This is Julia.
She went to Marquette with my son Mark in the mid-nineties.
Coincidentally, Mark and Julia saw each other years later at an Ohio swim meet where their daughters were swimming.
Sunday evening Julia and Rick and their family came over to Mark and Erika’s home for hamburgers on the grill.
Each family has four kids so they were laughing about meeting Freshman year, whoever thought they’d be eating together with their four kids apiece.
Julia brought these Wine Charms that spelled out LEBOWSKI as she’d seen some of Mark’s photos of the 13th Annual Lebowski fest he had just attended with my first cousin Jim.
She makes all different kinds of charms and you can check out her Charms Kool Page
Photographed by Mark
Mark in Louisville at the 13th Annual Big Lebowski Festival
Best Group Costumes- The Eagles
Photos by Mark
Costume winners photographed by Mark
Donny’s Ashes 
Cousin Jim on the right and Liam O’Brien in Middle. John is on the left/ photographed by Mark
So funny! Love the charms, and I could almost swear the costumed guy on the left was Jeff Bridges!
It is pretty wild but difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t know the movie. Thanks Naomi. Maybe I should have left out the Folgers Can pic.
Donny’s ashes?
It is part of the crazy movie. It’s hard to explain this phenomenon.
If this is too much, I apologize.
I’ve seen the movie but am not heading to any festival. My sons wife doesn’t even care for the movie. But thousands of people are into it, quoting it, studying its meaning etc.
There is a professor who teaches a course on it. Seriously.
In the movie, the Big Lebowski, this is the container used to hold Donny’s ashes.
People who are fans of the movie gather together and do all this from the film.
My son sent this quote to respond to your query Gilly.”The quote: (by a character in the movie played by John Goodman)
Walter Sobchak: Donny was a good bowler, and a good man. He was one of us. He was a man who loved the outdoors… and bowling, and as a surfer he explored the beaches of Southern California, from La Jolla to Leo Carrillo and… up to… Pismo. He died, like so many young men of his generation, he died before his time. In your wisdom, Lord, you took him, as you took so many bright flowering young men at Khe Sanh, at Langdok, at Hill 364. These young men gave their lives. And so would Donny. Donny, who loved bowling. And so, Theodore Donald Karabotsos, in accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.”
Thanks Ruth and son! Can you believe I’ve never even heard of the movie? I sometimes think I live in a different world to most people. The huge following sounds a bit obsessive and crazy to me, but hey there are people who go to sing along with the Sound of Music film!
I think the eagle costume should have won. But. . .who am I to say. Great story.
They did win best group costume
The Dude abides . . .
A Big Lebowski Festival? Now that sounds like fun. So does the the 2 families getting together. Looking back to when I was 20, I never would have guessed my life would have taken me to this point. To spend an even in with someone whose life in some ways mirrors my own — even 4 kids — would be a marvel.
They probably have one in Chicago. Not sure what else is on the menu but I think Beer
Ruth — you know I live right across the river from LOUISVILLE!! I knew they were having the festival, but I honestly think this was like a higher-numbered festival than 13. Was the one he came to THIS year or in a previous year? Just curious! Mark wouldn’t have known me but I’d have recognized him anywhere! Great photos, Mark!
It was this year. I didn’t go. He had a great time. Crazy. One of these days we will see you for sure Sally
Those costume winners are pretty spot-on! The wine charms are a terrific gift idea.