October 13, 2004
Dear friends and relatives,
Studio Tour
In September we have an event “Longmont Studio Tour”. Sixty-three artists participated in this event. Here, at our home, there were 5 artists who participated and we had 250 visitors. Ken made a comment returning home from a bicycle ride that he couldn’t get into the driveway to come home. For those who have not visited us here, our driveway is a private single-lane dirt road ½ mile long. There are a few places where you can pull over to allow passing and Ken mowed them so people could see them.
I sold 7 paintings to our visitors - an absolute record for me. We had a lot of fun, camaraderie and met some wonderful people. When it was over, I had to lie down for about ½ hour. It was tiring, but fun.
Ken had a business trip to
We boarded our aircraft at Denver International at 5:20 pm and waited while maintenance replaced a battery. The plane was very hot because they had no battery to run the air conditioner. That delay cost us about an hour’s time, but soon after that we were airborne.
If you have not been to Charles deGaulle, it is quite large and confusing. Going thru customs started out in queue but the line soon increased in size from about 8 ft. wide to 30 ft. wide with everyone shoulder to shoulder. Now the French design beautiful buildings with wonderful symmetry, but this airport was very hot and stuffy. We waited in line approximately 30 minutes.
Of course, we had to change US dollars into Euros. The dollar is not as valuable in
With those two ordeals over, we next needed information on
the trains – when they departed
At the train station Ken purchased our tickets. We had a delightful ticket person who asked if we qualified as seniors and then said “I must ask, but you do not look as though you are seniors.” Trains are posted on an illuminated board 30 minutes prior to departure. Ours was not posted. There was no schedule of daily trains posted anywhere, so in my limited French I approached a person who looked as though he had a schedule and asked when the next train for Rouen left and if it stopped at Vernon. He advised the next train departed at 14:30 hrs. It was a little after 12:00 noon and we decided to find a restaurant outside the train station and have a bit of lunch.
In France if you want a diet Coke, it is a Coke Light; a bottle of water is bouteille de eau. Ken ordered some sort of salad, which was very small, but my order included three meats and was very generous, so we shared.
Back at the train station while waiting for the
We found our way to
Giverny and
Monet’s gardens
We hailed a taxi and were taken to Giverny. The driver charged us 22 Euros (for three miles) that we felt was outrageous. We found out later that he had ripped us off. We had reservations at Musardier and to Ken’s chagrin our room was on the third floor, so up we went with all our luggage, got settled and walked around the town Not to be discouraged with the taxi experience, we found Giverny an absolutely delightful, cozy, quaint. town with asters and hollyhocks (which were 7 ft tall) growing along the sidewalks. The manicured gardens had even larger specimens. The flowers were still in bloom and were gorgeous.
.We walked in the gardens at Musee l’Art American. There were several garden areas, one with all white flowers and a clump of red dahlias, another was a blue garden, then a yellow garden, purple garden, the hillside was dotted with haystacks in the shape that Monet had painted his famous haystacks.
We had dinner at Auberge de Moulin and returned to our room to get the much needed rest for the night. (At this point we figured we had been up for 26 hours straight.)
Sunday October 3rd. We slept till 8:00 am and it felt refreshing. A typical breakfast at a bed and breakfast is coffee or tea, orange juice and croissants that just about melt in your mouth and a few pieces of French bread of course.
Our first stop Sunday was the Musee de Monet, Claude Monet’s famous home and gardens. The gardens were still very much in bloom and were incredibly beautiful. Everywhere you turned you have a painting waiting to happen. The Japanese bridges and water lilies were fantastic. Walking the grounds gave me a chance to pick out a painting spot for Monday. We spent over 2 hours in the gardens and ½ hour in Monet’s home. The first room you walked into was completely blue. Monet was fascinated with Japanese prints as they filled his walls. His dining room was completely yellow with the Japanese prints exactly as he had them positioned when he lived there.
