Sunday, June 24, 2012
hope
Looking for hope in this unbearably painful time........And acknowledging another important day on the 27th. It won't be as bright as I would have hoped for...but, we'll do the best we can under the circumstances........
Yup....I'm turning 81!
More To Come........
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 1:45:00 AM
Thursday, June 14, 2012
farewell, dear brother
Below is what I wrote for Gordon's Memorial Celebration....Held, on Saturday, June 9th, in Connecticut......I couldn't be there because of my 'health issues'.....but, I wanted to say a few words about him---from my view---as his younger sister; his friend; and as a person who deeply deeply admired and loved him....he was a unique and special man, who happened to also be my dear brother.I so wish I could be there ‘in person’ today, to share a few thoughts and memories of my dear brother Gordon---Very often known as “Gorga” in the family. When our nephew Michael, our sister Robin’s oldest son was just starting to talk---he couldn't say Gordon and it came out as “Gorga”, and that name stuck…..I still have two messages on my Voice Mail from last week where Gordon said….”Nay-Balls”, (don’t ask), it’s your brother ‘Gorga’….He was two years older than me and he was always my protector when we were little children….I’m not sure what he was protecting me from, but, I think it was our parents….
Gordon always loved the Sea….He always had some kind of a little boat, from the time he was very very young. He actually built a little boat when he was just a boy---Popular Mechanics had directions on how to do this and the only material he had to work with was a large cardboard box. He built the boat and put it into Biscayne Bay, and of course, it sank, though not immediately----but the point is---He built it!
Jumping ahead a bit, when we were in our 20’s, I have very fond and vivid memories of going out on his then, 18 foot Runabout---We’d take off from the Marina in Port Washington and go out on Long Island Sound….Then down the East River and around the bottom of Manhattan, and then up the Hudson….The waters at the bottom of Manhattan were pretty treacherous---there were always big boats there and we had to navigate those waters in this tiny little boat, in spite of the ‘wake’ of those big boats---it could be very scary….Sometimes we called Gordon ‘Captain Queeg’---he could get very bossy when there was some imminent danger---but it was always out of concern for his passengers….
Gordon loved music and could play just about any instrument you might name—he loved playing the piano all of his life, and continued playing almost until the day he died. When we were in Junior High and High School, he played the Trumpet in Orchestra and in The Band….He could make an instrument out of just about anything, too---just like he built that Cardboard Boat….He was so very very smart---Genius level smart!
When we were kids, he made up two words…..One was, ‘Golivashay’---this was a language that he invented---it was mostly gibberish but he called it, ‘Golivashay’…..The other wonderful word he made up was ‘Moloquium’…’Moloquium’ was an elixir that he would put into small bottles that supposedly could clean the rust off of your Bicycle and possibly your insides, too…….As a kid, Gordon was always inventing things and building things---and that continued for all of his life….
I’m sure other people will talk about his amazing accomplishments in his chosen profession, and they were many. And they may talk about the deep and long friendships and relationships he maintained throughout his whole life---and they were many, as well—but to me, the most amazing accomplishment of Gordon’s whole life, was surviving the wrath of our father. That Gordon not only survived that----and it was a ferocious wrath where Gordon was concerned---he actually flourished, in spite of it, which is a testament to how strong Gordon truly was.
In these last seven weeks of his life---he showed such strength in facing the reality of this terrible illness that overtook him like an avalanche. He didn’t like it one bit---who would? But he faced it and the decisions he made were beyond brave, in my view.
I always knew that Gordon loved me---always. And I hope he always knew that I loved him too…..Through good times and bad times---the love was always there…and it is what makes his death so hard----I will miss that love, more than I can say.
I will miss you dear sweet brother---I already do---I will miss our long wonderful phone conversations about so many things---conversations that were always rich in content and often quite hilarious, too…..
Dear Dear Gordon---you enriched my life in so many ways---you saved me from God knows what real and imagined terrors, as a child and as a young adult, too---you were always loving and caring and supportive.….Rest In Peace, my sweet brother…..You fought so hard throughout your life, now you deserve to have a truly wonderful pain-free Peaceful Rest. And as you would always say, dear “Gorga”, I say to you now: “Bless”.
More To Come..........
