Something that really brings you back to reality is when you get an e-mail like this:
Hello Mark,
This is Ed, Miki’s husband. By any chance are you one of her blogger buddies on LA Dodger Talk? If so, I am sorry to say she passed away peacefully on March 25th, Thursday, 2021. Not Covid. One of her last requests was for me to communicate to her blogger friends the immense joy that the blog give her over her last few years.
The problem with not writing things down has consequences. I can’t remember her blogger name.
Well, it’s the same e-mail address she used here and I am deeply saddened to report that Dodger Blue Mom has passed away. She was such a joy to have on the blog and the Dodgers gave her joy. She loved this blog and I realize how much of a community we have here. What can I do? It is very confusing…
At any rate, her given name was Rosalie Yvonne Gardini but Ed called here Miki and so will we. We are all better for knowing her. R.I.P. Miki. Here is here Obituary:
OBITUARY
Rosalie Yvonne Gardini
AUGUST 1, 1940 – MARCH 25, 2021
GARDINI SHAND, Rosalie Yvonne, “Miki”, age 80, of Roseville, CA, passed away Thursday, March 25, 2021. She was a graduate of St. Patrick’s High School in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. At age 5 she started singing on Uncle Al’s Amateur Radio Hour in Vancouver. In her early teens as part of a gospel country western trio she traveled the logging camps of B.C. entertaining the loggers. In her later teens she was among Canadian pop artists singing with the female trio the Valentines having a hit single in the top 3 of the hit-parade. The Valentines also sang backup for Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and they appeared on stage with Ernst Tubb and his Texas Troubadours. She then started singing classical and contemporary with her daughter Tammy in the Stockton chorale. After moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, she sang with the “other chorus” in town, the Utah Symphony Chorus. As a Canadian-American she was a Hockey Mom, a True Blue Brooklyn/L.A. Dodgers fan, and an extremely accomplished cribbage player having achieved the near impossible, a perfect hand! She will be joining her favorite Dodger, most of the time, Tommy Lasorda. She adored Vin Scully’s announcing style, and her favorite pitchers? . . . Sandy Koufax and grandson Jacob. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother and stepmother, she preferred family gatherings and holidays, treasuring those memories with family.
She is preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Phyllis Sanders Muise, and her sister, Patricia Magnone, July 31, 2019. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Edward J.; twin daughters, Sandy Shand and Shelly Gurwell; daughter Tammy Kidder; son, Scott Shand and his wife, Kristen; grandsons, Eric Shand, Sean Kidder and wife Amberly, Jacob Gurwell, Mitchell Shand, and Dylan Shand; granddaughters, Brianna Gurwell, Melanie Gurwell, and Ellie Shand; stepson Michael Gardini; and in Canada, niece Juanita Brattly, husband Scott; nephews Ken and Dan Crossley; and friends. Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00pm, Monday, May 10, 2021, her 35th Wedding Anniversary, at Mt. Vernon Memorial Park, Fair Oaks with Covid restrictions on number of attendees. Her immortal remains will rest in the Garden of Tranquility at Mount Vernon Memorial Park, Fair Oaks, California. The family would like to express our thanks for the wonderful help and care given by Sutter Roseville Hospital. If desired, friends may make memorial contributions to the Disabled American Veterans, DAV, in lieu of flowers.
Very sorry to read this.
She seemed like a lovely person.
She will be missed and is a big loss to
this place.
Rest in eternal peace
Thanks for posting this, Mark. Such sad news. DBM was something special. That was obvious from her posts. So kind and positive. Never a negative word about anyone. Reading her obit really brought it home to me. She was such an accomplished person, and yet she never shared anything about it on the blog. She was so humble, let others take the limelight. She was one of those people who truly made this blog a community. In my opinion, what makes this blog special is all of the positive energy that each and every person contributes to it. In the past few days, I have been checking out other Dodger blogs and there is nothing else out there remotely compable to this one. So we should all be grateful to DBM for her kind presence on this blog. I am sure that she will use whatever influence she has upstairs to get us another championship. And Mark, I am very appreciative that you opened this blog again. Reality sucks sometimes, so it’s good to appreciate what we have.
