Category Archives: Memories

Remembering George Brett

Death, Memories, People, , ,

When I was in graduate school at the George Washington University I joined an online group called Brainstorms (which has nothing to do with GWU). Because there were a fair number of Brainstorms members from the DC area, we decided, in 1999, to have a get together.  Dean and I hired a babysitter and drove to Adam’s house in Falls Church. There were probably 6 or 7 Brainstorms members there and a few spouses. A few things I remember from that night:

  • Chicken sausages could taste really good
  • Falls Church is cool at night
  • George Brett was a great listener
  • Lemony Snickett books could save my kids
Meeting George
George is on the right (photo borrowed from Glen — who is on the far left). This is the night I met George.

On our walk around Falls Church, George asked me about my degree program and what I wanted to do with my upcoming degree in educational technology leadership. I told him that I really wanted to help create online learning environments that involved virtual chatrooms — online spaces where students could interact with subject matter experts. For instance, if someone were learning about Shakespeare, they’d “talk” to an avatar that looked like “the Bard” in an environment that simulated England of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. George didn’t laugh at my dream. He thought it was a great idea and offered ideas.

George, Rupert, GeoDuckie and the POTUS
George, Rupert, GeoDuckie and the POTUS

I saw George a number of times after that, at various Brainstorms functions. The last time I saw George was in 2009 at our Inaugural Ball (where he wore a kilt and his signature bow tie). We interacted online a lot, though. First on Brainstorms, then on Facebook. Several years ago when I asked for suggestions for places to go for a romantic weekend, George emailed me and invited us to stay at his lovely cabin in Wintergreen, VA. We had a wonderful time.

Once, on Facebook, I asked my FB friends to recommend pillows. Shortly after I pressed “enter” the phone rang. It was George telling me that he and Sally were on their way back from Bed, Bath and Beyond where he found the perfect pillows — Laura Ashley. He knew they were perfect because he tried them out, right on the floor of Bed, Bath and Beyond.

The last time I spoke to George, he and Sally were celebrating their wedding anniversary in Florida. He called me, asking if it was me who needed a job reference or something. Typical George — he didn’t want to leave it until he returned to Virginia and took time out of his anniversary vacation to ask. I’d not asked him, but was grateful that he was calling to make sure. I assume he went through his address book until he found the right person.

George died earlier this month — in fact, the same day Sandy died. His memorial service will take place in about three hours. I’ll be headed back to Falls Church — not to meet George or visit with him in his apartment, but to say farewell to him. To be in a church where people from many areas of his life will be gathered to say goodbye to a remarkable man.

George was a thoughtful, kind, gentle man. In all the time I knew him — online and off — he never, to my knowledge, uttered (or wrote) an unkind word about anyone. He left us far too soon. The world is a better place because he was in it, but his passing has left a void in the lives of everyone that knew him.

A Tale of Two Owls

Memories

Owl #1

One warm July night twenty-three years ago my husband woke me from a deep sleep telling me I had to get out of bed and walk up the street with him. It was almost midnight. He’d gone for a late-night walk, probably contemplating the enormous change that was going to happen within a few weeks when he would become a father. I told him I didn’t want to go for a walk. I was tired. I just wanted to sleep. He insisted I get up and go with him and said I’d be glad he woke me up but I had to hurry.

So I dragged my heavily pregnant body out of the comfort of my bed, put on a pair of shoes and followed him out the door and up the street. We walked about half a block when he turned into a driveway. I said he was crazy — we didn’t know these people and now we were going to trespass on their property? He didn’t listen and walked further up the driveway.  Then he stopped and pointed. I looked in the direction of where he was pointing and didn’t see anything at first, but then I saw what he was pointing at. It was an owl sitting on a fence post.

I’d only ever seen one or two owls in my lifetime before this one and was indeed glad he woke me up to see the owl. We continued staring at it, wondering why it was in this neighbor’s yard. Then I understood. It was a plastic owl nailed to a fence post to keep other birds away.

I could have thanked my husband and gone back to bed, but I was 8 and a half months’ pregnant and he’d just awoken me from one of my last full-nights’ sleep in who knew how long so I could look at a plastic owl in a stranger’s back yard at 11:30 at night. No, I didn’t thank him, I told him it was a plastic owl and I was going back to bed.

Owl #2

plastic owl from the window

About a year ago I walked into our bathroom and looked out the window that faces our back yard. Our back yard sees lots of bird-life and I see a fair number of birds while doing my business in the bathroom. This day I was surprised and excited to see an owl sitting on the back-door neighbors’ house. I squinted at the owl for a while then ran to get my binoculars. Yeah, it was an owl all right. It was a plastic owl they’d attached to the glass roof over the door of their office probably to keep birds from pooping on the roof.

A plastic owl

Of course this owl reminded me of the owl from the summer our daughter was born. But you know something? Every single time for months when I’d look out the bathroom window my heart did a little flip-flop thinking it was an owl. Then I’d remember the other owl and smile. Lately I no longer think it is a real owl, but I still smile at how happy my husband was the night he thought he found me an owl.

Puzzle from Cindy/Cynthia

Memories, , , ,

My friend Cindy (now Cynthia) knew I liked Rupert Bear and when she was travelling in England the year she and her folks lived in Spain she sent me a Rupert Bear puzzle and orange chocolate bar (possibly with Rupert on it) for my high school graduation. Cynthia graduated from high school a year early so she could go to Spain when her father took a year-long sabbatical from teaching. She wrote a colorful, slightly silly, slightly inspirational note on the back of the puzzle box.

June 29, 1975

Dona,

Happy Happy Graduation!!

This isn’t much, but the thought behind it is!! I hope you have a super summer. And a good Fall & winter too! (why did I write that?? I’ll be talking with you before then!) Anyway, I’ll be thinking about you, struggling away on this 800 piece puzzle with sticky, orange chocolaty fingers.

Just keep a stiff upper lip & you’ll make all life’s ups and downs pass like porridge!

Love,
Cindy

I’m not sure I have ever put the puzzle together, but I kept it nearly 40(!) years.

We lost touch for a while, but have reconnected on Facebook. She lives only a few hours from me and one of these days I hope to jump in the car and visit her. Maybe I will bring the puzzle and we can put it together. Together.