Art School

Art Studio 

One of the things Eleanor dreamed of doing when she left her job was spending more time in her art studio. For years, Eleanor had been making collages and drawing. Most recently she had been drawing roses. She had a lot of roses in her yard and picked them to put in vases. One day she began drawing them and found it addicting, trying to get the shapes she drew to match what she saw in front of her.

But collage had been a part of her since she was a child. Eleanor remembered sitting under a buffet table at the age of 6 or 7 and cutting out paper dolls. Families of them. Fathers, mothers, children. It occurred to Eleanor when she became a therapist, that young Eleanor was trying to put together a family because her own was falling apart.

Harlequin

Eleanor created a studio in her garage almost 15 years ago. She spent once or twice a week in the studio making collages out of paper, magazine cutouts, original stencils and spray paint. She was drawn to making figures which could hang from the rafters in the garage and dance in the breeze. One of her favorite pieces was a Harlequin figure, which was originally called Pierrot until Chauncey pointed out that Pierrot usually dressed in white.

Muses waiting at the door

Now that Eleanor was not employed, she devoted some time each day to doing art and was finding it hard to keep going when the voices in her head suggested that what she was making was not really any good and looked quite amateur. Chauncey, a lifelong writer, told Eleanor it was important to just keep showing up and ignore the voices. Trent, an experienced painter and art teacher, told Eleanor to leave the critics at the door and keep doing what she liked to do. He added that there was nothing like a trip to the art store for more supplies to call forth the muse and handed Eleanor a bag full of assorted colors of spray paint.

Trent's comment reminded Eleanor of the time her friend Nate took her to an art store in Taos where he was supposed to be writing poetry but ended up making hundreds of incredible postcard-sized collages during his residency there. Nate and Eleanor combed the store looking for nontoxic liquid and a special tool to transfer photos and words from the advertising pages to paper for collages, a technique Nate had perfected. 

Belle Bottoms

In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 hours to master one’s craft. Eleanor wondered how many more hours she had before she could call herself a master with scissors and glue.

Twenty-Something

When Eleanor went into the garage this morning, she noticed Lila’s friend’s bike was leaning up against the wall. She saw that his car was gone. Eleanor figured that Lila’s friend was not up to the task of putting his bike back on his car after an evening of pub hopping with Lila and her cousin last night. All three were in their twenties and, at the moment, approaching life in similar ways.

Lila, 21, was taking time off after two years of college to be a nanny. She declared she was happy to have her own business and to be earning money. Lila’s friend, David, 23, was attending the local community college. Following high school, he went to college in Washington for a year or two, became disenchanted and left to spend six months in Argentina. Lila’s cousin, Emma, 23, graduated from college in Montreal last Spring and was, as she put it, “trying to get her life together,” working as a bartender and traveling when she could.

Friends gathered in the living room of the railroad flat.

Eleanor began thinking about how she and Chauncey had spent their twenties. They graduated from college in Los Angeles and moved to New York City with several other friends. Most of their friends were actors trying hard to get their Equity cards so they could audition for paying roles. Chauncey and Eleanor went the graduate school route. It just seemed a whole lot easier than actually figuring out what to do with the rest of your life.

The summer theater company.

One summer, though, Eleanor was persuaded to join some of these friends in Vermont to be in a summer theater company. She had to call up her uncle and ask for an advance on a small inheritance from her mother who had stipulated that Eleanor could not have the money until she turned 25. Eleanor was 22 at the time. Chauncey stayed in the city to work and write a novel, though he was a frequent visitor in Vermont.

The view from the kitchen in the railroad flat.

One-year old Prudence and eight-year old Daphne in Vermont.

As she thought about being in her twenties, Eleanor was struck by how much she and Chauncey moved around. During their seven years in the city, they lived in two apartments in Manhattan, one of which was a railroad flat in the West Village with a bathtub in the kitchen, and one in Park Slope. Then they spent ten months in Vermont where Chauncey was a bartender and Eleanor a freelance editor. By this time, in their late twenties, they were married and had their first child. Still, they drove across country with their one-year-old daughter and eight-year-old Samoyed to return to Los Angeles where Chauncey’s family lived and where many of their actor friends had landed.

Eleanor was 30 by the time she had decided on a career path. Chauncey was 31 or 32. Eleanor smiled as she closed the garage door and saw the bike waiting patiently for its rider to return. 

