That evening, when I drove her back to her home in the Santa Monica hills, she asked me to come into her home to talk, as we hadn't had much private time to talk at the concert. I went into her kitchen where she immediately brought me out a plate of brownies that she had made earlier that day and went into her refrigerator and brought out a pitcher of milk and offered me some brownies and an glass of ice cold milk. As I was drinking it, I suddenly felt very surreal! I told Barbara how strange this felt and she seriously didn't seem to understand what was so special about this. "You have got to be kidding!!", I said. "Do you have ANY IDEA the thousands of dollars that 'yuppies' around the world would pay to have this ‘once-in-a-lifetime, everyone's dream, experience' of eating brownies, made by 'Mrs. Cleaver', and drinking ice cold milk in her kitchen!?" She seemed genuinely surprised by my reaction, which only made me feel even more "guilty" as I realized that she thought of me more as a friend, and not simply one of her "Baby Boomer fans". Well, I couldn't help it! I was living a childhood dream. I quickly got over my feeling of awe and we had a very nice long conversation.
About 10 years ago, Barbara was hoping to join a number of other celebrities who were planning to come to Catalina to help raise money for the Museum Society. However, she had other commitments, but she wanted to donate "something" for the silent auction that most of the celebrities were providing. She told me that she had "no idea" of what to provide, but I told her that I had the perfect "Mrs. Cleaver" item. I suggested that she make up a batch of her "famous brownies"! She said, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!" I told her that I was perfectly serious and that I had another idea. "Do you have an apron that you can spare?" "Sure", she said, looking at me with very skeptical eyes. I suggested that she get the apron and along the top border write, "Now all you need are the pearls!" and sign it…June Cleaver…
Now she KNEW that I had lost my mind, but had to admit that she couldn't think of anything else. I was planning to come back in a few days, on Friday, to pick up the brownies for the Saturday auction. When I knocked on the door, knowing that I had to rush to catch the next boat over to Catalina, she handed me the tray of brownies, covered in aluminum foil, and informed me that there were 48 brownies there. I told her that that was "great", but why tell me how many? "Because I expect 48 brownies to make it to the Island for the auction, that's why!" Although she said it as she would have to make sure that "The Beaver" didn't get his suit dirty before going to the friend's birthday party, she still had a slight twinkle in her eye, so…I didn't take it all that seriously.
When I arrived on the Island, Stacey Otte, the Museum Director met me and, I assumed that she intended to pick me up and drive me and brownies to the museum. "Take the aluminum foil off of the top of the brownies and give them to me.", she said", in an unusually direct tone of voice. I asked her why, and she said that Barbara had called soon after I left her home and told Stacey to make sure that there were still 48 brownies, in case I had been tempted on the boat trip back over to Catalina. "Oh come on now", I said, "you know that you can trust me!!!" "Barbara gave me strict orders to count the brownies and that is what I plan on doing!" Count them she did and then she rushed them back to the Museum, leaving me to walk back to the house! "Mrs. Cleaver's
Brownies" had made it to the auction and, as I had predicted, had provided a pretty sizable donation to the Museum!
A few years ago, Barbara planned to come back to the Island as part of the Museum celebrating "Hollywood Mothers". We had planned on having June Lockhart ("Lassie" and "Lost In Space"), Marion Ross ("Happy Days") (I will share my stories about Marion Ross in a later blog), Beverly Garland ("My Three Sons"), Florence Henderson ("The Brady Bunch"), and Shirley Jones ("The Partridge Family").
Unfortunately, Barbara broke one of the vertebrae in her back, while doing some floor exercises, to strengthen her bones, and that was pretty much the beginning of her down slide to the end of her life. We did do a telephone hook-up over the sound system in the Casino Ballroom so that everyone could hear her voice and tell her how much she was missed. Only June, Marion, and Beverly were able to make it.
I trust that this shows some of the many sides of Barbara. I have a lot of personal stories that could also be shared, but I don't see the need to. They will have to stay in my mind and soul.
A few weeks before she died I called her and suggested we get together for lunch. Although she was bedridden by this time, she said that she would love to have lunch brought to the house and we could eat in her garden patio. She would make a special effort to get out of bed and get into her wheel chair.
She died just four days before our planned lunch!
I can’t help feeling a bit guilty for having put off making the time to see her until it was too late, but at least we got to talk over the phone and I am glad that she had been thinking about our getting together one more time.
