She was never even remotely conventional, so having her ashes buried under a beautiul shade tree, with friends creating their own memorial service for her is just what you'd expect for Arlene!
Arlene entered my life sometime around 1969. She and her husband Raymond Glass had just come to Santa Barbara, and were doing commercial artwork just down the street from the record shop my partner and I owned. She came in one day with her stepson Alex Glass to buy some records, and we knew right away that we were soulmates.
Though we only lived in the same town for a couple of years, and often had no contact for months or even years at a time, we were always close. I'd think of her for no particular reason one day, and very soon she'd call me and tell me where she was. She never stayed in one place for very long, so I usually couldn't write or call her.
She moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near her children. I visited her there, just a year before she moved once again, this time to another plane. Elissa called me, and we shared tears over the phone line. We had never met, but knew of each other, and later did meet briefly in Phoenix where I live.
Arlene was the inspiration for me to finish writing my faltering novel, which I dedicated to her:
"This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Arlene Brenton. I began writing it late in 1982 and got completely bogged down, with no hope of finishing it. In the summer of 1985, Arlene visited me. She spent many hours going over it with me, giving me general pointers on writing a novel, as well as specific ideas as to how to develop this story line. But mainly, what she gave me was the inspiration to continue working on it, and the belief that I really COULD finish it. It was Arlene's faith in me as a writer that made this book possible. Sadly, a few months later, she left this world for another, without ever seeing the results of that faith. My thanks to you Arlene, and my love forever."
Her daughter Elissa took her ashes back to the town we both loved, Santa Barbara. I no longer lived there, and could not make it for the service, much to my regret. Elissa, Eleanor McClurkin, Alex Velto and other friends I didn't know had their own service for Arlene, and buried her ashes under a large spreading shade tree in Alex's backyard.
No goodbyes.....we will meet again.
Arlene entered my life sometime around 1969. She and her husband Raymond Glass had just come to Santa Barbara, and were doing commercial artwork just down the street from the record shop my partner and I owned. She came in one day with her stepson Alex Glass to buy some records, and we knew right away that we were soulmates.
Though we only lived in the same town for a couple of years, and often had no contact for months or even years at a time, we were always close. I'd think of her for no particular reason one day, and very soon she'd call me and tell me where she was. She never stayed in one place for very long, so I usually couldn't write or call her.
She moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near her children. I visited her there, just a year before she moved once again, this time to another plane. Elissa called me, and we shared tears over the phone line. We had never met, but knew of each other, and later did meet briefly in Phoenix where I live.
Arlene was the inspiration for me to finish writing my faltering novel, which I dedicated to her:
"This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Arlene Brenton. I began writing it late in 1982 and got completely bogged down, with no hope of finishing it. In the summer of 1985, Arlene visited me. She spent many hours going over it with me, giving me general pointers on writing a novel, as well as specific ideas as to how to develop this story line. But mainly, what she gave me was the inspiration to continue working on it, and the belief that I really COULD finish it. It was Arlene's faith in me as a writer that made this book possible. Sadly, a few months later, she left this world for another, without ever seeing the results of that faith. My thanks to you Arlene, and my love forever."
Her daughter Elissa took her ashes back to the town we both loved, Santa Barbara. I no longer lived there, and could not make it for the service, much to my regret. Elissa, Eleanor McClurkin, Alex Velto and other friends I didn't know had their own service for Arlene, and buried her ashes under a large spreading shade tree in Alex's backyard.
No goodbyes.....we will meet again.
She was never even remotely conventional, so having her ashes buried under a beautiul shade tree, with friends creating their own memorial service for her is just what you'd expect for Arlene!
Arlene entered my life sometime around 1969. She and her husband Raymond Glass had just come to Santa Barbara, and were doing commercial artwork just down the street from the record shop my partner and I owned. She came in one day with her stepson Alex Glass to buy some records, and we knew right away that we were soulmates.
Though we only lived in the same town for a couple of years, and often had no contact for months or even years at a time, we were always close. I'd think of her for no particular reason one day, and very soon she'd call me and tell me where she was. She never stayed in one place for very long, so I usually couldn't write or call her.
She moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near her children. I visited her there, just a year before she moved once again, this time to another plane. Elissa called me, and we shared tears over the phone line. We had never met, but knew of each other, and later did meet briefly in Phoenix where I live.
Arlene was the inspiration for me to finish writing my faltering novel, which I dedicated to her:
"This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Arlene Brenton. I began writing it late in 1982 and got completely bogged down, with no hope of finishing it. In the summer of 1985, Arlene visited me. She spent many hours going over it with me, giving me general pointers on writing a novel, as well as specific ideas as to how to develop this story line. But mainly, what she gave me was the inspiration to continue working on it, and the belief that I really COULD finish it. It was Arlene's faith in me as a writer that made this book possible. Sadly, a few months later, she left this world for another, without ever seeing the results of that faith. My thanks to you Arlene, and my love forever."
Her daughter Elissa took her ashes back to the town we both loved, Santa Barbara. I no longer lived there, and could not make it for the service, much to my regret. Elissa, Eleanor McClurkin, Alex Velto and other friends I didn't know had their own service for Arlene, and buried her ashes under a large spreading shade tree in Alex's backyard.
No goodbyes.....we will meet again.
Arlene entered my life sometime around 1969. She and her husband Raymond Glass had just come to Santa Barbara, and were doing commercial artwork just down the street from the record shop my partner and I owned. She came in one day with her stepson Alex Glass to buy some records, and we knew right away that we were soulmates.
Though we only lived in the same town for a couple of years, and often had no contact for months or even years at a time, we were always close. I'd think of her for no particular reason one day, and very soon she'd call me and tell me where she was. She never stayed in one place for very long, so I usually couldn't write or call her.
She moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be near her children. I visited her there, just a year before she moved once again, this time to another plane. Elissa called me, and we shared tears over the phone line. We had never met, but knew of each other, and later did meet briefly in Phoenix where I live.
Arlene was the inspiration for me to finish writing my faltering novel, which I dedicated to her:
"This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Arlene Brenton. I began writing it late in 1982 and got completely bogged down, with no hope of finishing it. In the summer of 1985, Arlene visited me. She spent many hours going over it with me, giving me general pointers on writing a novel, as well as specific ideas as to how to develop this story line. But mainly, what she gave me was the inspiration to continue working on it, and the belief that I really COULD finish it. It was Arlene's faith in me as a writer that made this book possible. Sadly, a few months later, she left this world for another, without ever seeing the results of that faith. My thanks to you Arlene, and my love forever."
Her daughter Elissa took her ashes back to the town we both loved, Santa Barbara. I no longer lived there, and could not make it for the service, much to my regret. Elissa, Eleanor McClurkin, Alex Velto and other friends I didn't know had their own service for Arlene, and buried her ashes under a large spreading shade tree in Alex's backyard.
No goodbyes.....we will meet again.