Pilgrimage-Part Three

Eleanor and Chauncey climbed into their rented yellow camaro with some difficulty. The seats were low as were Eleanor and Chauncey's spirits having said goodbye to Fiona and Nate.

Once they hit the first roundabout on Cape Cod, Eleanor and Chauncey snapped out of the doldrums and focused on arriving at their next destination without getting lost. They were headed for Waquoit, a town near Falmouth, to stay with Eleanor's aunt and her husband. Once, many years ago, it took Eleanor and Chauncey two hours to walk home from a beach allegedly only a half hour from Eleanor's aunt's house. In desperation, they ended up calling Eleanor's aunt from a pay phone to be picked up at a nearby pizza joint. Chauncey, who prides himself on being geographically savvy, was mortified.

The window faced the marsh.

Miraculously, Eleanor and Chauncey pulled into the driveway exactly when they said they would and were greeted with congratulatory hugs from Eleanor's aunt and her husband. Chauncey held his head high. There were lobsters for dinner and key lime pie for dessert. Eleanor and Chauncey slept well that night in their room with a window facing  the marsh.

They went to the Clam Man to pick out swordfish.

The next day, Eleanor and Chauncey accompanied Eleanor's aunt and her husband to The Clam Man to pick out some fresh swordfish for dinner. Eleanor's cousins were coming, and Eleanor's aunt and husband had planned a feast for the occasion.

Mr. Clam Man was outfitted with a red apron and had an authentic Cape Cod accent to boot. Going to the fish market remained one of Eleanor's favorite outings with her aunt. It meant that guests were coming and there was bound to be some fun.

The meal that evening will be remembered by Eleanor and Chauncey as one of the best they ever had. The appetizers were stuffed quohogs, which Eleanor's aunt had spent several hours preparing. The swordfish was accompanied by a light anchovy sauce whipped up by Eleanor's aunt's husband. There were lots of compliments on the food all around and toasts to the hosts. Eleanor and Chauncey experienced a familiar pull towards the East Coast.

After visits with some more family and friends, Eleanor and Chauncey returned the yellow camaro and boarded the plane home to Los Angeles. As usual, it was hard to leave. They wished one day to have homes on both sides of the country and the luxury to travel between them whenever they wanted.

Pilgrimage-Part Two

Eleanor and Chauncey boarded the train for Old Saybrook at 125th Street in Harlem. The train was crowded and there were no seats together. Their suitcases became a burden. For a moment, both Eleanor and Chauncey were frozen, incapable of moving along the aisle. Another couple pushed past them and somehow found two seats next to each other at the end of the car. After Stamford, more seats became available, and Eleanor and Chauncey sat down.

They were greeted in Old Saybrook by their friend Nate. He apologized for forgetting to buy beer. Eleanor suggested they could stop on the way to Nate and Fiona's house. Nate reminded Eleanor that blue laws still existed in Connecticut which meant that alcohol was not sold on Sundays. He distracted them with stories about Old Lyme residents as views of Long Island Sound appeared out the window.

Two offspring nibble at apples.

Nate and Fiona live with their 10 year old daughter Naomi in a house filled with art. There are colorful ceramic objects from China, paintings of all kinds, large framed kimonos, and cool collages by Nate. Outside, the house is protected from the street by hedges and trees growing as they want. Every evening as Naomi did her homework in the kitchen, Eleanor watched a mother deer and her two offspring nibble at apples fallen on the ground.

They stared at the water.

Fiona was determined to show Chauncey and Eleanor her favorite natural places starting with Harkness Memorial Park in Waterford. She was inspired by the fact that the owners of the land had donated it to the public. She wished for her own family's land on a point south of Harkness to be made into a park but suspected there would be resistance from her siblings and cousins. A strong wind threatened to cut the walk short, but Fiona persisted, and they found themselves seeking shelter in a duck blind near a pond. All complaints about the wind ceased as they stared at the water.

As a departing gift, Chauncey and Eleanor were treated to massages by Fiona's friend, Trish, who came to the house on a rainy Wednesday with table, towels, hot stones and soothing music. Towards the end of the massage, she asked Eleanor if she minded hearing about the spirits who were in the room with her. Eleanor said she did not. Trish told Eleanor that there were many children in the room who were joyous and happy. She said they wanted Eleanor to keep saying what she had to say. Eleanor asked if that meant she should keep writing. Trish said she didn't know.

