The Graveyard Rabbit of the Quad Cities (IL/IA)

I just read an excellent article on grieving via Yahoo's Shine section. The examples it uses are celebrities, but there stories are no less touching than those of the average Jane's. Definitely worth a read.

It's been more than 11 years since my grandfather died, and I still feel the heart-stinging grief occasionally. I miss him greatly and wish he'd had the chance to meet my husband and especially our daughter. He would have been over the moon about her. It amazes me that the two people in my life who mean so much to me--my husband and daughter--never knew my Grandpa. He played such an important role in my life growing up; it just doesn't make sense on that inside level of me.

Wishing you love and joy,
Minda

'The way we grieve now' http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/the-way-we-grieve-now-2389801/

Green-Wood Cemetery - Artists of Permanent Residence - Sept. 17-19

Green-Wood Cemetery

Subject: Artists in Permanent Residence @ Green-Wood 9/17-9/19/10

We have just added a spectacular new gallery exhibit, Artists of Permanent Residence, featuring select works of over 300 artists who call Green-Wood their final resting place.

This is a FREE sneak peek into the art collection of The Green-Wood Historic Fund and is up for a very limited engagement:

Friday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010––9 AM-7PM
at The Historic Chapel @ Green-Wood (500 25th St @ 5th Ave. in Brooklyn, NY) For more information and directions, visit http://www.facebook.com/l/28534hd8L9e3hqHT9e0GNIC6D3A;greenwoodcemetery.org

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Upcoming cemetery-related events

You won't want to miss these upcoming events! And, if you go, e-mail your experience to me for posting on my blog!

• The 2010 Gravediggers' Ball - Oct. 15, Philadelphia, Pa. http://thelaurelhillcemetery.org/

• Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, New York - fall walking tours and photography workshops. http://sleepyhollowcemetery.org/news-events/

• Historic Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia
     - Sunday in the Park, Oct. 3, noon to 6 p.m.
     - Halloween Tour, Oct. 22, 23, 24
     - Run Like Hell 5K (Heck for the kids) benefit run for the cemetery, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. - http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/run.html

• 11th annual Dia de Los Muertos - Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, Calif. - Oct. 30, 2 p.m. to midnight http://www.ladayofthedead.com/

• 2010 Day of the Dead calendar - http://diadelosmuertos.us/article/2010-day-of-the-dead-calendar

More events will be posted as I find them, receive them, etc.!

Wishing you joy,
Minda

Friday, August 27, 2010

Sharon Creech is my new hero

This post is not necessarily cemetery-related, but, then again, just about everything is death-related if you think about it. So it is related in a way.

I'm a big fan of books on CD. I'm also a big fan of books in general, and you will rarely find me without one. But books on CD (now that I have my own car again--hubby and I shared one while he was unemployed) are wonderful things I enjoy immensely while in my car. Recent favorites include "Curse Workers: The White Cat" by Holly Black and "The Opposite of Invisible" by Liz Gallagher.

But my most favorite and treasured one is the one I just finished yesterday: "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech. It is glorious and delicious.

My current favorite books to listen to (and read) are from the young adult section. Just because they are written for younger people doesn't mean they lack in quality. In fact, I think that they can have more depth and insight to them than the average book written for an adult. Teens and younger people are constantly trying to figure themselves out. They know they are always in flux--that they are changing as much as the world around them. And they are working their way through it. There's a lot of introspection going on.

We adults are more concerned with the day-to-day drudgery than a kid. How am I going to pay the bills? When am I going to get a job? What are we going to do when the baby comes? What groceries do I need to buy? Are we out of toilet paper? Did I leave the stove on?

Kids, though, are thinking: Does he like me? Why did my best friend stop talking to me? Am I too ugly? Am I smart? Am I stupid? Will I get asked to the dance? Will she notice me? Does anybody notice me?

Yes, adults think of some of these things, too. But think back to when you were a kid. These things weighed on your mind like crazy. It wasn't about taking care of everyone else or providing for them (though there are kids who have those worries piled on them, too: Will mom ever get better? What if I have to choose between my parents? What will happen to me?).

This is one of the reasons why I like youth lit. Another is because there are a lot of cool ghost stories. Youth lit is all about the "what if" world. What if ghosts DO exist? What if vampires exist ... and I go to school with one and fall in love with one? What if I find out I'm a wizard?

Oh, joy and rapture! How fantastic is that!

I have read a lot of different genres of books. I dig non-fiction because I'm a life-learner. I dig Stephen King because he's my hero from way back. I like some chick lit ("Bridget Jones' Diary") and even some mysteries. Even some police detective mysteries, though I do veer away generally from descriptions like "a serial killer is on the loose, and Detective Holly Winters may be next on the list." I also stay away from descriptions including the word "grisly." I can handle some graphic stuff if it works with the story, but seriously. Grisly?

So the next time you're at the library or your favorite bookstore, check out the young adult section. Really give the covers a look. You'll probably find something great. Then go to the "C" section and pick up Creech's "Walk Two Moons." You won't regret it.

Huzza! Huzza!

Wishing you inspiration and love,

Minda

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Kelton Family to be Recognized at Green Lawn

Kelton Family to be Recognized at Green Lawn

(Press release from Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio)

The Kelton family, whose home on East Town Street is a local tourist
attraction, will be featured at the Sept. 4 First Saturday at Green Lawn
program.

Georgeanne Reuter, director of the Kelton House, will present a slide
lecture on the Kelton House Museum & Garden and talk about the Kelton
family that is buried at Green Lawn. The family home in the East Town
Street Historic District has been restored and is maintained by the
Junior League of Columbus.

The program, free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. in the
Huntington Chapel in the middle of Green Lawn, 1000 Greenlawn Ave

Reuter’s presentation will trace the home’s history through the eyes of
three generations who lived there, including the vision of Grace Kelton,
the last Kelton in residence, who left her home to the Columbus
Foundation with instructions to find an organization that would restore
the home to its 1850s appearance and create a museum of local history and
the decorative arts.

The slide show will feature in-process photographs of the Museum’s
restoration and the efforts of early volunteers to create a museum.
Attendees will see photographs of the Museum’s carriage house before it
was restored and the garden before its major revitalization. They will
also see photographs of the restored interiors, selected from authentic
styles of the mid-19th century and other components of the Museum’s
collection.

The presentation will also include discussions of the Museum’s
educational offerings: tours, lectures, holiday presentations, and the
programs offered by the Museum’s Underground Railroad Learning Station.

First Saturday at Green Lawn is a presentation of the Green Lawn
Volunteers and recognizes people buried at the state’s second-largest
cemetery for their role in local history.

The Keltons are among the 150,000 people buried at Green Lawn since it
was established Aug. 2, 1848. The cemetery covers 360 acres, 80 of which
are undeveloped.

For further information on the cemetery, visit www.greenlawncolumbus.org
or call the office at614-444-1123. Information about the Green Lawn
Volunteers can also be found on the Web page, by calling 614-266-5218 or
by e-mailing sandlot17@juno.com.

Green Lawn Cemetery
1000 Greenlawn Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43223

www.greenlawncolumbus.org

Linda Burkey, General Manager
614-444-1123

Sandi Latimer, Volunteer Coordinator
614-878-4214 (home)
614-255-4218 (cell)