In Memoriam


Went to a memorial "celebration" on Sunday. Mother of dear friend Dan (who I've known for 30 years by virtue of the fortunate fact that he is one of Ellen's oldest and dearest friends) died recently and family and friends gathered together to share, reminisce and pay tribute.  Three generations were represented in an afternoon filled with profoundly eloquent expressions of love, meaning and memory. I only met Dan's mother a few times, and only briefly, but it was instantly apparent to me that she was a wonderful and remarkable woman. And Sunday confirmed my intuition as I heard one friend and family member after another recall in vivid detail the courageous and soulful journey that was her life. From a childhood in Italy through many years of struggle during the war, taking refuge from the Nazis in a convent, protecting and sheltering others, clandestinely working for the resistance and ultimately surviving to come to America to start a new life in an entirely new world. I know the afternoon meant a great deal to all who knew her well and loved her--and I am grateful to them for an afternoon in which they also gave me the gift of getting to know her as well. Such memorials are wonderful things.


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Levon Helm. 


Someone said he was the only drummer who could make you cry. He was all heart and soul and never played or sang a note that wasn't filled to overflowing with both. A friend of mine played with him at one of his Midnight Ramble shows in Woodstock last year and said it was the highlight of his musical life. His book "This Wheel's on Fire" is a great read if you're a Band fan. He was the restless son of poor Arkansas cotton farmers and found joy in music at a very young age --then hopped on the mystery train of rhythm and blues and kept on riding it to the end. Rest in Peace.

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Will came home Friday.  We fed him a mountain of Chinese Food and breathed a few sighs of relief as he showed signs of returning to full strength.   Hoping he finds some comic uses of this latest adventure cause otherwise it's yet just another reason to stick to atheism.