The next day, after a trip to Pelham-Grayson for some healing stones, Chauncey and Eleanor climbed into their rented yellow Camaro and headed off for the Cape to stay with Eleanor's relatives. Eleanor felt sad saying goodbye to Nate, Fiona and Naomi and wished she could stay a little longer. There was still so much to talk about.

They climbed into their rented Camaro.

Pilgrimage-Part One

Not long ago, Eleanor and Chauncey embarked on a journey to the East Coast. It was their first trip back in four years. They often referred to their trips East as a pilgrimage because the people and places they visited were sacred to them. 

Helen and Amanda on the High Line.

The first stop was New York City, Eleanor’s birthplace as well as the birthplace of Eleanor and Chauncey’s eldest daughter Prudence. Eleanor and Chauncey stayed with their friends Helen and Amanda in their apartment facing the top of Central Park in Harlem. Helen and Amanda landed in New York three years ago after a year in Istanbul but were not convinced it was their final destination. Amanda complained she had not yet fallen in love with the city. She acknowledged that the bagels from the Koreans on Broadway were the best she'd ever had. Helen and Amanda agreed they were lucky to have a view of the park and an elevator in their building.

Eleanor and Chauncey's first apartment.

Helen and Amanda treated Eleanor and Chauncey to a spectacular version of New York starting with a walk on the High Line which took them from 34^th Street near the Hudson River down to the meatpacking district in the West Village. At the crossroads of Washington Street and West 11^th, Eleanor and Chauncey stood in front of the building they lived in before they were married. They reminisced about taking baths in the tub in the kitchen and carting groceries up four flights of stairs, now carpeted. 

The Empire State Building was visible through the trees.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent having lunch in Battery Park City with Amanda’s 93-year-old mother who almost blew away on a walk to the Irish Hunger Memorial. She returned home while Eleanor, Chauncey, Helen and Amanda continued the tour of the memorial and meandered northwards along the Hudson River. There were benches for staring out at the river on one side and a green field on the other. The Empire State Building was visible through the trees. 

Off to the Connecticut shore.

The morning before they left for the Connecticut shore, Eleanor and Chauncey ate fresh bagels with Helen and Amanda at a park next to St. John the Divine. They looked at the Peace Fountain and discussed the meaning of the statue of St. Michael. Each of them expressed gratitude for the time they spent together exploring nature in New York City.

Short Ribs

Prudence used a recipe from Bon Appetit.

“This meat is melt–in-your-mouth tender,” said Eleanor. She and Chauncey were enjoying braised short ribs at their daughter and son-in-law’s apartment. Prudence, their daughter, had used a recipe from Bon Appetit. The rest of the meal included swiss chard sauteed with onions and garlic as well as slices of baguette with roasted peppers and ricotta cheese. The table was alive with reds, yellows and greens.

Georgia hung around for a photo op.

When Eleanor and Chauncey arrived for dinner, Prudence was playing Simon and Garfunkle on the turntable Michael, her husband, had given her for Christmas. Both cats came out to say hello. Mason disappeared after sniffing Chauncey’s shoe but Georgia hung around for a photo op.

Eleanor admired the art.

Eleanor admired the art on the walls, particularly the collage featuring an image of Marilyn Monroe. Eleanor was reminded of the fact that Prudence shared a birthday with Marilyn and wrote a report on her in school. Michael said his friend’s brother made the collage many years ago, before Michael met Prudence.

Prudence and Michael were married a year ago at what used to be the Ahmanson Ranch. The sun was setting as they promised to love one another forever. Family and friends celebrated with much toasting and dancing until the shuttle driver announced it was her last run down the mountain and whoever was left would be camping out.

After dinner, Chauncey and Michael talked about their helicopter ride yesterday. Michael is a professional photographer and had to get aerial shots of some houses in Bel Air and Malibu. Chauncey was invited to go along and help locate the houses. He said his favorite part of the trip was flying out over the Pacific and hearing the pilot say to Michael, “I hope you’re done because we have about 6 minutes of fuel left.” Michael did not take the pilot seriously and kept shooting.

Prudence was playing Simon and Garfunkel.

The onramp for the 405 north was closed so Chauncey took an old route home through Beverly Canon from Sunset. He used to work at UCLA and was a vanpool driver to offset the transportation costs of commuting from Altadena to Westwood. He remembered picking Prudence up from day care and the two of them sitting up in the front with the rest of the van stretching out behind them. That was over 20 years ago but seemed like yesterday now.

