I received word last night that Diane101 passed away yesterday. She had been in and out of the hospital for a brief period, suffering from what was belatedly diagnosed as pneumonia. It’s a great loss to her family, especially her grandchildren, and it’s also a great loss for the community here at Booman Tribune. Diane signed up for an account on March 15th, 2005. She was user #206.
When the pie fight broke out at Daily Kos, Diane was instrumental in leading people to the Frog Pond and making them feel welcome when they got here. She helped create the Froggy Bottom Cafe and keep it a lively and active place for several years. She also created the Welcome Wagon threads to introduce people to the site, help us get to know them, and to make sure people learned and internalized the culture of the site. Many users deserve credit for shaping the feel of Booman Tribune, but no one can claim to have played a more central role than Diane. For a decade or more, this site got compliments for the civility and intelligence of its comment section, and I often fielded questions from fellow bloggers who wanted my secret.
Well, Diane was my secret. A very large part of it, anyway. She once admonished me for failing to live up to my standards for the site, and she was correct. It’s a shame that I didn’t get the opportunity to tell her how grateful I am for everything she did and how much I owe her, but I barely knew she was sick before she was gone.
Unfortunately, the photo links are broken at most of our old Froggy Bottom Cafes and Welcome Wagons which makes it impossible for me to show you attractive those diaries were. Each one was a ray of sunshine and basic human decency, and they served as needed oases from the grind and carnage of the Iraq War we were all trying to stop.
Diane was an infrequent visitor to the Frog Pond over the last few years, but she came by in February and March to touch base. She reached out when our dog died. She remained a friend of ours on Facebook and we celebrated our family milestones together. I know she remained in close contact with many of you in other forums and in other ways.
She’ll always be a Founding Mother of the Booman Tribune community and she deserves some kind of Mt. Rushmore-like treatment for it. I will never forget what she did for me personally and the positive example she set for everyone fortunate enough to know her.
So, in the spirit of Diane’s old work, let’s do this.
One more Welcome Wagon, in her honor.
Now I know a lot of you have done this before, but the new ones have not had the benefit of reading about you, so please do participate once again and tell us a bit or a lot about you.
It would also be nice if you told us how you found your way here in the first place, I know how we like to reminisce about old times. So, have you enjoyed your time here?Anyway if you’re new or old, hop right over and fill us in on you.
And a pretty picture to set the mood:
Godspeed, Diane. And thanks for everything.
I guess at this time of day, the cafe is closed and it’s the lounge that’s open.
When I saw new comments under Cafe/Lounge I had to do a double take. After all, I am almost due for an eye exam, and I have never quite adjusted to these progressive bifocal lenses. And then I clicked the link and lo and behold is this lovely tribute. Thanks for this. I’d like to think that the top two recommended diaries (as of this writing) owe their existence to Diane’s legacy – albeit perhaps on a smaller scale. There is still a community here. I hope that is not lost among us. Take care, everyone.
My heart is broken. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to have met her in the “real” world after meeting her here. She will always be family and it’s due to the magic that has always been present in this place. Until we meet again, Diane.
I have been so sad abut this. She was such a big part of our Booman family, even though I never had the pleasure of meeting her in real life. She’s been a part of my life for over 12 years, and I always enjoyed seeing her pictures of family and plants and craft projects, and reading what she had to say; she often commented on my pictures of the boys and whatever else.
I remember what a great time you all had when you met up in SoCal.
Damn good to see you around these parts.
I felt I should up in person for Diane’s wake. The last few years I mostly interacted with Diane (as with everyone) on Twitter since I pretty much am only a lurker on blogs these days. She was such a welcoming, lovely person and I’m going to miss her. I was never able to meet her in real life but as far as I’m concerned, I know the the progressive people I’ve only met on-line as well, if not better, than many people I know in real life.
Rest in Peace Diane.
Diane would take comfort in seeing us back and interacting. The older I get the more I appreciate folks in my communities (online and off). Good to see you here, even if not under good circumstances.
Reading that old Froggy Bottom Cafe really brought back a lot of memories.