This is indeed sad news. DBM was so kind, so sweet and such a wonderful presence on this site. She gave much more joy here than she ever received! We will miss you DBM. And a thank you to her family for sharing her with us here at LADT. Rest in peace DBM
DBM was so respectful to everyone on this board. Best to her family and friends.
On a non-political note: Happy Easter to all of you Christians in here! I know it’s a big part of the Christian faith, so enjoy today.
Ed, so sorry to hear. Condolences to you and your family.
Sorry for the family’s loss. She was a true fan and always had a good take. She will be missed. I have enjoyed writing here and I respect Mark and his choices. I will occasionally be writing for thinkbluepc.com after I get back from my vacation to Cali. But whenever and if he needs me, I will also be more than happy to contribute here.
That’s quite a shock to read about Dodger Blue Mom. It should serve to remind us all of our mortality and how nothing lasts forever.
The same for this blog, however, in the case of Mark, he seems to need a platform for his ideas and I can’t really imagine him abandoning baseball for his political ideas. Totally absurd! But Mark is full of contradictions and belief about what he thinks and believes in his narrative and tries to convince everyone else that he sees things clearly. What a waste of energy. If only he practiced what he preaches regarding this blog, to focus on baseball.
Bear sent me an email advising that Mark re-opened the site to announce the passing of DBM. Miki was a very special lady who never had a bad thought about anyone. She was class through and through. I am so very sorry we did not get the chance to meet up (along with Dodgerick). While I would not dare take up limited space for her services, I do know where she will be laid to rest and I will make sure to visit her and talk about the MiLB players she loved so much. I will miss her.
My deepest condolences to Ed and the family.
RIP Miki. You were indeed loved.
Dear Friends,
What a wild swing of emotions from Mark’s posting to the DBM news (nice work Ed). She was truly a sweet Dodger Mom and her postings and the responses of devotion from the dudes always made me smile. What we end up with is the love of a baseball team and each other’s common interests in our beloved Dodgers. It would be my strong preference to continue to read and communicate here for the love of the game and our humanity. I love baseball but don’t “have that extra gear” that digs into numbers, stats and details that several of you do. Learning these points and how they impact team decisions helps most of us understand baseball all the better.
If I got a vote, it would be to leave this blog to baseball related Dodger things. Let’s develop our community “safe” word that we all use when someone decides they need to bring up politics. This is a place I visit everyday and hope we can avoid cancelling each other out.
I suggest the creatives come up with our “safe word”!
So very sorry to learn of Miki’s passing. She was such a calm, thoughtful contributor to LADT offering her Dodger thoughts and quite often asking questions to learn more about the Dodger players and minor league players.
I enjoyed some personal talk with her as she had some roots going back to Yarmouth in my home province of Nova Scotia. Her background in music is amazing and something I did not know.
Thank you to Ed for reaching out to LADT and sharing her request with us. Thanks also to Mark for this post.
http://pnwbands.com/VALENTINES.HTML
Ed so sorry for you and yours… DBM will be be sorely missed… Such an optimistic and cheerful Blue fan… If we close our eyes we’ll pick up her posts down the road…
I hope to God LADT stays put… With the cast of writers, with Bear at the helm this blog will remain the best…
MT… You let me and many others down for what???
Saddened to hear the news about Dodger Blue Mom, but glad to learn that her affection for the Dodgers was one dimension of a rich and full life, even singing backup for Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis!
I would echo Jeff’s sentiments regarding politics in this site–and point out (again) that the virus doesn’t care who you voted for, and it remain a threat especially among people who flout simple health measures.
I’m due for my second shot this week. But I bet my current city of residence, Hong Kong, has less of a covid threat than just about any spot in the USA, even though it’s just 570 miles from Wuhan. Hong Kong has a population of more than 7.5 million, yet its recorded only about 210 covid deaths. Why? Perhaps the biggest reason is that 99% of Hong Kongers started masking up last January and continue to this day. This has mitigated the virus, prevented illness and protected the economy.