Strolling

When it turned out the Jets game wasn’t being shown on TV, Chive and Lila consented to take a walk in the arroyo with Chauncey and Eleanor. Chauncey declared it to be his favorite walk in the world.

The river became visible.

The walk starts off on a dusty downhill slope which leads to a paved concrete road next to Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At the bottom of the slope, Chive heard the sound of the river and was stoked. He carried his football with him. A few minutes later, the river became visible to the right.

Periodically, there was a bridge to cross.

Periodically, there was a bridge to cross. On one bridge, a man was tackling a tall tree leaning against the outside railing. He succeeded in knocking it down into the water below but a branch flew off and hit Lila on the foot. The man looked and continued walking in the opposite direction. Lila said her foot hurt, but it did not appear to be injured. She was outraged that the man did not apologize. Chive suggested the man may not speak English.

Eventually, Chauncey announced there was a spot up ahead where they could sit by the river. A woman was leading her horse, Believer, across the river when they arrived. Lila and Eleanor admired the horse, and the woman showed them where to pet him on his forehead. She said he was her favorite horse out of the fifteen she had owned during her lifetime.

A small frog leapt up.

The foursome explored the area. Chive took off his shoes and waded in the water. Lila followed suit. Chauncey inspected the wildflowers, and Eleanor took pictures. She was delighted when she sat down on a rock and a small frog leapt up. Everyone came over to have a look.

On the way back, the light became softer. Other walkers were returning from the waterfall farther up the trail. Chauncey suggested they start earlier on another day and head for the falls. All agreed it was a great idea.

All agreed it was a great idea.

Closeups

Getty Museum.

One day Eleanor took her mother-in-law, Cecilia, and Chive, Lila’s boyfriend, to the Getty in Los Angeles. This was Cecilia’s first trip to the Getty. Eleanor and Chive had each visited before.

After parking several hundred feet below ground, Cecilia, Chive and Eleanor boarded the tram for the 10-minute trip up the mountain to the museum. They shared the tram car with a boisterous group of 6^th graders and their teacher. The teacher told the students to look out the window for deer which live in the mountains. A few seconds later, students with sharp eyesight began announcing, “I see one” and “There’s one.” Eleanor looked and thought she saw a statue of a deer but wasn’t entirely certain.

The three went first to an extensive exhibit with photos of Cuba from the last 75 years. Cuba has always been a mythic place for Eleanor. She grew up in the 1960’s on Key Biscayne in Miami. Her friends were young Cuban immigrants whose families had left Cuba before Castro. As they sat in their living rooms, her friends showed her photos of themselves dressed in white in front of grand homes in Havana. They spoke Spanish to their parents and ate meat cooked with onions and plenty of garlic. Their names--Miriam, Lilian, Gloriosa, Manuel--were unfamiliar to Eleanor.

Lilian, Gloriosa, Eleanor, Miriam.

Eleanor was completely overtaken with the idea of being forced to leave your home and move to another country. She made up a story of her own to tell them. She said that her family came from France and spoke French. (Eleanor’s mother did read and speak French, and Eleanor’s family had recently been to France on vacation). One of her friends, probably Miriam, asked her to speak some French. Eleanor quickly repeated the one phrase she remembered from her trip, a phrase the hotel doorman greeted her with each morning, “Comment allez-vous, mon petite fille?” Miriam remained unconvinced that Eleanor’s story was true.

They took in the beauty.

The trio ended their visit to the Getty with a walk around the garden. Chive took the camera and followed three monks whose bright orange robes matched the intensity of the colors of the flowers.

 Cecilia and Eleanor sat on a bench and took in the beauty of their surroundings. They talked about the photos they had seen, mostly the ones of the sky in an exhibit next to the Cuba exhibit.  Cecilia looked up and saw that the blue of the sky was almost exactly like the blue in a photo of the sky at Malibu. She was happy to know that the photographer had not fooled her.

Cecilia looked up and saw the blue sky.

Melding

At lunch one day with her friend, Fleur, Eleanor described camping in the rough with Trent and Olivia. Fleur, a poet and always curious about the back story, asked how Trent and Olivia had met. “It’s an unusual story,” replied Eleanor.

They met at Clingstone's.