I moved to The SouthTM in 2002 and was thrown into a world of conservative Republicans and churches on every corner. I found Daily Kos, and then Booman Tribune. Diane and Shirlstars were like mother figures to me, always dispensing friendly little bits of folksy wisdom, coaxing me out of my shell. Yeah, I used to be in one. : )
I lost touch with everybody but Diane and I reconnected on Facebook a few years ago. She was keeping herself busy in her little house with the millions of plants and the furniture she hand painted with flowers. She recently painted a matching toilet lid, wastebasket and tissue box cover with pink roses. I thought it might be a bit much, but Diane was always trying to make things prettier in her little corner of the world and that’s a great lesson that I learned from her.
She’d be so happy to see us all here tonight.
Rest in peace, Diane.
I’m still stuck in the deep red south myself. Before that, was out in the high plains. It has certainly been a bit of an adjustment, as I am much more accustomed to the coastal areas of the US – especially the west coast. At least this decade has been spent in a more urban area. So, definitely a bit southern, but I can at least find some pockets of resistance. Like a lot of folks, the pie fight at Daily Kos in 2005 was a bit of a downer. This blog came about at the right time. It did not take much incitement to get me to register an account. Eventually had to switch to a different nom de plume (long story), although my current pseudonym now is badly outdated. Apparently, I never got the memo that when going through a mid-life crisis, one is supposed to buy a sports car. I have no use for one of those. Instead, I have spent considerable portions of my alone time questioning practically every assumption I held as a younger adult. The transformation has been a bit jarring and off-putting to a few (well maybe more than a few), but that was to be expected. Things that have not changed – I am still an avid photographer, and enjoy photographing landscapes and cityscapes. I travel any chance I get. And I am still a music buff, and every bit as hopelessly eclectic as I was over a decade ago. Social justice and economic justice issues are still front and center, and at this juncture of my life, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am very busy and have had some considerable personal upheaval over the last couple years, and that has made me a bit more of a sporadic presence than I would have liked. When I do come back, I love to find those threads and diaries that still have that community feel to them. I think I’ve managed to connect with a handful of folks from here either via Facebook or twitter.
For those needing an introduction or reintroduction, that should do, I think.
To the extent time has allowed as of late, I have been more and more prone to go back to the archives, to the ghosts of Frog Pond past, as it were. One thing that is now apparent is that whenever I took a hiatus from here, almost always my first stops upon returning were to the Froggy Bottom Cafes and of course the Foto Flogs. They were truly shelter from the storm, for me, as for so many others, many of whom were truly a pleasure to know – even if only via this medium we know as the Internet. I don’t know if there is any interest in reviving the Cafe/Lounge feature to this blog, but it might be a fitting legacy to Diane and anyone else who endeavored to encourage us to seek out our better angels.
I am saddened, as are many here, that Diane has passed away. It was exciting to see her briefly appear here earlier this year. Her gift to this blog and to the very brief Everybody Comes From Somewhere blog was a sense of humanity and openness that is far too rare. Those interactions we did get to share I will always treasure. The truth is that each of us will one day pass away and will only be known by what we leave behind. Diane’s legacy here is quite rich. I can only imagine what a wonderful legacy she has left for those who counted her among her family.
Although I will not be able to send flowers directly, I can do so via the miracles of our modern technology. This was the first rose of the season a few years ago – a token of my appreciation for Diane and her kindness here, and perhaps a token of appreciation for each of you who have given me a reason to enjoy some peace and beauty with my morning coffee.
Diane was such a welcoming presence here. She made me feel like I’d found a home at BT right away. And the cafe was such a joy for us all. She will be greatly missed, I’m sure, by all who knew her.
Diane incited quite a few of us to migrate here. For whatever it is worth, whenever I took a break, I would return hoping I’d see some photos in the cafe/lounge by you or JimF, or Indianadem or any of a number of folks. If I saw those, I knew that the world had not completely gone to hell. Thanks for making an appearance and supporting my efforts to revive the foto flog. I am doing what I can to help others find a bit of beauty even in these dark times. Be well.
