Thursday, July 29, 2010

Rosalie never refused a motorcycle ride

She drove her Plymouth to Vermont and made it halfway up Blush Hill before she had to be pulled out of the snow by Russ Lowe's horses.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A quadriplegic, alcoholic cartoonist

“This is John, I’m a little too depressed to take your call today,” the message on his answering machine said. “Please leave your message at the gunshot.”

Monday, July 26, 2010

Don't make a habit of the rhyming obit


HAGGERTY, Constance Eloine
December 5, 1934 - July 14, 2010
On the 5th of December in the year '34
Sprouted a girl all would grow to adore
Sown by Eloine and Peter, that is a fact
The second seedling in the pony pack
Rooted in New York, then transplanted West in '52
Santa Barbara became home for the Sozzi crew
Lambert Road was the location of her new digs
Assisting her father cutting back twigs
Spring came to Connie in '55
She married Hugh James and they did thrive
A fourth child was coming when tragedy struck
It was a dark time, she was down on her luck
A second bloom came in the form of Cowboy John
He rescued that garden, brought forth a new dawn
With twinkling blue eyes and his Irish charm
He nurtured the garden and kept it from harm
Great were her cuttings, she did think
Eight in all - 5 blue, 3 pink
Botanical names: Patrick, Jeffrey, Shawna, Hugh
Erin, John, Ian and Brigid, too
She poured her heart into this bouquet
Letting each flower grow in its own way
Embracing each stem's unique scent and color
An all-weather, dirt-digging, damn good mother
Camping with her bushel of kids was the best
Be it Mono, Clear Lake or her own Hawk Nest!
She delighted in her family, the fauna and flora
Especially on her excursions to Bora Bora
Harvest time came every week
All types of treasures she did seek
On Friday acorns were gathered to pay
For all the bargains found on Garage Sale Day
More accurate than Farmer's Almanac
She kept the weather gods in check
A rain gauge placed on the porch was a must
As rainfall was tracked from dawn to dusk
Like any gardener she was not fond
Of finding a gopher mound on her lawn
Traps scented with Chanel #5 she did set
Did she get that darn gopher? You can bet!
Her final transplant to Heaven was one of grace
She is sure to make it a more beautiful place
Heaven is awesome:
There Constance Eloine will forever blossom

Friday, July 23, 2010

Okay, I completely know her now. You?

Carolyn seemed tireless. She was always the first person up and the last one to go to bed. Her frequent overnight guests would wake to find her ironing, watering her flowers, or happily doing some other household chore. Throughout the day, she was in constant motion and her frequent laughter filled the air. At night, when everyone else was ready to sleep, Carolyn was still going, putting away things and "just straightening up." She would stop just long enough to give a hug and say, "Sleep well, dear. See you in the morning!" It was one of her many gifts to make each person feel that he or she was the most special and loved person in the world.

Monday, July 19, 2010

"Determined detachment," what a life ...

Anton Rosenberg, a storied sometime artist and occasional musician who embodied the Greenwich Village hipster ideal of 1950's cool to such a laid-back degree and with such determined detachment that he never amounted to much of anything, died on Feb. 14 at a hospital near his home in Woodstock, N.Y.

H/T to Dan Kolber, BU CLA '75, and a fellow blogger at www.DowJonesMonitor.com.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Awww, a mama's boy ...

Walter enjoyed his birds and gardens, but mostly enjoyed betting on sports games with his mother over the phone.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

July 6 should be a national holiday in her honor

Dr. Boulding said one of her most important tasks was challenging people in workshops held across the country to envision a world in which quarrels are settled without threats or weapons.

"We cannot achieve what we cannot imagine," she wrote.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

"Always game for a good time"

She was a refined lady, whose gracious manner sometimes belied an adventurous woman, with a quick wit and lively sense of humor, who was always game for a good time.

Sally Olmstead had an interesting life.

Friday, July 2, 2010

We should all go so well ..

William, Prince of Wales
1997-2010
William, Prince of Wales “Bill” died Friday afternoon at Starch Pet Hospital after a brief illness. There will be a special spot for him to mark in Dog Heaven where he joins his niece Ashley who died earlier in the week.
Bill was born March 3, 1997 to Tuff’s Dolly Rose and Foxworth Zodiac’s Mocha Chip at the Denning Family Farms in Houghton, Iowa. He was adopted at the age of 5 months by Jake Norman and his parents.
Billy lived for nearly 12 years on Polk Boulevard in Des Moines. He covered an estimated 7,000 miles in that neighborhood where he walked every day. He made friends with countless walkers and runners who greeted him by name. He moved to Windsor Heights last year and loved to lie in the yard and watch people and cars.
Bill was beloved by all who knew him. He had a brief career as the Company All-Around Stress Reducer at Microware Systems, Inc. where he was nominated for Hero of the Month. He worked in a similar capacity at N’Site Solutions and did occasional stints as a therapy dog at the Des Moines Public Library where he was sometimes sneaked in after hours. He enjoyed retrieving his “man” and making it squeak, lying on his back and waving his front paws, and barking at dogs on television.
Bill is survived by his human family, Sally, Jim, Jake, and Hannah, his dog niece Claire, special friend Saara Khounlo, and an extended group of family and friends who loved him dearly.