They met about 20 years ago at a restaurant on the East Coast called Clingstone’s. It’s in the middle of a bay on some large rocks. You have to take a launch from the marina to get there.

Trent was a waiter at Clingstone’s.  One night, after his shift, he was sitting at a table drinking a beer and playing Pinochle with some of the other waiters. Trent says that Olivia came in with a date, Harcourt, a guy Trent had seen there before with other women. The first thing Trent noticed about Olivia was her red curly hair and green eyes. He remembers she wore a red flouncy skirt and a shiny black top. He was smitten.

The game didn't turn out how Trent expected.

They played four-handed pinochle. Trent’s partner was Marcos, the Portuguese owner of Clingstone’s. He and Trent had won big playing together. Harcourt’s lineage was long and his pockets deep. Trent and Marcos couldn’t resist the challenge.

The game didn’t turn out how Trent expected. Olivia explained quickly to Harcourt the ins and outs of bidding and melding and when to use the dix. They beat Trent and Marcos but not before Harcourt had too much to drink and couldn’t stand up straight. All four climbed aboard the launch and headed back to the marina.

He and Olivia drove out to the lighthouse.

Trent offered to drive Harcourt and Olivia home. He dropped Harcourt off at his family’s estate and, then, he and Olivia drove out to the lighthouse to get to know each other better.

Fleur looked off in the distance. She said if she knew how to play the guitar she might write a ballad.

Angels and Monkeys

On a recent Friday night, Eleanor and Chauncey took the train from Union Station south to Anaheim Stadium with their friends, Ben and Veronica, to see the Angels play the Yankees. Ben and Veronica had season tickets to the Angel games. Veronica warned that the seats were in the nosebleed section.  Eleanor worried she might have to hang out by the beer station if the seats were slanted at too much of an angle.  She wasn’t always comfortable with heights.

Before leaving the station, the train was searched by a bomb sniffing German Shepard. It was two days before the 10th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks. This delayed the train’s departure so they arrived at the stadium as the players were running onto the field.

Several people stood outside the stadium gates with large cardboard signs announcing Jesus Saves and Jesus Loves You in red lettering. Stadium employees stopped taking tickets while the national anthem was sung by a prepubescent girl in a tank top. Ben reminded us that we were behind the Orange Curtain.

Behind the Orange Curtain.

Settled into their seats, Chauncey and Eleanor ate BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and drank Firestone Double Barreled Ale.  Veronica had a vegetarian hotdog and a pineapple margarita.  Ben stocked up on his protein with pulled pork and sausage. 

Eleanor and Veronica talked about why they had left their jobs as therapists at the same nonprofit mental health agency. They periodically cheered when the Angels got a man on base or sent the Yankees back out onto the field. Veronica said we had come a long way from watching Christians being fed to the lions.

The Rally Monkey worked his magic.

Sometime during the 7^th inning when the score was tied at 1 to 1, a Rally Monkey film was shown on the screen.  The Rally Monkey, a Capuchin monkey, is the Angel’s mascot. As soon as he popped up in the wrestling ring ready to take on Jack Black in Nacho Libre, the crowd went wild. Children in the stands held up their stuffed Rally Monkeys and danced along with the music. Every time the Yankees switched pitchers, another Rally Monkey film was shown to spur the crowd to cheer their team to victory. The Rally Monkey showed up in the trunk in The Hangover and was the villain who terrorized Janet Leigh in Psycho’s famous shower scene.

The Rally Monkey worked his magic. The Angels beat the Yankees 2 to 1 in the bottom of the 9^th inning. Ben couldn’t wait to check his favorite Angel blog at Rev. Halofan. Veronica could return to her painting satisfied with the outcome of the game.

Bird Chat

In early Spring, Eleanor and Chauncey set up a bird feeder under the persimmon tree in their backyard. They had spent some time watching birds feast at the feeder in the backyard of their friends Trent and Olivia. They concluded that having a bird feeder was a good excuse for sitting and drinking coffee for as long as possible before doing anything productive. 

Ginger & Macy

One morning as Eleanor was drawing at the table outside, she looked up to see a few finches perched on the feeder having their breakfast. She watched as they flew off to the avocado tree, waited on a branch and came back down again to the feeder, tweeting periodically.  Eleanor began imagining what they might be saying to one another.

Ginger: Hurry up, Macy, before the others come. You can get a good spot. You know what it’s like here when it’s crowded. You’re crunching on some seed and all of a sudden, WHAM. Another bird has slammed into you knocking you off your perch. I hate that!