Nobody here thinks of their mask as a political gesture.
DBM, I know that you now will get to meet the Big Dodger in the Sky, Tommy and all the other true blue folks that have moved on from this crazy world. If God is just, he will be sure you have a good view of every Dodgers game going forward. Peace and love to you DBM!
Mark, I not only respect your decision, but support it if this is what you need to do. This world is becoming crazier by the day. The people that cry foul the loudest are often the ones guilty of what they’re complaining about in the first place. I am cancelling to an extent myself. I won’t be watching the All-Star game, I won’t attend any games in person, and I won’t buy any merchandise this year. It’s going to be a very rough ride after this season when Tony Clark and Rob Manfred set out to negotiate a new labor agreement. The fate of baseball is in the hands of two idiots that are going to try to out idiot each other during the negotiation process.
Good luck with your decision, you will be missed if you choose to leave for good. But, it’s gonna be a hell of a year for the Dodgers.
Plane travel, buy alcohol, cough medicine, tobacco, register for higher education, drive a car, have a job are all routine things that require an ID. Even Ray Charles can see this isn’t about repressing minority voters, it’s about something more sinister.
Bulldog and Penguins… I’ve known for a long time that Manfred and Clark will lead us to a strike, but never mentioned it!!!
Thank you for jogging my memory…
Strike or not, I will always return to baseball because of the Tatis’s and Betts of the world of baseball… There’s more out there and I want to be there!!!iik
Saddened by the passing of Dodger Blue Mom. She consistently provided uplifting comments and a positive outlook.
She will be missed. Thanks for sharing the news Mark.
Que descanse en paz Dodger Blue Mom y que Dios la tenga en su gloria por siempre.
Why not we are talking about the today win of Dodgers? Is the reason this blog about. Or not?
I’m sad to learn of Micki’s passing, Thank you Ed, for letting us know.
May you rest in peace Micki, and may fond memories sustain your loved ones in their time of grief. -Dave
After watching today’s game I guess Doc is going to have to learn the hard way about Jimmy Nelson just like he did about Joe Kelly.
There’s always that annoying reliever or 2. this year it’s Nelson and the combination of Alexander and Santana.
Oops I forgot to say I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think so.
After 1.2 innings at Coors? Wow, tough crowd.
We have news that a dear family member died, and all you can post about is the Dodgers bullpen. That is very sad.
I concur.
I’m sorry. I never spoke to her here and she never spoke to me. It’s like going to a funeral of someone you never spoke to/knew.
Mark, I appreciate this blog and enjoy it almost every day. I will hate to see it go, but I respect you and I will respect your decision whatever it is.
I’m probably not as good at it as I think I am, but I just try not to participate in the cancel culture. I feel like the only way to speed it’s end, is for thoughtful people to ignore it. We don’t need anything that divides us more than we already are. It would be helpful if we all stopped for a moment and considered the other’s perspective, especially when our knee-jerk reaction is that their POV has no validity.
It’s easier to change your mind than to change inflammatory words already posted.
I don’t post here as often as I would like but I had to stop by and send my condolences to DBM’s family and friends. She was an angel among all of us less gifted than she. Even though I never knew her personally, she always seemed to be so positive about everything.
Our loss is heavens gain and she will be sorely missed by all. REST IN PEACE DBM.
They won, and still fans find fault. Enjoy the win, DBM would have. And they were playing in Coors field where very few pitchers get by unscathed. Maybe one of these days Eric, you will have watched the game long enough to understand that. No one is perfect all of the time. And Nelson is a starter by trade, not a reliever. And Santana has not even thrown a pitch yet. He was just activated when Gonsolin went on the 10 day IL. They finally announced why Graterol was out, he was positive for Covid. On the passing of Miki, we can all feel happy that she lived long enough to see the 32 year drought end. RIP.
So saddened to hear of Miki’s death. Her sweet spirit came through In each of her posts. It was people like her that made writing for this blog so special.
She will be greatly missed! My deepest condolences for Ed and Miki’s family and friends. She was like family to us.
