What Better Day Than Halloween...

...for a Graveyard Rabbit to celebrate a blogiversary?

Back in 2008, I was pleased and honored to be asked by the late Terry Thornton to be a charter member  of his new project, The Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

What is a Graveyard Rabbit? From About The GYRabbit Association:

Welcome to The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits – an association dedicated to the academic promotion of the historical importance of cemeteries, grave markers, and the family history to be learned from a study of burial customs, burying grounds, and tombstones; and the social promotion of the study of cemeteries, the preservation of cemeteries, and the transcription of genealogical/historical information written in cemeteries.

The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits was founded by Terry Thornton (Mississippi) with assistance from footnoteMaven (Washington) and Bob Franks (Mississippi). The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits is authored by Terry Thornton of The GYRabbit of The Hill Country. It features a weekly article with links to all of the articles written by the membership and a weekly feature devoted to the introduction of one of the members. Members are in contact with each other through their blogs, through a frequent Graveyard Rabbit e-Letter, and through interaction at the Graveyard Rabbit Group at Facebook. Additional publications planned include an e-Quarterly and an e-Annual.

The Association publication is implementing an articles and links library created with the contributions of its members. Discussions are ongoing about a Cemetery of the Year Award sponsored by The Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

WHY THE ASSOCIATION OF GRAVEYARD RABBITS?

The Association was named for Frank Lebby Stanton's poem, The Graveyard Rabbit. Although the poem is about superstitions associated with graveyard rabbits, Stanton also establishes that such rabbits have a charmingly intimate knowledge of graveyards and a loving association with the dead. These traits are the motivation of the human beings interested in this group.

I have only lived on the Central Coast for 7 years, but I have to say, the cemeteries here are gorgeous! I mean, who wouldn't want to be buried here?

It's true: the dead at the Santa Barbara Cemetery have a better view of the ocean than most of the living. I've already told my husband to bury me there, but at $20k+ per plot, I sincerely doubt that will happen!

And during my cemetery research and travels, I was surprised to discover a member of my own extended family buried in the Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura. As a 2nd generation Californian, it's not often that I find family I didn't know about buried here, especially on the Central Coast (most of my family migrated to the Inland Empire).

Although life has kept me busy, and I've often neglected this blog, my commitment to cemeteries and the history they preserve has never wavered. I hope that I have honored Mr. Thornton's memory by continuing to participate as a member of his project.

If you love cemeteries and would like to join the Association, please visit The Association of Graveyard Rabbits and click the JOIN button to fill out the application.

Thank you for hopping by today!

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal