Part of our holiday ritual is the Christmas Eve open house at the in-laws. Friends and family gather and over the years people come and go. One of the regular guests was widowed in September and was working through her first Christmas without her husband. She's back to work and some days are better than others. Her son escorted her to the party and although his mother came every year, it was his first appearance and he navigated the waters of a house full of semi strangers. When the widow … [Read more...] about Pat’s Place Christmas Eve 2011
obituaries
There is so much I want to tell you about last week
The Victorian Blood Book fascinates everyone who has ever seen it. On his deathbed in November of 1963, just as he was passing away, Brave New World novelist Aldous Huxley; a man who for many years had been fascinated with the effects of psychedelic drugs since being introduced to mescaline in 1953 - asked his wife Laura to administer him with LSD. She agreed. Ralph Morse, an ambitious photojournalist for Life magazine, covered a funeral in New Jersey on April 18, 1955. Now, 55 years … [Read more...] about There is so much I want to tell you about last week
The DJ stayed longer, and we bought extra beverages.
When the family told the funeral director they planned to hold a pig roast fundraiser to pay the bill for a loved one's funeral, he wasn't optimistic. He'd heard ideas like this before and knew the best intentions don't always lead to the bills getting paid. When the family called a few days after the memorial service, his doubts were confirmed. "We've got some good news and some bad news," the caller said. "The good news is, we had the pig roast and it was a lot of fun. The bad news … [Read more...] about The DJ stayed longer, and we bought extra beverages.
A “Jackass” Perishes
While it is often a more "respected" individual featured on this blog, this death is tragic and relevant to those of a younger generation who enjoyed many laughs at the "Jackasses" expense. In discussing this with a few of my peers this morning we came to the conclusion that what is more impressive is the fact that none of the Jackass crew has died before this. Below is more on the story from CNN. Side note: I've read approximately 5 news stories about Ryan Dunn's death this morning and the CNN … [Read more...] about A “Jackass” Perishes
Billion Dollar Baby: Elizabeth Taylor RIP
When Elizabeth Taylor died, she left a fortune estimated at 1 billion, much of it from her perfume empire. Her jewels alone are worth $150 million. Each of her four children stand to inherit $100 million. Elizabeth's wish was to be buried near her beloved Richard Burton in Switzerland, but Burton's widow has already purchased the grave site next to him. Liz decided to keep it simple and be buried near her forever young friend, Michael Jackson in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Staying true to her … [Read more...] about Billion Dollar Baby: Elizabeth Taylor RIP