Molly's Bench

Molly Ivins died fifteen months ago, leaving a huge vacuum in (progressive) journalism -- and in the lives of many friends. She was a fixture in her Travis Heights neighborhood. Last night, those neighbors and other friends came together to dedicate a bench in Molly's honor at Big Stacy Park. There was a nice little ceremony where several friends shared some memories of Molly. Sweetest moment: Genevieve and Peter, who met at a Final Friday party at Molly's house five years ago this month and subsequently married, being the first to smooch on the newly-dedicated bench.

The dedication was followed by a Final Friday party, like the ones Molly hosted at her home for several years. Nice group of people, from different walks of life, coming together to share stories and food. In honor of Molly, the suggested cuisine was fried chicken and champagne.

It was a balmy Austin spring evening, and clouds eventually filled the sky. Soon they were backlit with silent lightning flashes. On my way home the storm hit, sheets of rain crashing over the windshield, occasional hailstones thumping on the roof. By the time I got home the brunt of it had passed, and so I sat on my patio, listening to distant thunder and the steady ticking of rain on the leaves.