Tomie loved the spring flowers, including dandelions. The top photo is the driveway bed with 500 tulips in it. Geraniums, 100 or so, will replace the tulips next week. The bottom photo is of one of six or more flower beds many, many years ago. Each bed was filled with tulips so, thousands of tulips were planted each fall. But, the word got around deer yards: A feast at Tomie’s. There seems to be only one place on the grounds where deer won’t destroy tulips and it’s the bed in front of the greenhouse. He loved the tulips on a day like yesterday. (Bob)
REMEMBERING TOMIE on May 20, 2020
We were on the cover of the May/June 1994 issue of REMINISCE magazine. Left to Right: Me, Tomie, Dick Gordon, Nancy Dutton. We were playing croquet in “costume” on the grounds of the New London Inn. Why? We don’t remember. We think the local inns were holding a “visit the inns” weekend, and the owners of the New London Inn asked us to play croquet on the side yard. Will the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED be next? Speaking of the Inn, the restaurant is opening beginning today for outdoor dining and takeout. https://www.thenewlondoninn.com/ (Bob)
REMEMBERING TOMIE on May 19, 2020
Pat Cummings, Cecilia Yung, and Laurent Linn will reminisce about Tomie (it’s a lowercase “d,” people!) during a Highlights Foundation FREE online webinar on Friday, May 22, 2020, 1:00 p.m., Eastern time. It’s free, BUT you must register online to watch. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QJbkNhg1TOC5HH0Jr6ZADQ (Bob)
REMEMBERING TOMIE on May 18, 2020
“Visit NH” had an “I love it here” promotion in 2009. Tomie was asked to participate. So, we drove around New London and elsewhere so that I could take photos of Tomie with his sign. But, his favorite #1 place was his own home. (Bob)
REMEMBERING TOMIE on May 17, 2020
Tomie bought an Abyssinian cat from New York City. Gene Youngken, Tomie’s eccentric professor friend from Colby-Sawyer College, drove Tomie to the Manchester, NH, airport to pick up the cat. As they were driving north from the airport, Gene abruptly stopped the car and insisted that Tomie give the cat a name before Gene would continue driving. Music by Satie was playing on the radio, so Tomie named the cat Satie. Tomie’s beloved cat died at age 16 in the 1980s. (Erik Satie was born on May 17, 1866.) (Bob)