Monet’s studio was a large, paneled room with Oriental rug and beautiful furniture. He either used drop cloths when he painted, or was incredibly neat. On these walls were many reproductions of his paintings. We saw two paintings of Gare Saint Lazare. Since we had just been at this gloomy old railroad station we found them interesting. A sailboat painting had wonderfully soft colors.
What a splendid kitchen with an assortment of copper pans. The stove was fueled by wood.
Before leaving I picked up a book and some postcards.
We walked across the street to Musee L’Art American and had lunch in their outdoor café. It was the 1st Sunday of the month and entry to the museum is free in all French National Museums.
After touring this museum I sat at a bench in the white flower garden and painted for a couple of hours. Many people stopped and commented favorably on what I was painting. One woman asked if I sold my paintings and I told her yes, but I had just arrived here, etc.
We evidently did not know the operating system at our hotel. They served dinner Saturday evening, but we had dinner elsewhere. We had planned to have dinner Sunday night, but the restaurant was closed, so off we walked to the place where we had dinner Saturday night. On the way back we met some Americans who were staying at our hotel.
October 4, 2004
James, who works at Musadiere, speaks some English having lived in the United States for a few months. We were able to ask that he call for a taxi for Ken on Monday and set up the same arrangement for me on Tuesday. Today is off to work for Ken in Paris and for me it is off to paint in Monet’s Garden. We said good-bye at 9:15 a.m. and I walked up the narrow cobblestone street for my next adventure.
On Mondays the gardens are closed to the public but open to artists by appointment. I was told I should check in at the garage. However, nothing was marked garage. I did see some enormous green doors, but decided to walk down the side street where I knew there was a guard station. I had to jump to peer over the stone wall and no one was on the other side. It was back to the enormous green doors. I stood in front and knocked. A couple seconds later a voice echoed through an intercom probably asking what I wanted so I announced who I was and that I was an artist. These giant doors slowly opened into an inner sanctum, a very dark place. Being alone, and not really knowing if this were the place, I waited till the doors opened far enough to reveal two gardeners. I felt comfortable about this and walked in and proceeded to an office area where I paid my money (15 euros) and checked in.
Having scouted out the gardens and locations where I might paint during yesterdays visit, I walked directly to a bench on the lily pond with the Japanese bridge. I did not bring an easel with me and needed a bench to lay my pad of Wallis sand paper on my lap and begin painting with my pastels. I also brought a limited amount of pastels with me.
Perhaps ½ to ¾ of an hour later another artist came in and set up near me asking first if this was all right. I told her it would be wonderful to have company. She was French and lived only an hour’s drive away. A comment she made during one of our conversations was she did not come to Monet’s garden too often. Every time she had called they advised the limitation of 10 artists had already been reached for that particular Monday. She said that people from abroad made arrangements far in advance to paint at Monet’s garden.
I must tell you that I wrote in June 2004 to book a
reservation on
It came to be 12:30 pm and I thought it time to seek out some lunch. I checked with the office to make sure I could return and then set off to the Ancien Baudy Hotel. The green garage doors magically opened once again and a group of at least 12 tourists were staring at me as I exited. They asked how they could get in and I had to explain the on Mondays it was only by appointment and only artists could enter.
After reaching the Ancien Baudy Hotel and Restaurant I found it closed. I walked back to a small restaurant which had a sign stating food and drink at any hour and they were closed. I continued down the road to our hotel and found it locked. Well I rang the bell and James came to the door. I said James, everything is closed. He said “but of course, everything is closed on Monday”. I said where could I get some lunch? He asked if a sandwich would do. I said yes that would be wonderful. He went in to check with the lady owner and came back to ask if some ham and salad would do. I said yes and he escorted me to the dining room. A few minutes later, he brought about a 10” long piece of French bread with some ham and lettuce and about 14 pads of butter. I removed most of the butter and ate being very grateful that I was able to obtain some lunch.
