Monthly Archives: June 2011

Good Words About Good Deeds

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Frank Murphy

“Would you like to say a few words about Grandma?” The request came in an email from my uncle. I’ve attended dozens of funerals in my life but this was the first time I was asked to eulogize the deceased. … Continue reading →

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Nursing Home Movies

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Grandma was having a good day the last time I saw her alive. Her loved ones are gathering today and tomorrow for her funeral. We are blessed that she lived to be 98. A month ago, my family and I … Continue reading →

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Receive Her Soul

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz is likely to say two things when he and I see each other at various Catholic functions. He’ll mention that he occasionally sees my blog posts about Catholicism and he’ll ask about my mother and my grandmother. … Continue reading →

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Tiles Per Hour

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Grandma loved to play “tiles.” The game is officially known as Rummikub, which we pronounced “rummy cube.” Every household in the family had a Deluxe Edition of the game in case Grandma came to visit. I am sharing memories of … Continue reading →

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How About a Nice Hand

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Frank Murphy

One of my favorite stories about my grandmother happened when nine members of our extended family took a trip to the Hawaiian island of Molokai in 1995. Grandma died yesterday at age 98. In her honor, I am sharing a … Continue reading →

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A Death in the Family

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Frank Murphy

It’s unusual for someone my age to have a living grandparent. I know that I was blessed to have so much time with my grandmother. She passed away today at age 98. Grandma was always supportive of my interests. She … Continue reading →

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Just One More Thing…

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Peter Falk died Thursday night. The actor who played Lt. Columbo also had a passion for painting, which is how I ended up in his driveway with Mark & Brian. The guys liked getting out in the Mark & Brian … Continue reading →

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Oak, Ridge Vent

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Frank Murphy

One would hope that a milestone birthday is memorable. I am unlikely to forget my big 5-0. On Tuesday night, I was emceeing the weekly Einstein Simplified show at Side Splitters Comedy Club. The lights began to flicker and the … Continue reading →

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Paleolithic

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Frank Murphy

George Clooney, Michael J. Fox, Eddie Murphy. Did I mention George Clooney? These young stars of Hollywood are all older than me. IMDB has 3,182 listings of people born in 1961. Wikipedia has 6,630 listings. NMDB has a pretty good … Continue reading →

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The Frog Whisperer

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Frank Murphy

A storm early Sunday morning resulted in twelve frogs in the skimmer. This time I was happy that nine survived. With frogs on my hands and arms, my wife thought I looked like a statue of St. Francis. My son … Continue reading →

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Trending Topic

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Except for a rain delay, my Father’s Day played out as I had hoped. I went for a swim and enjoyed smoked chicken and grilled peaches for dinner, which I anticipated in a guest post about Father’s Day for Food … Continue reading →

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Let the Spectacle Astound You

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Competitive ballroom dancing is a sport in which the participants strive to look as good when they finish as they did when they started. The dancers retain their poise and grace while trying to hide their sweat and exhaustion. Professional … Continue reading →

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The Band Perry Joined

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Frank Murphy

If you will be in the DC area next weekend, try to go see The Next Big Thing. They have a gig on Saturday, June 25 at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia. It’s a benefit for the American Cancer Society. … Continue reading →

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Boom Goes the Dynamite

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Frank Murphy

Helen Taylor from East Tennessee Cremation Company sent me a Facebook message. She wouldn’t be able to attend the “Fun with Forensics: Adventures in Chemistry” summer camp run by Dr. Al Hazari. Instead, she and her daughter recorded a video … Continue reading →

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