I’m so sorry to hear this. I never met Diane in real life but she was certainly an amazing person. If our little online community is missing her like this, I can only imagine what it’s like for her loved ones, and my thoughts go out to them.
Despite the circumstances, it is good to see so many familiar friends here. I don’t think there is anywhere else on the interwebs that features such a collection of kind, thoughtful people. It is a credit to Martin and to all of you. Thank you for all that you’ve done and are doing.
I am heartened to see your post. It has been too long.
Diane was always a welcoming presence when I first stumbled onto Booman Tribune sometime in the late summer of 2005. We could use a lot more like her in the world and I’m sad that she is no longer with us. Although I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of my fellow froggies, sadly she was not one.
Our wonderful photo diaries were recently devastated by Photobucket’s decision to initiate ransom demands for posting privileges and I’m still too upset about it to look for another host. The good news is I haven’t lost any photos, since I have other storage, both cloud and local. AndiF discovered my identity early on through a photo I posted and we found we are actually very close neighbors compared to the territory the internet covers – quite serendipitous.
I’m still enmeshed in local leftie politics as much as one can be in this bright red state, but since I live quite near to Indiana University, the influence of those at that institution serves to temper the climate in my county a just a little. I’ve retired from elective office after 5 terms in various local positions and now try to help the up and coming new kids, mostly through communications with voters and candidate training.
A lot of very special people have passed through this community over the years and Diane was certainly one of the best. I’m grateful to have met her and all the rest of you.
It’s been a while since I last spent significant time in Indiana. Definitely have been in Indianapolis at one point. Last year, I had some down time on a business trip in Louisville, and took the pedestrian bridge across the Ohio River, so technically I was in Indiana for all of a few minutes. If I ever get anywhere near that way again, I’ll give a shout. There are a few of you up around that way I’d love to meet in person. You would be certainly among them.
Andi and Jim are close by. Bet we could get them out of their woods for a mini meetup. Just mention fried biscuits – works every time.
I think we have a tentative game plan. I’ll see what the work travel situation looks like over the next year or so.
You called?
Fried biscuits?
Somehow I have managed to go through five-plus decades of life having never experienced fried biscuits. I am now quite intrigued (thanks to the Internet Tubes for explaining this particular culinary phenomenon to me).
A late spring sunrise in Tampa.
Late to this as I only just saw the thread. She was truly a moving force here at the pond. I connected with her on Facebook a couple of years ago. She was always posting photos of family and her garden. She will be greatly missed. I also miss those old threads back in the day.
We had some great threads back in the day. I am grateful for the ones I viewed and participated in. If I have one regret it is not participating a bit more. Can’t change that. But the beauty of life is that we can still create new memories while we are still around and honor the memories of those who shared so much with us.
Early next month marks the tenth anniversary of Dove posting the last work that Ductape Fatwa coauthored with her (she did so on her now dormant blog, In Flight). There was apparently enough material for a second post, but that never came to be. I tried to incite Dove to do so, but regrettably nothing came of it, and I lost contact with her a few years ago (it was fun to have a few email exchanges for just a brief period only a few years ago – really a lovely person to talk to). Somehow the losses of the people I’ve met thanks to the miracle of the Internet Tubes seem to hit me hardest in September and October. I mourn, reflect, and then as I age I increasingly look for ways to honor their memories as best as I can figure out. And then I wonder about the people who once were part of the fabric here but who nonetheless faded away. I always hope that somehow, wherever they landed, they are well and happy.
A view of downtown Tampa, late spring 2017:
Back when I first visited Kenton in 2001, this was actually a thriving store. For those who have never visited Kenton, it is the westernmost community in Oklahoma, and the only one in the Mountain Time Zone. Kenton has always been close to a ghost town, but more so recently than over a decade and a half ago. The Merc is on of the casualties. Up until the Great Recession, you could fill up your gas tank and get yourself a burger, some groceries, and souvenirs. The locals would be there enjoying a bit of gossip. Last couple to buy the place did get it up and running for a bit a few years ago, but the Merc went bust again. Nothing left but a decaying structure and a few dusty remains inside.