As I was eating, one of the artists who was at Monet’s garden painting, came and knocked on the glass window asking if she could come in. Having no authority to let someone else in, I ran and got James. He politely told the lady that she could not come in. She only wanted coffee and he said there was none. She went away and I finished my sandwich. James was wonderful. I was so glad he was there. I gave him several of my greeting cards with one of my paintings on it.
Back at the gardens I now positioned myself at the front entrance to Monet’s home and painted the picturesque front door with potted blue morning glories on either side. While painting, a black cat sat on the porch posing for me. I tried to take a photo of this and before I could get the camera out, the cat left.
Turning away from the door I had a lovely view of a garden walkway covered with nasturtiums and bridged by arches with wisteria. At 4:15 pm I called it a day and was quite pleased that I had started 4 paintings. I can’t finish a painting immediately and need to look at it later and proceed from there.
I said merci and auvoir before leaving and smiled all the way to the hotel. What a wonderful day. You could feel Monet’s presence in those gardens.
Dinner was being served at the hotel that night so I went into the dining room about 7:30 pm. A couple across the room asked me to join them. I did not want to interrupt their dining, but they said they have each others company every night and to please join them. They were both retired teachers from San Diego and it was very pleasant to have conversation over dinner as opposed to eating alone.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
At breakfast met a delightful couple from
On to
After settling the bill for our stay at Musardiere I
gathered my luggage together and waited for the cab and my next adventure:
boarding the correct train to
In boarding the train a nice young gentlemen said Madame and something, which must have been the equivalent of, let me help you and picked up my largest suitcase and carried it up the steps to the train. Trains in France, at least the ones I rode have two levels. You may walk down 4 steps with luggage or up 4 steps with luggage. Then there is a small seating area up only 2 steps (across from the lavatory). Guess which seating I chose with that luggage. The 2 steps up of course.
Well, I got to
Checking in at the Novotel was also an experience I had to talk my way into. The previous day Ken had advised the hotel staff that I would be arriving the next day and for them to expect me and let me in to the room. Well the agent I spoke with said I had to call the room for Ken to advise it was ok for me to check in. I said he is across town at meetings. Well we have more discussion and she finally called in a manager. I explained that the standards group reserved a block of rooms, etc. She checked further and authorized that I could check in. After finding the room (room numbers were on the carpeting outside the door) and unpacking I decided it was time for lunch (1:30 p.m), ate at the hotel restaurant. After lunch I thought I would use the rest room on the 1st floor instead of going up to my room. It had a number pad and you had to code in a certain set of numbers to get in. Luckily a lady came up and had the code and let me in. However, getting out was another thing. I couldn’t get out. You had to press a button and the door was supposed to open. I tried and tried and thought you will be locked in this ladies room all afternoon. Finally on about the 6th try I got out and breathed a sigh of relief.
Sennellier visit
After that I set out to find the famous French art supply
shop, Sennellier on Rue 3, Quai Voltaire.
(Interestingly enough, the web site for Sennellier had the incorrect
number listed as Rue 20.) With map in
hand I made my way to Pont Neuf and crossed the
Paris is a bustling city with much traffic and pedestrians and it was an event to walk and explore in this scene. I did find Sennellier, which is a shop consisting of three floors and has been in business since 1900. It hasn’t changed much since then. I also met the “man”, Mr. Sennellier, himself. He is charming and helpful and speaks excellent English. I gave him one of my post cards and he asked where Longmont was in relation to Denver. I told him about 42 miles from Denver. He said, ah I go there to visit my good friend Charlie (meaning Charlie Meininger). Meininger’s is a large art supply store. He also said that Charlies store is much larger than mine. I replied, but yours is special. He saw that I have pastel all over my hands from picking out pastels and brought me to their lavatory so I could wash up. He then personally rang up my purchase and handed me a commemorative photograph post card done in black and white of their store back in 1900.
