Tombstone Photo of the Week

Sterling Cemetery

We interrupt this blog...

...to tell you that I am SO excited! My son, Clayton, is on his way home from Afghanistan for a 15 day visit. He should arrive in the states tomorrow. We don't get many details in advance, and I won't get on that soapbox today.

Just had to share!

Penguin in his pocket?
Read the story on our blog: dearclayton.blogspot.com
Click on the label "penguin"

The Thousand Lotus Memorial Terrace

Situated on the northwestern slope of the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY. There are two terraces that contain 1,050 and 2,076 stell niches, respectively. Each niche can hold two urns.

The half circle design and the statue of the Amitabha Buddha, which overlooks the terrace, symbolize the Western Paradise in Pure Land Buddhism.

Twice a year, in the spring and autumn, there are ceremonies in which the ashes of the deceased are placed in the terraces.

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Restlawn Cemetery

Art for free in Paris?

Paris' cemeteries are beautiful and free.

Read this article by author Douglas Keister here!

Don't forget you can follow Doug Keister on facebook. He's working on his next book, Forever New York, due out in 2011.

Soldiers Monument at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

From the facebook page of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery:

"Today marks the 113th anniversary of the passing of Johnson Marchant Mundy (May 31, 1829–August 16, 1897). A painter and sculptor, Mundy suffered poor eyesight most of his life. He lived the last 14 years of his life in Tarrytown, NY in the care of his sister. Although by then legally blind, he would create the bronze sculpture of a Union soldier that stands atop Sleepy Hollow Cemetery's Civil War monument. Mundy himself is buried at the south end of the cemetery a few steps from author Washington Irving."

Here are the photos I took of the monument

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Maple Grove Cemetery

Historian, Lawyer, Genealogist

How cool is this?

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

I recently told you that Sleepy Hollow Cemetery should be on your bucket list. I plan to return next year and spend a whole day there [more if I have my way]. Should you plan to visit I encourage you to spend some time on the web site that is a wealth of information. I would love to attend the many workshops and tours offered. You can also "like" them on facebook.

On the same grounds, but not affiliated, you will find the Old Dutch Church, the setting for Washington Irving's story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

The landscape itself is incredible.

Here is a photo from my visit. More to come!

Passing of GYR Founder

footnoteMaven announced on facebook that the Graveyard Rabbit founder, Terry Thornton, has passed away. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday in Amory, MS.

From the GYR site:
The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits was founded by Terry Thornton (Mississippi) with assistance from footnoteMaven (Washington) and Bob Franks (Mississippi). The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits is authored by Terry Thornton of The GYRabbit of The Hill Country.

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Porterdale Cemetery

Bucket List

As I surf through blogland and see so many interesting cemeteries I often say "I gotta go there". Reality is most I will never see. Some however must make the bucket list.

Arlington National Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery [NY]
St. Pauls Chapel [NY] did a drive by but they wouldn't stop :(
Oakland [GA]
Bellefontaine [MO]

Those are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. I would be interested in knowing what cemeteries are on your bucket list or you think should be on mine.

For anyone in the Columbus, GA area [100 miles sw of Atlanta - on the Alabama border - on the Chattahoochee River] you must see the historic Linwood Cemetery. It takes days to take it all in. This is my hometown and I am soooooo sorry I did not have a love of cemeteries when I lived there. The eastern states have some of the most wonderful cemeteries. I am hoping to make another visit this year as soon as the weather cools down a bit. Oh, and see family while there too! ;) The photo at the top of my blog was taken at Linwood.

Another is the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, NY. I didn't get enough time [do we ever?] to really explore like I wanted to but I feel in love [is that weird?] with it. I do hope to go again next year if possible.

Article by Doug Keister

Doug Keister, author of my favorite cemetery books, has an article online that I would like to share with you. Please take time to leave your comments - so they will ask him to write future articles. And, if you are on facebook, stop by and ask him to be your friend so you can keep up with him. He has another book in the works that will be released in 2011.

Here are the books I have:

• Keister, Douglas. Stories in Stone; A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Layton, Utah. Gibbs Smith. 2004.

• Keister, Douglas. Forever Dixie; A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries and Their Residents. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. 2008.

• Keister, Douglas. Forever L.A.; A Field Guide to Los Angeles Cemeteries and Their Residents. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. 2010.

• Keister, Douglas. Going Out In Style; The Architecture of Eternity. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 1997.