A witty way with words

What would Millie say?

Tomorrow is the second anniversary of my mother's death and I wanted to publish something in her memory.

Last year Fred and Julia and I scattered Mom's ashes (or those that aren't with Peter's in Niagara-on-the-Lake) on Lake Champlain as she had requested. We were taking Julia to McGill on a beautiful summer's day and it was a bittersweet ceremony. We couldn't help but think how much my mother would have liked to see Julia studying at the alma mater she was always so proud of.

This year, I want to remember something else that Mom valued, her ability to make people laugh. At the memorial I spoke a bit about the comic names she created for people.

My father in his racing days was George Throttleburst.

Yasser Arafat became Yasser AraBfat, a Millie classic thanks to its brilliant simplicity.

Dalton McGuinty was Dalton McGuiLty, a highly prophetic nickname as it turns out.

Sue Lea remembered Brian Baloney for Brian Mulroney. Need I say any more?

And John added Conman Black for Conrad Black, another prophetic creation.

John also remembered René LeWreck, which if I had to pick an all-time favourite would probably be it.

Many of you will also like remember Mafioso, Vampira, Idohnoh, and Little Umbilicus, which my cousin Tycho recalled was the nickname for his brother Leif.

If you can think of any names I may have missed, please add them in the comments or email them to me and I'll put them up. I've vowed to make this site a little more lively in the year to come.

I think my mother would like her writing and wit to live on on the internet, even if she'd probably yell at me for the René LeWreck photo.

Sorry, Mom, we miss you every single day, but I just couldn't resist.