Eulogy
I went to bed very early last night, the strain of the week, the job and especially the day's news were all factors. I got to work on Friday just before 9:00 AM, from a pocket I heard my phone ringing as I was taking off my winter weather barriers. The ring was in a tone reserved just for my parents and daughter.
With one arm out of a coat sleeve I took a call from my folks, my father was on the other end, "I have some bad news about your Aunt," he started and my mind immediately jumped to my Aunt Jo who has been ill and is over 80. So when he continued with, "Carolyn died this morning," I was unprepared for that statement. It was too unbelievable to be a shock moment, I still was processing the Jo thought so I only said, "What?" He repeated the news. He told me of some of the specifics. He told me Erika, her daughter, my cousin, was holding her hand as she passed. That the night before, Erika tried to cheer up her mom and Carol said don't joke Erika pray for me instead. I can hear that statement in her voice in my head as clear as a bell, that was Carolyn.
Carolyn was born on September 11th 1949, the youngest of the several children of Lloyd and Violet Martin, 10 years younger than her nearest sibling, my mother Madge.
I remember her room at my grandparents house in Marion. I remember the beads and bright decorations, the Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy posters, the Partridge family album and record player. I remember Carolyn as a teenager, as an older playmate and as a babysitter. Carolyn was less than eleven years older than me. Carolyn used to come and stay with us occasionally when we were in grade school and my parents were both working, she was our house and baby sitter. I remember cousin Cathy staying for a day or two as well and we all walked to the IGA in tiny Swayzee to get candy and treats, and Carolyn bought with her baby sitting money.
Both of her parents were gone before she was much more than twenty. After her parents passed she moved around between her older siblings Mona and Jim's places and took odd jobs and managed to care for herself.
At around her 25th or 26th year Carolyn met a man named John Vaughn, a man with a checkered past, and questionable moral fiber, a man who had spent a bit of time incarcerated. Carolyn , a woman of deep religious faith and belief, saw John as a man repented, as a man changed and in the true spirit of her Christian faith as a man redeemed.
John proposed, she fell in love and they married and moved to Delphi Indiana. John was driving delivery trucks for a seed company, making stops at grain elevators and farms and they head a nice little place in an old house near downtown Delphi. I spent a week there on summer break just after my 16th birthday.
Within a year Carolyn was pregnant and John was gone. Carolyn was back in Marion and on public assistance, and soon her daughter Erika was born. I don't believe Erika would have benefited from having her father around and he never attempted to see his child or supported either of them with any support or childcare money, John's absence may have been a blessing, and Erika was definitely a gift and blessing to Carolyn who, through struggle and hard times raised her daughter in a house full of love.
The last few years Carolyn has been living in Arkansas near her niece Cathy's family and her sister Mona and her family. I have missed seeing all of them, and watching Erika's children growing up. I still remember all the Thanksgiving dinners and the Christmas gift exchanges, and will miss them. I will miss the humor and caring, I will miss, teasing and sharing, I will miss the affectionate hugs. I will miss my Aunt Carolyn very much.
Chuck Pace ©2009
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With one arm out of a coat sleeve I took a call from my folks, my father was on the other end, "I have some bad news about your Aunt," he started and my mind immediately jumped to my Aunt Jo who has been ill and is over 80. So when he continued with, "Carolyn died this morning," I was unprepared for that statement. It was too unbelievable to be a shock moment, I still was processing the Jo thought so I only said, "What?" He repeated the news. He told me of some of the specifics. He told me Erika, her daughter, my cousin, was holding her hand as she passed. That the night before, Erika tried to cheer up her mom and Carol said don't joke Erika pray for me instead. I can hear that statement in her voice in my head as clear as a bell, that was Carolyn.
Carolyn was born on September 11th 1949, the youngest of the several children of Lloyd and Violet Martin, 10 years younger than her nearest sibling, my mother Madge.
I remember her room at my grandparents house in Marion. I remember the beads and bright decorations, the Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy posters, the Partridge family album and record player. I remember Carolyn as a teenager, as an older playmate and as a babysitter. Carolyn was less than eleven years older than me. Carolyn used to come and stay with us occasionally when we were in grade school and my parents were both working, she was our house and baby sitter. I remember cousin Cathy staying for a day or two as well and we all walked to the IGA in tiny Swayzee to get candy and treats, and Carolyn bought with her baby sitting money.
