Memorial Services

“Astronaut, come over to my house
I’ll pour some tea for us, one sugar or two
Your hand is right in front of me.”
Beach House

I’ve been watching the videos of Baltimore indie group Beach House on YouTube. Robert Blaszkiewicz included their “10 Mile Stereo” on his CD of favorite songs of 2010. One critic called their genre “dream pop,” and Parisian Victoria Legrand has a great sultry voice that makes one think of old memories, kind of like Owl City’s “Ocean Eyes.” Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who lies gravely wounded from a would-be assassin’s bullet, is married to astronaut Mark Kelly. In the paper was a shot of his hand clasping hers in the hospital. Mark is a veteran of three space missions, and twin brother Scott is also a NASA astronaut. President Obama spoke eloquently at a memorial service for those shot in Tuscon. On the other hand Sarah Palin delivered a pitiful rant claiming she was a victim of blood libel. Whether she knew it or not, the term dates from medieval times and refers to anti-Semites claiming Jews used the blood of Christian children in their religious rituals. One critic called her usage perverse.

Toni and I attended the viewing at Edmonds and Evans Funeral Home in Chesterton for neighbor Joe Harrison. Photos showing him at all ages as a vibrant person were on a continuous computer loop. He was in the navy during WW II. Wish I had met him before his health declined. Several condo residents were there, including Leo and his wife, but no old friends. After all he was 85 and lived other places most of his life. Probably some came later or to the Wednesday mass. The prayer card contained these words from St. Francis: “Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” Easier said than done but still a noble sentiment. Afterwards, Toni said she wanted a party if she went first, no solemnity or open casket.

My “Retirement Journal” arrived on Suzanna’s birthday. She wrote: “You have captured life in a mason jar, so to speak and I find that, like little lightning bugs, the writings light up my room with slips of wit and humor and insight and oops - I'd better skip that one. (throw that bug out). What a great project. I have worked on a similar but less far reaching project - a story of my life just for my kids and grandkids. I do have to be careful what I say about their fathers... very delicate territory there. I want it to be a positive narrative of overcoming difficulties, not a harangue, a joyful writing with hope at the end and a sense of overriding spirituality not temporal carnality.” I think my carnal references are why she wrote “oops.” My initial email to her got a “yikes” in response. She is Amish and claims she hasn’t flirted in 20 years. I asked her whether our summer romance will be in the memoir, and she indicated it will.

I interviewed Sheriff Roy Dominguez (first time in two months) about his recent trip with brother Hector to south Texas. The purpose was to reconnect with his roots and contemplate the meaning of his life as we put finishing touches on his autobiography. He suggested a possible alternative title to “Spirits from the Field” – the single word “Valor.” In Spanish it means value or worth in addition to the English connotation or courage or gallantry. The Press wants something in the subtitle to connect the book with Indiana History, so I suggested “From Tex-Mex Roots to Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff.” He was pleased with the offer from IU Press and borrowed O’Hara’s new Gary book to show his wife since his will be the same size and format except with photos. He talked about an Uncle Pablo who was a dozen years his senior and a family protector because nobody dared mess with him. A stroke eight years ago, left him seriously impaired, and Roy found it sad to see this once virile man hobbling around with a cane. Pablo’s brother Saul also looked after the Dominguez siblings, especially when their mom visited her husband in the Harbor.

The cafeteria is so crowded at noon, it being the first week of the semester, that students have taken over what usually serves as the faculty table. We are left to fend for ourselves. I found Bill Dorin by himself at a table with students. He had seen me come in and stayed around to keep me company. English professor Alan Barr had just left the chair I plopped down on. I had a sloppy Joe and applesauce plus chips and star cookies from home.

Chris Young sent me a link to his just-published article in “Federal History” on “Proclamations and Founding Father Presidents.” The journal also reprinted a speech former Senate historian Richard A. Baker delivered at the University of Maryland (both his and my alma mater) highly critical of how the upper body of Congress is constituted and operates. One might scoff at on-line journals, but they are the wave of the future and can incorporate color photos and graphs (as Chris Young’s did) easier than printed periodicals.