Macy: I know. I was here yesterday and a chickadee just flew right up and landed practically on top of me. I had to get out quick. Like my mom always says, “A bird never flew on one wing.”

They have no fear.

Ginger: Those chickadees. They have no fear. I’ve seen them on the ground even when the cat’s around. (She lowers her tweet to a whisper). I saw him go for one of the chickadees the other day. It was not pretty. Feathers flying all over the place. You know where he hangs out, don’t you? Over there. Where the humans eat.

Macy: As if we can’t see his paw hanging out. He must think we’re so stupid. 

Ginger: You know what really gets me is those squirrels. They jump up on here and the feeder starts swinging like mad. By the time they’re gone, there’s nothing left for us birds.

Macy: I guess you have to be up with the lark if you want to eat.

As if we can't see his paw hanging out.

Ginger: And what’s up with that titmouse? Have you seen him? He is all over the place. I see him hiding out in the roses looking around before he swoops in but only for a second. It’s like he’s spooked or something. He’s gone before he takes a bite.

Each bird sings with his own throat.

Macy: I feel sorry for him. But, each bird sings with his own throat. Hey, after we’re done here, let’s go for dessert at the fig tree. The figs are just ripening and they are sooooo sweet.

Eleanor and Chauncey's Review of Books

All the unwanted books were gone.  They had been distributed to various places.  Most had gone to the library.  Others to the used bookstore and some to the post office to be shipped to online booksellers.

All the unwanted books were gone.

Eleanor learned by experience that selling used books was about as financially rewarding as selling used clothing.  Much to her surprise, hardback fiction in good condition was worthless.  Paperback fiction was worth slightly more.  Most valuable were paperback books likely to be assigned to high school students, such as, Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and The Hot Zone.  Even then, they brought in only a few dollars.  The online companies offered a few cents more than the used bookstore in town.  The books were worth more if Eleanor accepted store credit over cash. 

One evening during the purge, Eleanor decided to enlist Chauncey’s help.  The task was to identify the most valuable book in their library.  The obvious choice was the 16 volume set of the Arabian Nights which Eleanor had given to Chauncey for his 23^rd birthday.  Opposite the Arabian Nights, on another bookshelf, were 10 volumes of literary masterpieces by such authors as Homer, Plato and Milton.  

Don Quijote with illustrations by Pahissa.

The most intriguing contestant was a thin book bound in gold leather entitled, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha with illustrations by Pahissa.  The book belonged to Chauncey’s father who died when Chauncey was 17.  Chauncey’s father had also contributed the series of literary masterpieces.

Eleanor was certain they had hit pay dirt with Don Quijote.  During their internet search, she insisted she saw that illustrations by Pahissa were going for $25,000.  They checked out every source they could find, most in Spanish, desperately trying to match the edition of the book they had with photos on the web.

They all kept their places on the shelves.

The Arabian Nights came in first place at around $1,000.  Don Quijote tied with a book of short

novels by James M. Cain each priced at $150.  The literary masterpieces ranged from $60 to $100 each.  They all kept their places on the shelves.

The next day as Eleanor and Chauncey sat outside in the cocktail pit reviewing the day under a once grand but now dying avocado tree, they heard their neighbor’s eight- year old daughter ask her grandfather, “Abuelito, what time they close the library?”  Eleanor knew most of their books had gone to a good home.

Strawberry Lady

One of the tasks Eleanor inherited from Chauncey after she left her job is going to the Farmers Market on Tuesday mornings.  Chauncey took her the first time and showed her which vendors he liked.  There are only six to eight vendors so it is easy to keep track of where to go for what. 

During their initial visit, Chauncey pointed out the lettuce lady, who doubles as the strawberry lady, the egg couple and his favorite fruit guy.  As he and Eleanor passed a long table full of well organized fruit, Chauncey said, “Don’t go there.  He’s the mean fruit guy.”  And, in fact, few people are ever at his stand.

What Eleanor likes most about this particular Farmer’s Market is hearing Spanish.  The market is in a latino neighborhood.  Most of the vendors and customers are Spanish speakers.  Once, after Eleanor had paid for her strawberries, she heard the familiar, “Que le vaya bien (May everything go well for you).”  She had not heard this phrase since her last week of work. 