Both of her parents were gone before she was much more than twenty. After her parents passed she moved around between her older siblings Mona and Jim's places and took odd jobs and managed to care for herself.
At around her 25th or 26th year Carolyn met a man named John Vaughn, a man with a checkered past, and questionable moral fiber, a man who had spent a bit of time incarcerated. Carolyn , a woman of deep religious faith and belief, saw John as a man repented, as a man changed and in the true spirit of her Christian faith as a man redeemed.
John proposed, she fell in love and they married and moved to Delphi Indiana. John was driving delivery trucks for a seed company, making stops at grain elevators and farms and they head a nice little place in an old house near downtown Delphi. I spent a week there on summer break just after my 16th birthday.
Within a year Carolyn was pregnant and John was gone. Carolyn was back in Marion and on public assistance, and soon her daughter Erika was born. I don't believe Erika would have benefited from having her father around and he never attempted to see his child or supported either of them with any support or childcare money, John's absence may have been a blessing, and Erika was definitely a gift and blessing to Carolyn who, through struggle and hard times raised her daughter in a house full of love.
The last few years Carolyn has been living in Arkansas near her niece Cathy's family and her sister Mona and her family. I have missed seeing all of them, and watching Erika's children growing up. I still remember all the Thanksgiving dinners and the Christmas gift exchanges, and will miss them. I will miss the humor and caring, I will miss, teasing and sharing, I will miss the affectionate hugs. I will miss my Aunt Carolyn very much.
Chuck Pace ©2009
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Two for One, One for sure.
Records continue to fall at the feet of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. As Peyton was wrapping up a 12th straight win this season, he and the Colts were also tying the Patriots 2006-2007 record of 21 straight regular season wins.
Meanwhile elsewhere in the NFL those very same Patriots were falling to the Dolphins in Miami by 1 point in a crucial AFC-East match-up. Making their records New England 7-5 and Miami 6-6. The Jets are also 6-6and still in the hunt in the AFC-East. Interesting side note: This is the 3rd game the Patriots have lost this season after having a lead of at least 10 points.
As I type these notes the Saints are trying to stay in the rarified air of undefeated bliss, with :18 seconds remaining in regulation in Washington the score is all knotted up at 30. Television coverage leaves and I have to go online to follow. Brees completes a pass and gets a first-down. Waiting for the painfully slow updates; the clock stands at :02 3rd down in Redskin territory at the 40, awaiting an impossibly long field goal kick attempt. The 58 yard attempt is short, and we're looking at overtime. I am one of 81,050 fans watching on-line as the quarter ends and overtime rules will be observed. Sudden death! 1st team to score wins. Brees and the Saints have first possession but fail to score, now the Skins are driving, but moving the ball poorly starting from their own 18 they reach their 39 with 3rd and 1. Great, the last play I described is under review...
The irony here would be a quarter played with neither team scoring and the Saints would still be technically undefeated, but Ties are extremely rare in the NFL.
O.K. back to the Colts while I wait for some news, Peyton Manning is the only quarterback to pass for 25 or more touchdowns in 12 consecutive years. What, you want more? The Colts are the only team in NFL history to win 11 or more games in 7 consecutive seasons. Coach Caldwell is the only coach in NFL history to win 12 games in a Rookie Coaching season, and obviously the only one to win his FIRST 12. Since the Colts never trailed in this game their NFL record 5 straight 4th quarter comeback wins ends today, and a lot of fans were able to breathe easier today.
Back to the tension in Washington, not that tension, the other tension. Washington coughs up the pigskin and the Saints recover; as I type the Saints are ready to go marching into the history books beside the Indianapolis Colts. First down at the Skins 14 with a full set of downs. Tick, tick... Now the Saints are on the Washington 6 with another set of downs and a possible but improbable 9:29 remaining in the OT period. Another play challenged and upheld, ball on Redskin 1, it's been 29 minutes since I started this blog, and the Saints finally kick the winning Field Goal. Two teams are still perfect 12-0 and the Saints clinch the NFC South title.