Note: To all of you who have visited and left me messages; your incredible loving support during this very hard time in my life means everything to me, and I thank you, thank you, thank you, with all of my heart.......
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 12:58:00 AM
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
my dear brother 1929 - 2012
My dear sweet brother Gordon, died early this morning, (June 6th), after being diagnosed with cancer, less than seven (7) weeks ago. It seems almost incomprehensible that he had no symptoms, and that it was because of a very serious infection in his leg and blood stream, that the cancer was discovered---It turned out that the cancer was in four of his vital organs--his Liver, his Pancreas and his Peritoneum. A few weeks later they found that there was cancer in his Lungs, as well, and this early morning....he is gone. My heart is broken....I will write more, when I can. Gordon would have turned 83 years old on September 20th, 2012....Below, here he is with his loving wife Michele..........
Sometimes, life is just not fair at all.More To Come........
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 10:00:00 PM
Saturday, June 02, 2012
san francisco 1973 - 2
So, back to my Art Opening in San Francisco in 1973. After the opening, many of the L.A. friends came to this Dinner Party I gave as my way of thanking them for being there. You may remember, I mentioned that I had a dinner party for all those stalwarts who had made the trip to San Francisco for the whole weekend, just because of my Art Opening....
Here above, is a picture of Betty, sitting in the Lobby of The Raphael Hotel, where we all stayed--I'm pretty sure Larry took this picture....They went on an outing around San Francisco on one of the days and Betty gave me a set of those pictures, along with the others they took at the Opening, and at the Dinner.......
They were on some kind of Boat, which looked like it was great fun.....I think I was hanging my show the day they had this particular outing....And here below, one more picture of Betty---I'm not sure where this was, but it was part of another of their sight-seeing days, too.....
Then....here below, are Betty & Larry at the Dinner that I gave, after the actual Opening.....it was a lot of fun!
Don't they look wonderful? Such a dear dear couple....And such good friends, too.....This was at the Italian Restaurant that Carole Cook and Tom Troupe suggested for this special dinner---the restaurant had a "private" room we could have, and....It was Perfect!!!
These snapshots are not very good, but to me, they are really precious....So many good friends all 'breaking bread' together---it was a very happy day and evening......Betty took the top picture and I believe Larry took the bottom one......
That painting behind me was kind of hilarious to all of us---we certainly had some good laughs about it. That's my good friend Gladys Vaughan next to me---she was such a terrific person; So very talented. She was a Theatre Director and a Painter, too...We met in Primal Therapy and became very good friends......And below....
Betty on the other side of me, and that is the back of Carole Cook's head on the right and I think that is Johnny Fiedler, next to her....And below....Another 'group' picture....
Over on the right that is Dennis Dugan and next to him his bride, my dear friend Joyce Van Patten---then John Conwell and his lovely wife Maxine, and Tom Troupe, next to her.....And over on the left, there is dear dear Kim Hamilton---you all know her from 'The Ladies Who Lunch' afternoons that I have had over the last five or six years....I think Larry took this picture because he was sitting next to Kim.....
And here above is another picture of Betty & Larry and you can see Kim right there next to Larry.....We all had such a great time. Lots of laughs and as I recall, the food was really really good, too......And here below.....
On the left, John Conwell, and standing behind him Carole Cook, and seated next to John Conwell are Joyce Van Patten & Dennis Dugan.....And another snapshot below.....
In the center in Gold....Lisabeth Hush, and next to her Joe Chowning, the Gallery owner and his wife.....And I believe that is the back of Gary Belkin's head----I met Gary in 1952.....He was a wonderful writer....He is gone now......You can really see that painting better in this photo---I'm not sure what all those ladies were doing besides dancing naked, but we had a lot of good laughs about them, too.....And one last snapshot, below.....
We started out with Bill and Anne Wood, and here they are, once again.....Bill has always been a big supporter of my work and he too is a very old friend......So there you have it. San Francisco, 1973. And to finish off this post, a not very good photo of one of the paintings in that show at The Zara Gallery...The colors are off, I'm afraid, but still, it gives you some kind of general idea......
Below, a smaller version of the same painting where the colors are somewhat truer....
More To Come........
| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 12:06:00 AM
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