It was time to find my way back to the hotel (I get a little lost on the return). I went back to the room and found an envelope with my name on it with a key inside. Well I had checked in and gotten a key and wondered how in the world they expected me to pick up a key when it was in a room with a locked door. Not long after arriving at the hotel Ken knocked on the door and we hugged up and were happy to see each other.
The restaurant Ken chose was a 20 minute walk with the
lights glittering on the
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Walking in
Ken had a few hours off in the morning and it was great to
be able to see some of
We did enter Notre Dame Cathedral. What a magnificent structure with stained
glass windows. Walked past the Hotel
Dieu, which was once the main hospital for central
We strolled down Rue Chanoinesse, a crime scene in the 14th century. Somewhere on this street there was a barbershop and a bakery. The bakery was famous for its pate. Students used to frequent the barbershop and occasionally a student would be missing. One day a German Shepard kept barking at the barbershop and would not go away. After persuasive interrogation, the barber confessed to slitting an occasional student’s throat and selling the body to the baker. They were both put in a cage and burned to death on the street.
We had what the Parisians call an early lunch at our hotel as Ken had to get to meetings that afternoon. I was able to purchase post card stamps and mail all my cards at the hotel and with that accomplished took a cab to Arche de Triomphe. I walked up the 200 plus steps to the top and observed the outstanding 360-degree view. On the way down I stopped in their museum. It was very well done and there were some very interesting photographs of the Germans marching into France via the Champs Elysee. I walked down the Champs Elysee and found a taxi and was dropped off at Jardin de Tuilleries, which is a lovely large park with wide promenades However, Monet’s Garden had more spectacular flowers.
Before returning to the hotel I walked through an area
filled with flowers for sale and took a couple of photos. On the walk back to the hotel I found a
grocery and picked up two bottles of
Tonight is a large party for all attendees and
spouses/partners of the Standards Group.
At
Thursday October 7, 2004
Roche Pastels
visit
I was up early with Ken and we had breakfast together. Today is my appointment with M. Isabelle Roche. It will be exploring a new section of Paris on the right bank. A church near by Saint Eustache was under much renovation. Nevertheless I stopped in to see the art and stained glass windows. The churches are really museums with wonderful art.
I had to find Rue Rambuteau and was confused for a little while but after retracing my steps I found it. It took a few minutes to reach 20 Rue Rambuteau. It was a bit difficult locating the shop with was in a passage way/courtyard between Bouledogue Restaurant and a Pharmacy. The courtyard had perhaps 4 parking spaces. The place I was looking for: La Maison due Pastel was marked by a piece of paper in one of the small windows. This shop is small and the building dates back to earlier centuries. However I was early and since I now knew the location I kept walking a bit further.
Not knowing any of the outdoor cafes, I ducked into a little bar/restaurant for a cup of coffee and whiled away some time. The bill for the coffee was 3.5 euros ($5.), but it was a place to sit down. I could have chosen better because many smokers came in and the place was filled with smoke.
At 12:00 noon I entered Bouledogue Restaurant. Bouledogue is French for bulldog and indeed there were two bulldogs in the restaurant. I stretch lunch to be the longest lunch I myself have ever had sitting along in a restaurant. First there was coke light, water, soup, salad, wine, coffee and dessert. It was now 1:30 pm and my appointment was at 2:00 pm. You are probably wondering why I hung out in this area so long. Well because I know I do get lost and did not want to miss my appointment.
I waited in the doorway of the Laundromat. At least it was a little warmer and I did not think it was to be as cold and damp as the day turned out to be. The owner of the Laundromat saw me standing and I explained whom I was waiting for. He motioned for me to sit down while I waited. He was in the area when Isabelle walked up to the shop and motioned that that was M. Roche. I thanked him and went out to meet Isabelle Roche.
