ® www.amrainstruments.com www.preproomdirect.com Jennifer Cox Horak, Trish Comer and Peggy Langenwalter Me? A widow? Now what? Wonder Widows, Three Grieving Widows Coming Togeth- er to Empower Women to Break the Silence of Widowhood  is a book that offers comfort, understanding, and inclusion to women who are suddenly in a new role and wondering about the feelings and difficulties that come with it. It is an insightful and helpful resource for the widow and for people wanting to offer her help and support. All too often, the woman who finds herself without her partner feels overwhelmed, overlooked, misunderstood, and isolated. On the other hand, well-intentioned family and friends feel awkward and helpless in their attempts to offer meaningful support. The Wonder Widows who wrote this book are Trish Comer, Peggy Langenwalter and Jennifer Cox Horak. Each was widowed without much warning and although the circumstances and situations differ, they found that coming together helped them navigate the strange new world of widowhood. They gathered at Peggy’s round ta- ble and realized they could be together and say anything or say nothing, but they were no longer alone. Women are adept at supporting each other through ca- maraderie, by offering a safe environment, a community, in which to acknowl- edge and express their fears, needs, and desires. In this book the authors share topics candid- ly discussed around Peggy’s table as they supported each other month after month. Wonder Wid- ows offers the be- reaved, as well as her supportive family and friends, a seat at the table where she may observe and lis- ten as Trish, Peggy, and Jennifer share, cry, and even laugh about their expe- riences. She may choose to follow the prompts found in the book as a guide through some of the topics discussed as she sorts her way through her own story. The authors recognize the importance of honoring the grief process and that there is no quick fix or cure for the pain that comes with the new role of being a widow. They also recognize that no two grief journeys or timelines are alike. Through their shared discussions, they are confi- dent that their experiences and the tips at the end of the book will offer ideas that can help make this journey to a By Matt Black Embalming Tips & Tools Post Embalming Treatment of the Hands (Part 3) Discoloration of the hands is a common problem that presents numerous challenges to embalmers at ev- ery skill level. Just as there are many challenges there are many options for successful treatment. Before deciding on a treatment plan, we must under- stand the severity of the discoloration and the steps we are going to use. We might need to use several differ- ent approaches to cover a discoloration. A basic concept that harkens back to one’s mortu- ary school days or beyond and can ease the difficul- cosmetic application we do not want a caked-on look even when using a high coverage opaque application. Once the undercoat spray is applied on the discol- oration, and prior to drying, stipple the undercoat cosmetic into the pores. Unfortunately, this might cause a more translucent coverage over a severe dis- coloration. A second coverage application might be needed to cover a severe discoloration. We will follow the same techniques to stipple the cosmetics into the pores, to achieve a more natural appearance. Caking issues are the result of using too much cos- metic as foundation for coverage over any discolor- ation. Using thin layers of cosmetics and applying additional layers to achieve coverage will help to al- leviate the caking effect. Blending the undercoat cos- metics with other cosmetics can help achieve a more natural appearance. In are next article we will be discussing different approaches to cosmetic applications over discolorations. Orange/peach will cancel out blue shades; red will can- cel out green (red dye for jaundice); yellow will cancel out violet/purple. A mechanical color wheel can be purchased and lami- nated for protection in the prep room. There are practical examples of using this type of tech- nique for covering discoloration on the hands or other locations. If a discoloration is a purple color (violet) we look at the color wheel. Directly across from violet on the wheel is yellow. We will use a yellow cosmetic to color correct the discoloration, for example, Kalochrome No 13 Yellow. Apply a thin, smooth coat of cosmetic, using a liquid spreading brush, onto the discoloration and al- low the area to dry. It’s always advised to use thin layers on these bruises using the color correction method. This can then be powdered, and a sealing setting spray can be applied. Another unique effect I have witnessed over the years is using a mint Perma Powder for the lips. A seasoned em- balmer was the first to show me this tip and I was totally surprised! Another popular technique is using an undercoat spray cosmetic to cover a discoloration. Let’s not forget this is an opaque cosmetic coverage. By using this technique, we can use the undercoat spray as a base and then other mortuary cosmetics can be used to match the natural skin tones. As we are all aware, cosmetic applications work best when the cosmetic is stippled into the pores. With any Matt Black has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. He represents The Dodge Company in Central and Western Pennsylvania. In addi- tion to being a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortu- ary Science, Matt also holds degrees in Bio-Medical Engineering Technology and Industrial Management. Matt has also attended the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills, Springfield, MO, and is licensed in eye and corneal enucleation. He has presented at Dodge Embalming Seminars as well as numer- ous local seminars in Pennsylvania. He can be reached by email at mblack@Dodgeco.com. www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs ty of treating problem- atic discoloration is the use of com- p l e m e n t a - ry color ap- plication. While ex- c e ed i ng - ly help- ful this concept is rarely spo- ken of. This concept is somewhat easy. Think of the col- or that you want to correct and then look directly across the color wheel and choose a cosmetic that will mimic that complementary color. Continued on Page A22 Send Us Your News! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 Email info@nomispublications.com FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS