T Stands for Seaside Cemetery

On the first day of Autumn which felt more like a glorious first day of Summer, I asked my friend Teague if we could take a trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts. I wanted to visit my friend, Darrell's grave at Seaside Cemetery and then we could find some place for lunch and something to do. 

I met Darrell when I was in computer school. Darrell was 2 or 3 classes ahead of mine. A new class began each month. One day, shortly after I began, I was on my way home and my car wouldn't start. One of Darrell's classmate's saw I was having trouble, and she went and got Darrell to help me. He had a set of jumper cables and got my car started. He was worried that I might have trouble on the way home so he insisted I take the jumper cables with me. He figured if I had the cables, and the car conked out, I could flag down a passing motorist for a jump.

The next day during break, I returned the cables to Darrell. As we got to my car, one of the tires was flat. No big deal. I'd just go in and call AAA. Darrell would have none of that and he insisted on changing the tire. The lug nuts were on good and tight and he was having difficulty getting them loose.He was on his knees and getting dirty. We had a dress code and I told him he was going to get marked down if he was all dirty. I'd just call AAA. He said it had become a matter of pride. He couldn't let it be known he couldn't change a little girl's tire (Darrell was 13 years my senior) and have other fellas in school teasing him because he couldn't change a tire. After a time, he got the tire changed, didn't get called down for his appearance, and we became fast friends. He became a big brother. Sadly, Darrell contracted leukemia. Put up a good fight, but was taken too soon at 48 years old.

After he passed, his wife told me she was having a bench instead of a headstone. She said she wanted a spot where she could sit and visit with him.I had never been to the cemetery and told Teague we were looking for a bench. The cemetery wasn't that big, but there were several benches. Teague found his.

His wife had passed. After Darrell passed we lost touch with each other.

The cardinals made me smile.

As did the sentiment on the stone: These two friends came to rest, Two hearts sharing their loving nest.

Darrell was especially fond of teddy bears. He still had his original Teddy from when he was a little fella. I brought a Teddy bear pin and left it under the bench.

A visit to the cemetery wouldn't be a visit for me without checking out the neighbors.

Someone loved Scottie dogs

I liked the swans

A nod to Gloucester's fishing trade

 A beautiful lighthouse

 Someone is well loved and remembered. I was very tempted to relocate the Teddy to Darrell's grave 😉. The caretaker was busy watering flowers on graves. Came over to tell me the cobblestones were from a Gloucester street from the days when trains were pulled by teams of horses.

A very unusual stone. No names or dates just Grace.

Another unusually shaped stone with beautiful carved roses.

I've never seen a grave stone bird bath in any of the cemeteries I've visited. This is also my drinks reference for this post. A drink for the birds and critters

We loved Scott's gone fishin'

and Frank's place.

This marker is almost hidden by holly bushes

Sweet angels

Someone leaves painted stones

Another lighthouse

A police officer and hockey fan

A pug dog

A young man named Joshua and his derby hat.

Joshua's bench

The sign says Joshua's tree. 

Someone decorated these four graves for harvest and/or Halloween

A sweet lamb for a baby

Frederick has lots of visitors

I wonder if the Maltese Falcon was a favorite movie.

Sweet cherub

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.