This only brings to mind the thought that too many of us have put off seeing old friends and relatives for too long, sometimes until it is too late. Take this chance to tell those around us how much they are loved and appreciated! I would hope that all of us, whenever we feel the desire to visit, phone, write, or simply pray for someone who means something to us, do so before it is too late. A lot of people care about us and want to hear from us and, who knows if this might be our final chance to visit!
She died on October 16, 2010, at the age of 94 (she would have been 95 on December 22).
"GOOD BYE, BARBARA, SEE YOU SOON!!!!!"
About 10 years ago, Barbara was hoping to join a number of other celebrities who were planning to come to Catalina to help raise money for the Museum Society. However, she had other commitments, but she wanted to donate "something" for the silent auction that most of the celebrities were providing. She told me that she had "no idea" of what to provide, but I told her that I had the perfect "Mrs. Cleaver" item. I suggested that she make up a batch of her "famous brownies"! She said, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!" I told her that I was perfectly serious and that I had another idea. "Do you have an apron that you can spare?" "Sure", she said, looking at me with very skeptical eyes. I suggested that she get the apron and along the top border write, "Now all you need are the pearls!" and sign it…June Cleaver…
Now she KNEW that I had lost my mind, but had to admit that she couldn't think of anything else. I was planning to come back in a few days, on Friday, to pick up the brownies for the Saturday auction. When I knocked on the door, knowing that I had to rush to catch the next boat over to Catalina, she handed me the tray of brownies, covered in aluminum foil, and informed me that there were 48 brownies there. I told her that that was "great", but why tell me how many? "Because I expect 48 brownies to make it to the Island for the auction, that's why!" Although she said it as she would have to make sure that "The Beaver" didn't get his suit dirty before going to the friend's birthday party, she still had a slight twinkle in her eye, so…I didn't take it all that seriously.
When I arrived on the Island, Stacey Otte, the Museum Director met me and, I assumed that she intended to pick me up and drive me and brownies to the museum. "Take the aluminum foil off of the top of the brownies and give them to me.", she said", in an unusually direct tone of voice. I asked her why, and she said that Barbara had called soon after I left her home and told Stacey to make sure that there were still 48 brownies, in case I had been tempted on the boat trip back over to Catalina. "Oh come on now", I said, "you know that you can trust me!!!" "Barbara gave me strict orders to count the brownies and that is what I plan on doing!" Count them she did and then she rushed them back to the Museum, leaving me to walk back to the house! "Mrs. Cleaver's
Brownies" had made it to the auction and, as I had predicted, had provided a pretty sizable donation to the Museum!
A few years ago, Barbara planned to come back to the Island as part of the Museum celebrating "Hollywood Mothers". We had planned on having June Lockhart ("Lassie" and "Lost In Space"), Marion Ross ("Happy Days") (I will share my stories about Marion Ross in a later blog), Beverly Garland ("My Three Sons"), Florence Henderson ("The Brady Bunch"), and Shirley Jones ("The Partridge Family").
Unfortunately, Barbara broke one of the vertebrae in her back, while doing some floor exercises, to strengthen her bones, and that was pretty much the beginning of her down slide to the end of her life. We did do a telephone hook-up over the sound system in the Casino Ballroom so that everyone could hear her voice and tell her how much she was missed. Only June, Marion, and Beverly were able to make it.
I trust that this shows some of the many sides of Barbara. I have a lot of personal stories that could also be shared, but I don't see the need to. They will have to stay in my mind and soul.
A few weeks before she died I called her and suggested we get together for lunch. Although she was bedridden by this time, she said that she would love to have lunch brought to the house and we could eat in her garden patio. She would make a special effort to get out of bed and get into her wheel chair.
She died just four days before our planned lunch!
I can’t help feeling a bit guilty for having put off making the time to see her until it was too late, but at least we got to talk over the phone and I am glad that she had been thinking about our getting together one more time.
This only brings to mind the thought that too many of us have put off seeing old friends and relatives for too long, sometimes until it is too late. Take this chance to tell those around us how much they are loved and appreciated! I would hope that all of us, whenever we feel the desire to visit, phone, write, or simply pray for someone who means something to us, do so before it is too late. A lot of people care about us and want to hear from us and, who knows if this might be our final chance to visit!
She died on October 16, 2010, at the age of 94 (she would have been 95 on December 22).
"GOOD BYE, BARBARA, SEE YOU SOON!!!!!"
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