Ray and Trish Arredondo sent along a glowing review of “Maria’s Journey” from Forum, a genealogy magazine. Concerning the chapter introductions that I wrote to provide an historic backdrop to the narrative, reviewer Carol Becker concluded: “This feature gives excellent context and extends the value of the book beyond one family’s story, in effect making the Arredondo’s story an illustration of the history of which they were a part. Chapter 6, for example, is about the family’s move to Safe (Indiana) Harbor, where father Miguel found work at Inland Steel after trying jobs in Texas and Pennsylvania. The introductory paragraph for the chapter tells about the city, its incorporation just a few years’ prior to the Arredondo’s arrival, and the steel mill.”

Took notes as secretary at a condo board meeting held to discuss organizational considerations a week prior to the January general meeting. President Ken Carlson opened proceedings by asking rhetorically, “Who is in charge?” The answer: the board is basically the governing body of the association. Then he turned to the “Assigning of Responsibilities” and noted that the designated persons need not be board members. The others concurred. As a result, former president Jamison Menacher will oversee Lawn Service and Leo Rondo will continue to supervise General Maintenance. Craig Henderson offered to be in charge of Painting, Marcia Gaughan will continue to deal with Snow Removal issues, Bernie Holicky will take primary responsibility for Publication (a quarterly newsletter), and Ken, Bernie, and Phil Chase will share responsibility for Insurance. Regarding Communication, I as board secretary will send minutes of meetings to board members soliciting additions and corrections and then pass on the final version to court directors to disseminate any relevant information to residents. After much discussion of the spring and fall cleanup and criticism of past practices, it was decided to re-hire HORSES for the spring (subject to formal approval at next week’s meeting) but to hold off making any commitment for the Fall.

Ron Cohen showed me his new book on the letters of folk music scholar Alan Lomax. He loaned me the current issue of Mojo magazine with a young-looking Bob Dykan on the cover and an article about mutual friend Izzy Young, who as proprietor of the Folklore Center helped launch Dylan’s career. On November 4, 1961, Izzy booked Dylan into Carnegie Hall’s Chapter annex. Only 52 people came and Izzy lost about $300. He recalled a half-century later: “I wasn’t too impressed by that first concert anyway. He looked nervous the whole time, doing this Ramblin’ jack Elliott routine, jumping around the stage, shaking his boots. He practically fell off the stage! The concert wasn’t that good, but he did have some interesting songs.” In “Chronicles” Dylan describes the Folklore Center as “the citadel of American folk music” and Izzy as “an old-line folk enthusiast, very sardonic . . . and always rattled about something or other. In reality, a romantic. To him, folk music glittered like a mound of gold. It did for me, too.” While we were in Sweden, we stayed with Izzy, an old beat poet, and he wrote a haiku for Toni.

Ron gave me a copy of the January 13 issue of New York Review of Books that contained a blurb from the Norman Mailer Center about week long summer creative writing workshops at Mailer’s home in Provincetown, Massachusetts. I wrote project director Jessica Zlotnicki offering to teach a couple workshops on the topic “Keeping a Journal for Yourself and Posterity.” I sent along three Shavings magazines that include journals, including the “Ides of March” issue, my 2000 “Survival Journal,” and my “Retirement Journal.”

Spotted former IUN student Todd Deloney and Steve McShane assembling an exhibit commemorating the twentieth anniversary of a demonstration that led to the university observing Martin Luther King Day to be a holiday. At one point it started pouring but Deloney, President of the Black Student Union, remained outside getting drenched. Chancellor Peggy Elliott finally convinced him that if he came inside, she’d work to make his goal a reality. She was true to her word. Thereafter, a memorial service and meaningful tributes to King’s legacy took the place of regular classes. I called Chris Sheid in Marketing, and he came over to snap pictures and interview Deloney. When I returned from lunch, they were still deep in conversation. Steve told me later that Chris got a dream job offer in Arizona and will soon be leaving IUN. He will be missed.

Purdue Cal professor Ezekiel Flannery was at the Archives researching the history of dietary habits in the area going back to the days of Native Americans. I told him about Fred McColly’s research paper on starting an Indian vegetable garden and about Cultural Anthropology professor Michelle Stokely’s work concerning Indians in Indiana. Ezekiel lives in Miller and asked to buy my Shavings issue on Tales of lake Michigan and the Northwest Indiana Dunelands, which he came upon, I believe, at the Dunes State Park reading room. I told him it was officially out of print but found a copy for him.