Fond memories of one of my 'other moms'!

 

Mrs. Barbara--- OR-- as I always knew her-- 'Dolly', some time in the late 80s. She was one of several special 'mom-type' figures in the Loydster's life!

As sometimes happens here at the 'ol bloggy-thingy-thang, I'm taking a detour off of the geeky-nerd-related subject matter for a bit. This time, just to share some thoughts on someone who-- for a good CHUNK of my life--- was a pretty important person. In fact, almost like another mom!

Mrs. Barbara, who... well into my (so called!) adult life, I ALWAYS knew as 'Dolly'--- actually passed away back on October 20th. Though I'd known for a while that she'd been having a rough time with numerous physical ailments and problems, her passing STILL caught me a bit by surprise! I suppose that's why it's taken me all the way 'til now--- a couple months-plus after-the-fact-- to get around to doing a post, just honoring her memory!

Dolly was one of those special folks, that don't come along very often in life! I've been BLESSED to have a few of them though! The ones I refer to as my 'other moms'! 

Growing up as a 'preacher's kid'... one who moved around quite a bit, who's circle of friends was pretty TINY anyway--- my 'other moms' were a special group of ladies to me! I had a couple of aunts--- my aunt Louise, my aunt Holly in particular-- who were also in that small, but VERY treasured group! 

Then there was Dolly! Much like my own mom, she had a sense of humor that was almost contagious! I can STILL hear that laugh of hers in my memory! In fact, in a LOT of the memories I have of her-- especially those from when I was a wee-little-Loydster and my teens--- are of her laughing, or cutting-up somehow!

She also, especially when I entered my late teens and young adulthood, was somebody I could ALWAYS count on for support and encouragement! Heck, she even let me stay with her and her family for a few weeks, during one of the times that I struggled to get out on my own, before I ended up joining the Air Force! She was one EXTRA-special 'other mom' indeed! 

Just when did this SPECIAL lady enter my life, you ask? Well, she was a dear friend of my parents, going ALL the way back to around 1970! SO-- at the time their friendship was forming....well---here's a pic of ME, around that time-frame!---

So.... you get the idea! our families were around each other for a good CHUNK of my childhood-up-to-young adulthood! In fact, she even sang at my wife and I's wedding! (And MAN-o-MAN! Could that lady BELT-OUT a song! She was also a KILLER piano-player!) 

Back to that sense of humor of hers, for a moment! Sometime in my late teens, before the start of a church service---if my memory's right--- she handed me a little slip of paper. On it, was a written-out 'play-on-words / letters' joke-- that shows just the way her of sense of humor worked!! She called it the 'Hillbilly Duck-Hunters'!---

I wrote this out from memory-- so it may not be EXACTLY as she shared it with me-- but you get the idea of this lady's humor from it, I'm sure!

The OTHER special thing I gained from my long-time relationship with this one-of-a-kind lady, is my (nearly LIFE-LONG) friendship with her sons, Tim and Jeff Arnold! If her and my parents had never crossed paths---- well, I wouldn't have SO many fond memories and things to look back and just laugh out loud about! Like THIS, for example!!---

Tim, Jeff, and OF COURSE-- the Loydster, being SHAMELESSLY GOOFY--circa 1987! The matching 'Mickey-sweat-shirts' were a Christmas-gift from their mom-- Mrs. Dolly!

The bittersweet note to all of this is, sadly--- I'd fell out of touch with Dolly over 30 years ago! I sure wish now, that we'd kept in touch! Another kind-of strange coincidence? When she passed away, she was the SAME age as my own mom, who passed away 6 years ago this November just past!---(72)!

But, that's NOT what I want to dwell on here! I choose to look back on the happiness and the JOY that this lady, this 'other mom' ---brought into my life-- for oh so MANY years! ALL of my thoughts and prayers go out, of course-- to those 'other brothers' I gained through knowing her--  Tim and Jeff! 

God bless the memory of 'Dolly'! Rest well, 'other-mom'-of-mine! You will ALWAYS be loved, your memory ALWAYS treasured!

A little additional note:  Through some of my family, I've learned my old buddy, Tim-- (who I've also not had any contact with in a number of years! You're STILL often in my thoughts though, my friend!) posted a nice slide-show / tribute to his mom on Facebook, back in early December! 

Since my post is a little light on any kind of photos of her (OR of her with my parents and family, for that matter! It took some HEAVY-DUTY effort, just to dig-up the ONE pic I have of her, up at the top of this post!---Sadly, that's what happens when you're out of touch with somebody-- for DECADES!), that would be the place to go visit, if you are on Facebook and want to see--- not ONLY more photos, but-- a nice, sweet, and yes--HEARTFELT tribute to this TRULY special and unique lady! He's the 'Tim Arnold' who lives in Washington State, by the way!

 See you NEXT TIME, gang-- with a RETURN to my usual GEEKINESS & shameless NERDOM!