Isabelle is a woman in her thirties. She is carrying on the Roche family tradition making pastels and left her job with Exxon as a chemical engineer. She speaks excellent English and we had a delightful conversation. We talked about the Roche business and she told me that she wanted to continue the family tradition and felt it should continue within the family. Inside the shop is very small and is not heated. Isabelle brings in a heater when it is cold to take the cold damp chill away. Roche pastels are stored in these hundred-year-old boxes with the Family crest embossed on some of them. She makes the pastels at another location and is at her shop on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. You best make an appointment if you wish to see and purchase these pastels.
After several minutes conversation and photographing Isabelle, which came out very well. She opened up those marvelous boxes housing colorful pastels. I picked out about 15 of the very intense colors some darks such as navy blue, green, purple, brown (almost black) and reds, yellow, orange, turquoise. I was a kid in a candy factory, but had to limit my expenses as the prices of one stick of pastel ranged from 11 to 18 euros. The reason I picked the intense colors is that they have the high pigment concentration that I wanted to create more saturated colors.
Well it was time to check out and I handed her my charge card. Her machine was in trouble and she made several calls to the company for help. She made me a cup of tea while we were waiting. After 1-½ hours, she had me sign paperwork and was going to run the number through the system at a later date. It was a wonderful day and the fact that I easily found my way back to the hotel made it even better.
Arriving at the room, I found Ken in bed. He had come down with a horrible cold and needed some rest. I was perfectly content to check on my paintings started in Monet’s garden and resting the feet and legs from pounding the pavement and cobblestones for much of the day.
For dinner we walked to Ille Saint Louis, the smaller island separating the right and left banks of the Seine. Ille Saint Louis is smaller the Le Cite and with no Metro stations it is quieter and very quaint. It is connected to Notre Dame by a small bridge. There was a fellow playing French songs on his accordion on this pedestrian bridge and it felt very French.
We had dinner a Au Sergent Recruteur on 41, rue Saint Louis in I’lle. The restaurant was recommended by Ken’s friend, Neil Roche (no family connections to Isabelle). I must first describe the building, which dates back to the late 1500’s. Old rough-hewn logs for banisters, the same with ceiling supports, old winding staircases – a lot of atmosphere. This was a fixed price menu at 38 euros, each meal included all the wine, and beer you could drink, 4 starters including soup, pate, a basket of hard sausages with knife and cutting board and a large basket of whole vegetables of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, endive, and celery. The table setting was colorful and a painting waiting to happen. After these starters you had a choice of one of four entrees and then dessert. The waitress and waiter were helpful, extremely friendly, and dashing all over the place. It was so great we decided to come back on Friday and bring a friend, Robert Shanbaum.
Friday October 8, 2004
The day is gray and threating rain. I was planning on painting plein aire, but decided to just walk and take photographs along the River Seine.
It was 9:15 am which I reached Sainte Chapelle and decided to stop in to see the enormous stained glass windows. There is a security checkpoint to go through. Sainte Chappelle is a 2-story church. The first floor was for the common people and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The second floor is the grand hall for royalty. Louis IX built this in six years. It contains 6,458 square ft. of glass. The rose glass window is spectacular. This building took special skills to erect because of the enormous amount of glass. In fact it is mostly glass with slim supports between each window.
We needed to change
I then headed for the Seine and located an area where I could walk a good distance. I happened to be the only person walking along and was able to photograph tour boats and various points of interest. It was a chilly day so I made my way to Ille Saint Louis and stopped by a sidewalk café for a cup of tea. The service includes both a tea pot and a smaller pot of hot water in case the tea is too strong. (By the way, just for comparison cost interest, the cost of this tea was 5.50 Euros…equivalent to $7. US.)
There was a French couple behind me and the fellow had a voice just like Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clousoe character. I don’t know what he was saying, but his female companion just giggled away. Having this break gave me a chance to decide on my next adventure.
