Every single living thing on this planet will one day die, including us. Most people don't want to even think about their own demise, and therefore don't make any arrangements beforehand. This was the situation myself along with my 3 sisters were in in 2010 when our mom died. Losing your mom sucks like nothing else.
The only thing we knew for sure was that she wanted to be buried. When our dad died in 2001, he wanted to be cremated, so we did want he wanted and then dumped his ass into the Skagit river. Good riddance.
Since she wanted a burial, that meant that all 4 of us had to make all the arrangements, including whether or not there'd be a public viewing(she/we were catholic), picking out the casket, or even if she was going to be embalmed or not. We also had to go to one of the local cemeteries and pick out where she'd be buried.
While we were at the cemetery, I asked the funeral director a couple of questions about whether or not you had to buy the casket from them. He told me that in our state(Washington) you could be buried in anything from a cardboard box to a wicker basket(which they sold of course). When I asked him if I could build my own coffin to get planted in, he said it wouldn't be a problem. So I decided to build my own, which I did in the summer of 2018. It's in my storage space, along with all of my Halloween stuff.
When we found an acceptable burial spot, I also asked him if the space next to our mom was available, which it was. So I was able to reserve the spot where my family will plant me ahead of time. I don't want my family to go through something like we did, because it really sucked.
Has anyone else made arrangements for your own death yet? Have you decided whether you'd like to be buried or cremated, and why(not)? My wife wants to be cremated, which is her decision, not mine. I'm getting planted in my own "rot box". If I bite the dust first, I'll be buried alongside my mom. But if by some chance she goes first, her ashes will be buried with me.
So which is it, get reduced to a small pile of ash and bone, or rot 6 feet underground?

I strongly considered cremation, but now I'm leaning towards burial in an orchard and having a tree planted to suck up my tasty manure as I rot. It's a lot more environmentally friendly. But then I realized that the world doesn't really need another crab apple tree, so I'm still thinking about it.

Still debating between cremation or donating whatever is left to one of the body farms.

Dad was cremated as he wished and one or another of us have scattered his ashes in various places...the farm where he grew up, the golf course he loved, and off the coast of the Outer Banks. His final wish is for the rest of his ashes to spread over mom's grave when she dies. That is NOT a loving gesture but a burning FU. I will be happy to be the one to do that.

My third wife wanted cremation. I bought a clamshell-looking thing to put her ashes in. It was treated paper and supposed to float for at least three days. From St. Louis that might be enough to get her to the Gulf. Didn't check.

For me, meh, I won't argue with whomever has to deal with my toasted remains.

If I could be buried without being pickled and stuffed into a nonbiodegradable box, I'd love to be planted next to a young tree or under a nice flower gtarden.

That not really being legal here, I'm settling on cremation and spreading over Hill Country., or put 'em in the Pedernales and let me go to the ocean.

(August 6, 2023 at 5:35 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: If I could be buried without being pickled and stuffed into a nonbiodegradable box, I'd love to be planted next to a young tree or under a nice flower gtarden.

That not really being legal here, I'm settling on cremation and spreading over Hill Country., or put 'em in the Pedernales and let me go to the ocean.

Nobody going to have their head frozen?

I see no need to kill trees to make a coffin nor release hefty amount of green house gas just to convert most of myself into water vapor and more green house gas.

I am not oppose to being composted.   it seems to be an economical form of post mortimer carbon sequestration.

(August 6, 2023 at 6:27 pm)Angrboda Wrote: Nobody going to have their head frozen?

seems rather pathetically desperate attempt at avoidance.

I'm going with a gender reveal sort of plan.

I'm going to be stuffed with low level explosives, confetti, and a special plaque confirming my demise.