In Memory Of My Friend Fran

 My friend Fran passed away last week after living a long and very good life. 

I met Fran through Errol, who many years ago built an addition to her house that became her art studio. Fran was a talented artist, but then she was so much more. Fran was an original, a unique woman, she was generous, always helpful and kind.  

Best of all, Fran had a wonderful sense of humor, she was funny in an entirely original way. After Fran read some of my posts here, she became interested in blogging and soon started her own fishducky, finally blog. There she shared brilliant stories from her life and cheered her followers up with lots of funny posts.

Once upon a time, Fran decided our well-known old fairy tales needed a do-over to better fit in the modern world. And what hilarious makeovers many of them got in a book called Fishducky's Fables. 

Fran once showed me pictures of what she and her kids did to their VW bus. They painted it! I don't remember exactly how it looked, but Fran and her kids painted the entire bus in fun patterns and colors. I can only imagine the joy this would bring to a child.

Fran was a talented artist and for a long time I posted pictures of her art here on my blog. 

After her husband, Bud, died, Fran moved to an assisted living facility. I kept in contact with her through her son, Blake. 

While there, for some reason, with no Irish heritage that I know of, Fran began to write limericks. And then, according to her, she couldn't contain herself, so the limericks kept coming from her forever brilliant mind and wonderfully mad sense of humor. 

I have three sets of her limericks. I will treasure them for as long as I live. 

I also have copies of her pen and ink drawings and a mirror, set  in a most original frame that she created. I treasure everything she gave me.

Here are few samples of Fran's art:

Thank you, Fran, for all you did to help Errol so many years ago. He never forgot your generous support and, most importantly, your trust in him. He loved you so very much.

I know you wanted fireworks at your funeral, this probably was not possible. But so worth a mention here. You were an original,  a unique, brilliant and kind woman. 

I love you.