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My brother David and I circa 1970 |
There have been some notable losses in the pantheon of entertaining greats recently; Betty White, Bob Saget and Dwayne Hickman. I never watched either of Bob Saget's television shows- Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos. At the time I was enmeshed with small children and didn't need more cultural fare that spoke to the perils, pleasures and inanities of family life. But Dwayne Hickman made a huge impression on this child of the 60's. When he broke the fourth wall in Dobie Gillis and spoke to the camera- in the presence of Rodin's "The Thinker", a statue I knew well- I thought the degree of sophistication unparalleled for the wink of the narrator sharing his day to day tribulations of his high school existence.
In that half hour I witnessed an alternate reality of non-conforming with the understanding that I too could go "off script" if needed. Rest in Peace Dwayne Hickman and thank you for taking us all inside Dobie's world of adolescent angst that you created with such humor and grace.
I began this personal narrative of mine a little over 11 years ago and reading back on my first years reminds me of earlier days where issues of motherhood occupied me with the daily concerns of raising three kids and keeping the whole enterprise of life rolling along. Now that my offspring are young adults themselves, I am in a different point on the continuum where my energies are best directed at obligations of work and self. Still, I reside in the house where three people were raised and two were born and so these walls team with memories of other days.
On this Thanksgiving I feel grateful for the blessing of stability and well being, loved ones, friends and the grace and good fortune of living in this beautiful part of the world. Wishing you peace, health and optimism wherever life finds you today.
When you live in a historic town, its cultural legacy is hard to avoid. This is the area where Washington Irving made his home called Sunnyside and his famous story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" takes place here. Halloween in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow is more than an evening of interesting costumes and trick or treaters gathering candy traipsing door to door by the light of carved pumpkins. It is a month long extravaganza of terror inducing hayrides, literary re-enanctments of spooky stories and the spectacles of haunted houses. Yes, it's one big commercial opportunity for local tourism which by October 31st has exhausted the interest of most everyone who lives here. So, when something at all unique is created, it is a treat for me. The members of the Hill and Dale Garden Club of Tarrytown decorated our local Historical Society this year and one of the tombstones was especially poignant and timely. A brief ode of sorts to another legend in a setting meant to inspire.
(I'm reposting this from October 30, 2011 and hope you enjoy!)
Yesterday we received word that our family dog, Comet, who lived with my former husband, passed away. In the spirit of sharing something about this singular creature I am reposting something from 2014. Comet lived for 16 years and had an amazing journey here. He will be missed by all who knew him.
