Category Archives: Family

Backdoor note

March 19, 2024Family, Memories, PeopleJeremy, mom, notesDona

My mom and I had a difficult relationship when I was in high school and sometimes (often) we would have arguments over things she said and I misunderstood (sometimes purposely) or didn’t want to hear. One way for her to apologize without actually apologizing in person was to tape a typewritten note on the back door so I would see it before I walked inside. Once, after explaining to me what I might expect at my doctor’s appointment the next day (she thought I’d get a pelvic exam and I was horrified and lashed out) she typed an apology that she should not have told me in such detail — and also that the doctor’s appointment had been postponed. (In reality the appointment was simply a wellness check — no stirrups involved.)

Another time Mom taped a note to the back door was after I’d been through a very sad few days, having been told by my English boyfriend that he would not be able to come to the States that summer. She’d gotten the mail that afternoon and a letter from Jeremy had arrived. He’d written on the back of the envelope “GOLDEN NEWS INCLOSED! Coming in on a wing and a prayer.” Mom knew I would be happy so she typed it up and taped it to the back door.

In Which Jeremy Paints the Garage Doors

March 4, 2024Family, Friends, Memories, Placeselgin, elgin courier news, hazelhurst, JeremyDona

In 1977, shortly before he was to head back to England, my then boyfriend Jeremy, painted a North Woods scene on our garage doors in Elgin. It was his interpretation of the scene out the window of our vacation home in Hazelhurst, Wisconsin. The local paper even picked it up and for weeks people would slowly drive by the house to get a peek at the garage doors.

I’m not entirely sure the house was even built when Jeremy painted the garage doors — this might have been how he imaged it would look from inside the house. A fun follow-up is that Jeremy recently recreated the garage door images on a much smaller scale as a gift for my brother who now lives in the house. He even included portraits of our Mom and Dad on each door. I’m grateful we still have a connection with Jeremy. The paintings he made are priceless.

The article below, is not completely true. Jeremy did have a place in mind when he painted the image. It’s definately the view from the property.

The article from the August 18, 1977 Elgin Daily Courier News

An actual sunset from the property — photo credit Kevin Patrick

It’s hard to see the bunny in the lower left corner on any of the photos of the complete door, but when Mom eventually had the doors painted over (we neglected to put any kind of weatherproofing on the painting) she left the bunny. Here it is with a real live bunny and a detail from the painting Jeremy made for Kevin.

Here are the paintings Jeremy created for Kevin.

That time Mom, Dad, and the Pasholks were on a nude beach

January 13, 2024Familycruise, mexico, momDona

I’ve finally gotten back to going through stuff in the attic. Today I looked at a small book of photos that came from Mom’s house.

This contained mostly photos of women at a beach wearing nothing above the waist, and sometimes nothing below it either. There were a few of Jack and Joan and a couple of Mom. There were none of Dad — so either he was taking the photos or didn’t leave the ship.

They went on a cruise in January 1993. They were on the cruise when Andrew was born, that’s how I know the month and year. That was the cruise that pushed Dad over the edge of alcoholism. He was never the same after that.

Mom told me a story about a woman selling her some clothes that Mom didn’t really want to buy. Apparently the woman was really pushy. I think some of these photos show her. I don’t think this is what she bought though.