Frommer’s Walk Guide Book described Marche Buci as one of the liveliest markets in the city. It said one would become dizzy from all the sights and smells. (This was exaggerated, but nevertheless worthwhile seeing.) So with map in hand I set out on foot to find the market. It must have been about a 30-minute walk but I did find it. Nearby I saw a kiosk in a sidewalk cafe outside the L’Atlas Restaurant with two fellows, one with a long white beard. Both wore red jackets with L’Atlas written on the back. The bearded fellow would shout out to passers by to stop and look at the wonderful display of fresh seafood. There were urchins, oysters (in three grades), shrimp, and mussels. It was beautiful. Unfortunately my camera needed charging and I could not get a photo of this.
It was lunchtime and I sat at a table adjacent to this fresh fish kiosk. The men made opening oysters look like child play and when they opened mine, they set the lovely tray with the freshly opened oysters in front of me. My entrée was mussels (Moules). I must have had about 100 of them, small and succulent served with bread on the side and of course I ordered a glass of wine. It was a wonderful experience to sit by this kiosk and watch people come up and gaze upon this wonderful display of fresh seafood. You could get a take out of oysters on the half shell. The street did contain several other kiosks and bakeries and restaurants, but I did not become dizzy from this. The aromas were tantalizing though.
Refreshed, I headed back to the
Late that afternoon Ken and I took a boat cruise on the
We had dinner plans with Robert Shaunbaum this evening and when he arrived we set off for au Sargent Recruteur. Upon arriving there, there they had extra staff working because it was a Friday night. We told the person at the desk we had a reservation and while she was trying to locate our name, the fellow who served us the night before came up to us and called us by name and immediately seated us. This really impressed us (and Robert). We were seated at a cozy table, so cozy you had to pull the table away to get to the seat and once in there you did not get up until you were ready to leave. Robert was very impressed with the presentation of baskets of meat and vegetables. We had the camera this time and took photos of the food.
We asked our lovely
and energetic waitress where she was from and learned she was from
In walking back to the hotel we met a French couple walking
their dog. We happened to be in front of
Notre Dame admiring the illuminated façade.
The fellow was telling us about the façade and then drew our attention
to a small circular stone set in the paving and explained that this marked the
very center of the old
Saturday, October 9, 2004
The Impressionist
museum
Ken slept well after having taken medicine we picked up at
the pharmacy the day before. Meetings
being over, we are planning to visit the Musee d’Orsay (the
The impressionist’s exhibit is located on the 5th floor. Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Van Gogh, Renoir. You could take photos without a flash and Ken did photo a few of them. I saw some of Degas pastels and he did not blend the strokes at all. He must have used grainy pastels as you could see the scratch lines up close.
We had lunch in the magnificent and elaborate museum café with paintings on the ceiling, gold accents. We left the museum and walked in a heavy, wind blown rain. I cancelled any thought about visiting the Rodin Museum as much of what I wanted to see would be outdoors and we walked back to the hotel. This did give us time to rest and pack for the return trip home. My thoughts were of our dog, Zeus.
On our way to dinner that night we again walked by Notre Dame and heard a service going on. We entered and were delighted to hear the choir and its awesome acoustics in this cavernous space. This was not a mass, but some sort of ceremony inducting both women and men into some service. The two women were dressed in street clothes, but the men were dressed in white robes, some with red over the shoulder sashes. The pastor/bishop was at the lectern and spoke in a voice that reminded us of a “Don” speaking. We did not stay for the entire service.
For dinner we again went back to Ille Saint Louis, but this time a different restaurant. As soon as we were seated a disturbance occurred out in the street – a fight. The gendarmes quickly came with their da da da da siren. They do not travel alone; there are at least 4 to 6 police in each van. We were a bit amazed by our waitresses dress. One with a strapless black slitted gown and another dressed in a scanty pink dress with only small spaghetti straps just about holding the front of the dress in place. We were wondering if this were just more than a restaurant. The food was good and we enjoyed our wine and our last night in Paris.
October 10, 2004
We had a light breakfast and called a cab to drive to Charles deGaulle airport. It was 44.60 euros, but with our heavy luggage it was worth it. Other transportation would have taken longer and we would have had to leave our hotel in the wee hours of the morning.