My prayers are with you!
To Dodger Blue Mom’s family and friends, my heartfelt condolences. I found her to be a very special voice and balance to this community.
Her passion for the Dodgers and her humility was part of her exceptional contribution to this blog.
Mark, thank you for sharing this with us.
Whatever happens going forward regarding LADT, and I do hope it continues, I would like to express my gratitude to you Mark. I appreciate you.
Also, thank you to all the main writers and contributors, this is a special place, having access to the knowledge, wisdom and opinions of fellow Dodgers fans on LADT brings a bit of peace and sanity. Thanks LADT family.
I never had direct communication with her, but she was always a lady, very respectful, and very active in this blog,
I am very sorry for what happened, she already anticipated us in her departure from this life, surely she is already in heaven, and from there up in the sky, she could see the Dodgers in front row.
Rest in peace DBM !
She was always positive, and had a humble willingness to learn and understand more about the game from some of the more knowledgeable here. I’m sure she had a full and wonderful life, it’s a sadness we won’t see any more posts from her.
Mark, just curious about what was offensive in my comment earlier that kept it from passing moderation…if you have time. Thank you
There was nothing. Sometimes it just happens. I did not do it and I released it from jail.
I think it was the typo in your name. 😉
Thanks Mark. I should always check my ID
when I type my name. smh
DBM was one of my favorite posters because she never did anything but express her “love of the Dodgers”. At my age one of my biggest joys is the love of the game of baseball and the Dodgers. For years I’ve felt stupid owners, spoiled players, labor strife and many other issues may be frustrating to me but I refuse to let them spoil my love of the game. This decision is just another in a series of things that will not distract me. Everyone has a right to make their own decision how they are going to react, we definitely live in a great country. GO DODGERS!
I totally agree Jim. My love of the game and the team has never faded through strikes, war, personal loss. As a matter of fact it is the one thing along with my music that sustains me. DBM and I were kindred spirits of a sort. I did not know about her musical past, but now I am glad she got the same joy from entertaining people that I did and still do. I never did it for adoration or recognition. I did it because I love singing and I love watching folks have a good time when I do. I care less about politics both of the country and the game. I watch for the pure enjoyment of it. When Knebel got the last out yesterday, I did the same thing I always do when a game is over. I slap my hands together, not clap mind you, but slap. As if to say, well that ones in the books. I will greatly miss Miki’s posts on here. Class is what she was all of the time.
Bear. You are welcome to write all you want. As is Jeff, Harold, 2D2 et al
I’ll be honest. I sometimes felt almost annoyed with Dodger Blue Mom. I would think, “how can someone be THAT positive ALL THE TIME? Doesn’t a player’s bad performance make you irritated? Doesn’t someone have an opinion that is so obviously wrong that you have to say something?” She could not bring herself to critical of anybody for anything. She just wasn’t wired that way.
She just had an unwavering love of her Dodgers – for many years. We can be here and be opinionated and cynical and parse through stats all we want, but there is something very pure about simply loving your team and its players and its personalities.
Hers is a dying breed. Today, nearly everyone is outraged, can be cruel, and insults and demeans – over things that are arbitrary and divisions that are manufactured. As our traditional religious institutions decline – and they are declining rapidly – the culture that created DBM is dying, too. Politics is becoming the religion, and it’s not creating a new crop of people like DBM.
RIP Dodger Blue Mom. I’m glad you got to see them win a WS one last time, and even now, as baseball itself becomes polarized and rejects your values, you would still love the Dodgers unconditionally.
I wasn’t around long here, but Dodger Blue Mom always left a positive comment that made you feel good, even with a article that was lacking in content, she always had that way of making you feel good. There’s a special place for people like that and I truly believe she is there now. My condolences to Miki’s family. May God keep her.
Really sorry to hear that. My condolences to the family.
RIP DBM, you will be sorely missed here.
You brought this site cheerfulness, respect and civility, something we seem to be in need of now, more than ever.
Oh, what sad news. DBM was such a sweet lady. She will be missed so much. May the Lord comfort her family during this sad time.