Childhood fears - Grace

I just discovered this amazing little piece by my mother.  It certainly merits reposting here:

                                                            F E A R 

          As a kid of five, six, seven and thereabouts, I spent every waking hour negotiating a minefield of threats to life and limb.

            First terror of the day: the witch in the toilet.  Every morning she waits for her chance: once you’re seated, she could grab you – to pull you in – flush – and so long! A horrible way to go.

            Another menace: bootleggers.  What are bootleggers?  They are knee-high rubber or leather boots that walk around all by themselves.  If you don’t keep the closet shut, they will march out and come and get you.  (I knew all about them from my sister Nance, who couldn’t get to sleep at night unless Miss Venable shoved a heavy chair against the closet door.  – Incidentally, the toilet witch looked a little like Miss Venable, who was a sworn foe of constipation.)

            It goes without saying that there was Something under the bed.  Only a fool would just walk over to the bed and get in: you had to jump from a distance; otherwise the Thing would catch you by the ankle and drag you into its underworld lair.  This creature was so unspeakably horrid that it didn’t bear imagining: I couldn’t describe it – the brain shuts down and refuses to speculate about anything so ghastly.

Happy birthday, Dad

Crosby would have been 88 today.

Remarks by Leon Steinmetz

     IN MEMORY OF CROSBY -- A DEAR FRIEND

Leon Steinmetz at Crosby's 85th Birthday

When a remarkable man passes away, there is always a hole in the life of his friends, and a deep wound. In time, the pain gets numb, but the wound never heals completely.

Inga and I have known Crosby and Grace for over thirty-five years, and were fortunate enough to have them as close friends.

 It's hard to say what was most remarkable about Crosby -- his sharp, penetrating eye of a brilliant art historian, his encyclopedic knowledge of art and culture, or his deeply felt concern for others --friends and strangers. In the case of the latter, it could be a cause where he would perceive some injustice, whether in our neighborhood in Cambridge, or half a world away, and he would do all he could to make things right. And, of course, Crosby's sincere and heartfelt humbleness. He, who knew so much, always listened carefully, and  would make his most intelligent remarks in the most modest way.

He and Grace were a unique couple. We used to see them regularly, and after Grace passed away, Crosby would often come to us, and  Inga would prepare dishes that we knew he liked.

By his nature, Crosby was a reserved man, who tried not to show his emotions, but his devotion to Grace was beautiful. I remember some years after Grace died, I showed him some of my new works.As always, he was making some perceptive comments. I must  confess, he liked the works (they are now in the MFA Boston   collection), and then, suddenly, his eyes welled with tears and he   said quietly, "If only Grace could see them."

This is how I will always remember Crosby -- his eyes welled with  tears, saying quietly, "If only Grace could see them."

     Leon Steinmetz,
     Cambridge

Thanks to all who came, helped, and sent word

Yesterday's celebration of Crosby's life at the Harvard Club of Boston was a very special moment for Douglas and me.  Many thanks to the dozens of friends and family who came, to Cynthia Forbes and Mary Jane Rupert for their beautiful music, to Bill Sargent for his reading, and to the staff of the Harvard Club for all their help and hospitality.  If anyone has pictures that they would like to see posted here, please send them!

High school and after - 1943-44

Jim Drago, security guard at the PEM and a friend of my father's

Check out this wonderful profile of a sweet guy at the Peabody Essex Museum, who was a great fan of my father's--and vice-versa

Memorial Service for Crosby Forbes, 6/23/13

The memorial service for my father will take place at the Harvard Club of Boston at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2013, two days before his 88th birthday. All are welcome. More information on the Harvard Club, including directions and parking, can be found on its website here.