Category: Into The Light

Thought I would share something I think many of you will appreciate and even enjoy. Someone I know here in Indiana passed away and we had his church funeral service today. Not going to share a lot, but he was a bit of an outdoorsman, farmed (including a maple syrup grove), and was just a neat and good person. He had cancer, but kept it mostly to himself until he had to share the news. He died surrounded by family and love.

He arrived today in a simple, plain, unvarnished or painted wooden coffin via a hearse, was brought into the Church and given the funeral service he deserved. We all got to line up and say goodbye to him at the end, before the top was put back on and we sent him on his way to Missouri to be buried on Monday. We escorted him back out, where he was loaded into the back of a pick-up truck to be driven to his final resting place. So appropriate for him!

Gonna miss him, not going to lie. But I’m sitting here laughing as he’s going out to Missouri in the style he wanted. I can only imagine, but can hear him saying ‘Just throw me in the back of your truck and get me out there.’ God Bless!

Growing up in the 1960s, I — like so many American boys — recognized beauty when I saw it. Fact is, I had a bit of a crush (if not other emotions) for Goldie Hawn, Ann Margaret, and Raquel Welch. Despite growing up in an area that was about as far from a foreign film hotbed as you could get (and a mother determined to save me from the evils of rock and roll as well as godless foreign sexpots), I became aware of beauties like Diana Rigg, Claudia Cardinale, and Brigitte Bardot. The two latter turned the pout into a sexy art form.

Brigitte Bardot retired early but still managed to pop up in various places and media over the years. While I appreciated her work on behalf of animals, I also have to admit she pushed it well beyond my comfort zone on occasion. I will also admit that when I learned how she treated her pets, I was ready to volunteer as such.

Over time, I came to appreciate that she was a complex individual who battled depression and other issues; was addicted to cigarettes; and who actually had a working mind and a good heart. The latter led her overboard in some things, IMO, but it also showed that she was human. She was also bluntly honest on things, and her take on immigration, MeToo, and other issues made her an outcast from progressive circles (while delighting many others). Also, if you have not checked out her music, you should.

Please join me in saying a prayer for her soul, and in appreciating the beauty of a particular time and place. The era of the movie star is not yet dead, but it is fading fast as those who were such leave this world.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele passed into the light yesterday, apparently the result of being stabbed to death. Even more tragic, a family member appears to be the prime suspect at this time. I’m being cautious as this is LA, and the current LAPD, we are talking about and getting information from, which warrants a good deal of caution. Especially since the initial press conference wouldn’t even discuss who had been killed or how and was blindsided to find out Mayor Security Threat (not just because of her loose lips) had already blabbed details ahead of their conference.

Politically, we were worlds apart and I didn’t care for his online persona (and it was a persona). His work, however, was quite often genius and he had a special gift for making us laugh at the absurdities in life. From the extremes of A Few Good Men on one hand to The Princess Bride on the other, he handled generes and topics with a masterful touch. For The Princess Bride alone I would have been willing to put up with much more from him as it is one of my favorite movies of all time. He leaves behind an impressive and enjoyable body of work.

I invite you to join me in saying a prayer for God’s Mercy on their souls; for God’s Mercy and Illumination on their killer (son or other); and for God’s Mercy, Illumination, and Comfort to all those they leave behind.

I just found out that my Godfather and confessor, Fr. Stevan Bauman, unexpectedly fell asleep in the Lord last night. Please pray for the blessed repose of his soul; for mercy and comfort to his wife, two daughters, and their families; and, for the many, many, many people who’s lives he touched for the better.

UPDATE I: Will be offline mostly until Tuesday (at least). We are holding vigil and taking turns reading the Gospels over him in the Church until his funeral on Monday. I really need to tell his story one day soon, but it will be hard to do justice to him. He was a humble man, with a quick wit and amazing intellect, but simple is not a word I would associate with him. Which is part of why our Bishop is flying in to conduct his service. For those not Orthodox, it’s something like a Roman Catholic Cardinal flying in to do the funeral of a retired parish priest. Not the best analogy at all, but it’s the best I have right now. I will share that our Metropolitan was reported to be upset that he couldn’t come do it (he is above the Bishop).