Storyteller

My dad was a virtuoso storyteller. He could hold a roomful of people spellbound, recounting events from his life and others’ with wit, style, and humor. Most of his stories he presented as fact and, for the ones I could personally vouch for, this was mostly true. He was not above embellishing for effect, but… Continue reading Storyteller

I Hated Walter Cronkite

My dad was always obsessed with keeping up with the news. When we returned from Thailand to the US to live in 1971, this meant that I woke up every morning hearing the news on the radio, and our dinners were accompanied by the CBS Evening News on TV, with Walter Cronkite. I was only… Continue reading I Hated Walter Cronkite

Words about Al

Ruth at Al’s Farewell 31 August, 2011 Thank you all for coming today to be with Al ….. When I was trying to plan this Farewell to Al, my brain went into overwhelm several times with the most spectacular episode occurring on Friday night – I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for his… Continue reading Words about Al

Dad’s Funeral

I didn’t take many photos – too much else to deal with. Ruth asked if I wanted to speak and I supposed I did, but wasn’t sure what I was going to say. I work best to deadlines, so I pulled a few notes together in the car on the way to the crematorium. What’s… Continue reading Dad’s Funeral

The Bamboo Casket

The Straughan family motto is Non Timeo, Sed Caveo – “I am not afraid, but I’m cautious”. So wrong for my dad. (He wasn’t afraid of much, but he certainly wasn’t cautious, either!) You might also like: Storyteller