Chuck Pace ©2009
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Meanwhile elsewhere in the NFL those very same Patriots were falling to the Dolphins in Miami by 1 point in a crucial AFC-East match-up. Making their records New England 7-5 and Miami 6-6. The Jets are also 6-6and still in the hunt in the AFC-East. Interesting side note: This is the 3rd game the Patriots have lost this season after having a lead of at least 10 points.
As I type these notes the Saints are trying to stay in the rarified air of undefeated bliss, with :18 seconds remaining in regulation in Washington the score is all knotted up at 30. Television coverage leaves and I have to go online to follow. Brees completes a pass and gets a first-down. Waiting for the painfully slow updates; the clock stands at :02 3rd down in Redskin territory at the 40, awaiting an impossibly long field goal kick attempt. The 58 yard attempt is short, and we're looking at overtime. I am one of 81,050 fans watching on-line as the quarter ends and overtime rules will be observed. Sudden death! 1st team to score wins. Brees and the Saints have first possession but fail to score, now the Skins are driving, but moving the ball poorly starting from their own 18 they reach their 39 with 3rd and 1. Great, the last play I described is under review...
The irony here would be a quarter played with neither team scoring and the Saints would still be technically undefeated, but Ties are extremely rare in the NFL.
Chuck Pace ©2009
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Go For it Bill
Last night on a national stage Tom Brady, Bill Belichik and the Patriots were challenged by the NFC's undefeated team, The New Orleans Saints.
The defense of the Saints had Tommy Boy confused and flustered for nearly the entire game. I say 'nearly' not because The Brilliant Bill Belichik figured out the schemes and mastered the Saints, but because Bill pulled his starters with over 4 minutes left in the game. The Pats quit. They conceded defeat and they took their toys and sat them on the bench. They couldn't recognize the Saints schemes or out wit their pass coverage with their premier receivers, so in came the towel.
Then to New Orleans credit the Saints went into a clock controlling ground game. If the tables had been turned the Pats would have gone on a scoring feeding frenzy, like their march through their 16-0 season where Bill kept Tommy in long after opponents were toast. Kept his starters in against unprepared or undermanned teams week after week with the intent to humble and humiliate.
It was nice to see Billy and the Pats humbled by the better team, and the undefeated team...AGAIN.
The message Belichik was sending during that (nearly) super season has returned in it's bottle. Like some groundhog's day scenario I hope Bill just keeps re-opening it again and again.
Be mad at the league and its teams because you were caught cheating. Get caught placing spies and recording equipment in other camps and practice facilities to get their plays, and just being a general nuisance and a giant ass. Teach them all a lesson afterwards with your defensive weapons and the Golden Prima Donna Tommy Boy and his elegant arm and stomp your opponents into submission without mercy, compassion or pity (long after they are beaten and conceded) and it will be remembered. It is remembered.
It's 4th and 2, there's the bottle and cork. Go for it Bill. Go for it!
Congrats to the Saints for playing a good game and staying undefeated after 11 games.
Maybe my 11-0 Colts will see you in the Big Game!
Chuck Pace ©2009
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The defense of the Saints had Tommy Boy confused and flustered for nearly the entire game. I say 'nearly' not because The Brilliant Bill Belichik figured out the schemes and mastered the Saints, but because Bill pulled his starters with over 4 minutes left in the game. The Pats quit. They conceded defeat and they took their toys and sat them on the bench. They couldn't recognize the Saints schemes or out wit their pass coverage with their premier receivers, so in came the towel.
Then to New Orleans credit the Saints went into a clock controlling ground game. If the tables had been turned the Pats would have gone on a scoring feeding frenzy, like their march through their 16-0 season where Bill kept Tommy in long after opponents were toast. Kept his starters in against unprepared or undermanned teams week after week with the intent to humble and humiliate.
It was nice to see Billy and the Pats humbled by the better team, and the undefeated team...AGAIN.
The message Belichik was sending during that (nearly) super season has returned in it's bottle. Like some groundhog's day scenario I hope Bill just keeps re-opening it again and again.
It's 4th and 2, there's the bottle and cork. Go for it Bill. Go for it!
Congrats to the Saints for playing a good game and staying undefeated after 11 games.
Maybe my 11-0 Colts will see you in the Big Game!
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