Lawanda On My Mind – And My Flash Card

Allan Showalter

Here’s Looking At You, Lawanda1

Note: This entry was originally posted late in 2008.

This post is a commemoration, albeit an extempore specimen, of Lady Lawanda aka Val Murdy, who was the woman in my life from 2005 until she died from breast cancer on June 2, 2008.

Lawanda Surprises Me – Again

This morning [at the time of the original posting in 2008], the flash card I had just purchased developed a glitch, necessitating replacement by its predecessor. When I next transferred photos from the camera to my computer, I discovered an unexpected image on the card in addition to those I had just shot. That photo is atop this post. That’s Lady Lawanda walking down a hallway in my home, looking back over her shoulder at me.

I think.

The thing is that I don’t recall taking this picture.

There is nothing mysterious about that; I just don’t remember it, perhaps because it is an atrociously poor photo. Well, actually the only egregious flaws are the focus, the color, and the exposure. And the red-eye glare. And the blurriness. Otherwise, it’s a dandy.

Nonetheless, it’s my conviction that that there is something special about Lawanda that shines unattenuated through the photo’s rather impressive technical faults.

A similar phenomenon has taken place many times in the past when I unexpectedly stumbled across something that reminded me of Julie.2 It is a testimony to Lawanda’s character and empathy that she was supportive during these events rather than threatened by them.

Update: Similarly, it is a testimony to the character and empathy of The Duchess aka Penny Showalter that she is supportive of these posts rather than threatened by them.

A Year Ago

I do recall this photo taken on the deck of my mother’s home in the Ozarks overlooking Table Rock Lake.

I can’t think of anything to add that isn’t even more embarrassingly transparent.

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  1. I find it once again necessary to note that “Lady Lawanda” was the blogonym she chose. [↩]
  2. Julie Showalter was my fiercely intelligent, wickedly sexy, and much beloved wife with whom I had a outrageously wonderful 20 year marriage that ended with her death in late 1999 from cancer diagnosed the week of our wedding. She was also a prize-winning author. Many posts on this blog are about her, our unlikely romance, and our life together, and still others consist of her writings. Information can be found at Julie Showalter FAQ. [↩]