Traveling home
Trying to find the United Airline check-in was challenging. In fact, everything about this airport is challenging. I was carrying my pastels in a red carry on bag. I did not want the pastels to be pulverized by squashing and pounding them. I was stopped going through security, but passed their inspection. We had about 1 ½ hr. wait and I thought this would be a good time to visit the ladies room. There are no restroom facilities inside the secured area. You have to go outside security to get to the rest rooms. On returning through security I was carefully wanded, then allowed to pass.
When we were called to board the aircraft, I was pulled aside, frisked, and my bag thoroughly searched. Ken was ahead of me and already on board. When he turned around and did not see me he told one of the attendants he had to find me. He found me on the jet way just as I was cleared to board the plane.
The trip back home was long. Ken was still not feeling well and I had just come down with the same cold/virus and was uncomfortable just sitting that length of time.
In Chicago we had to claim our baggage and go through customs. They had a beagle brigade working and sniffing peoples baggage searching for food, plants, etc. which would be illegal to bring into the US. This beagle was almost dragging around the officer holding the leash.
Once again, going through security in Chicago I was stopped while they searched my bag. They opened up the pastels and I told them I had just been to France painting. They passed me through.
Tragedy at home
The arrangement I had with Carol, our house/pet sitter was
that I would call her when we got to DIA.
She had the full itinerary of where we would be in
We arrived home after being up for 22 hours, tired and not feeling well. Zeus was more than happy to see us. I saw a note on the table, which said “I fed Zeus at 4:30 pm and took him out. Please call as soon as you come home. Lee (Carol’s daughter).” I made one phone call out of three numbers on the note and left a message that we were home. I then took Zeus out to take care of business. Back in the house I looked at my kitchen. The double sink was full of dirty dishes, there were shoes, clothes, food, vodka, and glasses on our center island and to the right of the sink were at least 40 bottles of vitamins/vitamin supplements. I never knew anyone could take that much stuff.
So this time I called another number and I was really weary and tired, only wanting to lie down. This time I left a message which was in a tired frustrated sounding voice that we were home and the kitchen was in such a mess that I was going to have to clean it before going to bed. Well I received a call in less than a minute with Lee ranting at me about sorry we cannot meet your standards and then almost shouted out that her mother died in our house. Well that really shocked me and I said What! Oh my God I’m sorry, but she kept ranting and raving and a man in the background yelling you F----Bitch. I said look I’m very sorry that your mother died, but this conversation is not going anywhere and I’m hanging up now. Moments later I received another call with the man cussing me out with very foul language. The phone again rang and this time Ken picked it up. It was the same person still enraged.
The next day the foul mouthed man came over to pick up Carol’s belongings and apologized. It’s ironic that he had a crucifix hanging from his rear view mirror and could use such really fowl language. We asked what happened. It seems that Carol’s family has a history of high blood pressure. She did not believe in seeing a doctor for medicine for this problem. She was a firm believer in holistic medicine. She evidently was treating herself with all those supplements, plus there were supplements in the refrigerator. She had the garage door open, her purse was in her car and she was going to go to a game her grandson was playing in. Came back into the house to put on a pair of shoes and while tying them had a massive heart attack. I believe because she was not at the game and was not answering her cell phone a family member found her. This traumatized Zeus. All Sunday night he kept crying and nudging me. I finally got on the floor with him to help comfort him.
We received piece meal tidbits from our neighbors about the deputy from the Sheriff’s office trying to find out if our neighbors would watch Zeus. I called their office and sent my thanks to them.
Epilogue
This was truly a lesson in life. We were having a wonderful time with some great experiences and upon returning were shocked and shaken by what happened in our home. Life is full of surprises. You must grasp and enjoy the good moments that come along and then ride the disturbances.
We are back into our schedules and enjoying our home. I enjoy traveling, but really love coming back home.
Wishing you all Love, Health and Happiness,
Diane and Ken