The Oklahoma and Texas panhandles are fairly flat until you get near the New Mexico border. The Black Mesa area in Oklahoma is a case in point. As a hobbyist, I get to take some beautiful shots like this one every time I visit. Hoping to make another trip out there in a year or two. There may not be much left in Kenton (it’s practically a ghost town), but there are a couple bed & breakfast operations nearby. Also, with the lack of light pollution and relatively clear skies much of the year, amateur astronomers love this part of the world.
This one was a late spring photo. Sometimes I get just the right combination of clouds and sunlight. Let’s just say I never tire of taking sunset photos.
In the background is the Cimarron County Courthouse. Boise City, OK shed about 15% of its population between the 2000 census and the 2010 census. From the looks of things, when I took this photo, the town had shed some more of its population. At one point at the start of this century, those vacant buildings actually housed businesses. One thing you get used to very quick if you are ever travelling that way: very little in the way of cell phone coverage once you get out of town.
Guymon, OK is the county seat of Texas County. This shot was taken on a Sunday, which explains the low traffic. The downtown is actually somewhat busy during much of the week. It is one of a small handful of high plains communities that has managed to stay fairly stable as other communities in the area have died. The meatpacking industry is a large part of its continued success, and the state hasn’t quite figured out how to kill the nearby university. If a proposed casino gets built near town, I expect that the town will thrive for a while longer. As it is, the hospitality industry is in good shape. The town is a good stop off point for travelers headed somewhere else.
I took this photo as the town’s makeover was in progress. My last trip to Guymon was a fairly pleasant experience. That said, there are signs that all is not well. The local hospital has been in trouble for years and has teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Oklahoma is one of the states that refused Medicaid expansion, which would have helped that situation. If the hospital were to close, the nearest one would be about 40 minutes northeast in Liberal, KS. Nearly all the social service agencies that had offices in Guymon at the start of the century shifted their employees to Woodward, which is about two hours east – that began late last decade. So you have a town with over 10,000 people and little in the way of social service support. That is not a sustainable situation long-term. File under “nice place to visit, but I would not want to live there.”
We’ve had an almost summer-like last few days in my little corner of the South. The only real sign that it is autumn has been the activity of our local squirrels. They’re prepping like usual. And yet, I can still take summer evening photos in October.
Taken from the lookout point at the northern end of the beach looking south.
I love walks along river trails wherever I live and wherever my travels take me.
Hopefully a few of you are being treated to some beautiful scenery with your morning covfefe. Don’t be too surprised if I recycle (as Ductape Fatwa might have put it) some of my photos in future editions of the foto flog. In the meantime, good morning. There are rumors afoot that we might see enough of a cooldown that it will actually feel like early fall. Alas, it will be too brief of a reprieve.
It was a beautiful evening. I hope these photos fill my fellow travelers in the Pond with much happiness.
I had a hellish week, otherwise, I’d post a bit more. I hope anyone reading this has had a better week than I did. Long story.
Sorry to hear that and hope the coming week will be better. Mrs. ID and I have been battling upper respiratory infections for nearly a month, but we managed to have a birthday celebration for her last week, complete with grandchildren. We both felt pretty good that day, but it seems to have worn us out, so we’re kicked back for a while.
By all means, I hope you are both on the road to recovery. I’ve dealt with bronchitis enough times and pneumonia once – let’s say I am no fan of any upper respiratory infection. Good that you both were able to enjoy a birthday celebration anyway. Get plenty of rest.
This week will be busy but better. About a week ago a side project I’d worked on with some others blew up in our faces. Long story. Learned in the process that apparently I am now prone to severe panic attacks. Never experienced anything like that in my life. Anyway, all that’s left is dealing with the fallout. That will be a pain in the ass, but hopefully without the drama.
The ocean as seen from the Huntington Beach pier. It was an ideal day – the blueness of the ocean water just popped. I hope everyone is having a good week so far.
I still host a foto flog. It’s always Friday somewhere, right?