The Strawberry Lady

Eleanor spent over 20 years as a clinical social worker providing therapy to children and their families.  Meetings took place at the child’s school or in the home.  The parents were typically from Mexico and spoke only Spanish.  Eleanor spoke Spanish and developed strong connections with the parents because of this.  Often, after painful conversations about a family’s struggles, a parent would say to Eleanor as she was leaving, “Que le vaya bien,” or “Que Dios te bendiga (May God bless you).”  This was a way of expressing gratitude for whatever relief the conversation had provided. 

The strawberry lady’s words reminded Eleanor of the people she had helped not so long ago, in a world where Spanish-speaking immigrants search for ways to make a living and raise their children in a way that differs from how they were raised.  Eleanor promised herself to offer the same blessing she had been offered the next time she was at the Farmer’s Market. 

Camping Tricks

“What do we do with the toilet paper?,” asked Eleanor.  She and Chauncey were camping with their friends Trent and Olivia and their 4 month- old rottweiler Stella.  They were high up in the Sierras, away from bathrooms and most other campers. Olivia and Eleanor had known each other since they were four but this was their first camping trip together.

Stella

“Throw it in the campfire,” replied Trent.  He had been camping in the wilderness since he was a teenager and knew that leaving used toilet paper in the woods was not a good idea for many reasons.  Stella disagreed with Trent and frequently came back from her wanderings with the white stuff in her mouth.

Eleanor and Chauncey were in a Coleman tent designed to sleep 10. It even had a flap in the middle which could be zipped to create two rooms. They had bought the tent to take their two daughters camping many years ago and were surprised that it could still stand.  Olivia and Trent were in their pop up camper equipped with a stove, refrigerator and lots of storage compartments with all the food for the week.  Totally bear proof.

Coleman tent

Granite Creek

Many hours were spent by the river.  Everyone seemed to have a project or two.  Olivia worked on a quilt, Chauncey read his novel, Eleanor drew, and Trent tried to make it through, Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting for You, a self-help book which Eleanor and Chauncey had recommended.  When he got fed up, he went fly fishing or lay in the hammock.

In the evenings, there was the usual beer tasting, meal preparing, mosquito swiping and pinochle.  Hoyle’s Book of Rules was close by to settle any arguments about scoring.  The most successful team of Pinochle players was Olivia and Eleanor.  They were able to keep count even in the most trying of circumstances.

One evening, Eleanor put her purple scarf around her shoulders and became Izolda, the Tarot reader.  Olivia, Chauncey and Trent each brought a question, and Izolda used the cards to guide them towards an answer.  Being new to Tarot reading, Izolda had to consult with her book as she struggled to interpret the cards.  Olivia, Chauncey and Trent were patient, though, and pretended, at least, to have been enlightened by the experience.

On the last night, the campers went down to the river and looked up at the sky.  Eleanor lay down on a large, flat rock and, within moments, saw one of several shooting stars.  She felt deep gratitude for Trent and Olivia who had led her to this place and helped her feel safe in the wild.

Zuma

Chauncey was always the first to spot the dolphins.  There were several of them moving slowly southwards just beyond the waves.  A surfer sat on his board watching as they passed by a few feet in front of him.

Chauncey and Eleanor arrived at Zuma around 11AM and had to set up at lifeguard station #12 because lifeguard station #9, their favorite, was too crowded.  It was foggy and cold.  Eleanor suggested playing smashball to warm up. 

They set up at station #12.

Chauncey was deeply involved in reading a novel when Eleanor put on her wet suit and went in the ocean.  This was the first time in several years that Eleanor had worn her wet suit in August.  She felt a little silly as she looked around and noticed all the younger swimmers, mostly teenage boys, in bathing suits.  The water temperature was 58 degrees.  It felt good to be warm.

The waves were big and powerful.  Swellwatch, a website with information on surf conditions, warned that there was some tropical storm activity in Baja which was causing some unusually high waves.  Eleanor was alarmed when she was hit in the knee by a rock while walking back into the water after a wave pushed her halfway up the beach on her boogie board.  Later, Chauncey reminded her that there are no rocks at station #9.

The water is clean and healing.

Eleanor thought about the reasons she loved going to Zuma.  The beach is wide and long.  Even when it’s crowded, there is always a spot.  The water is clean and healing, despite the occasional rock.  Eleanor and Chauncey return from Zuma relaxed, their muscles loosened by the waves.

As they were leaving, Eleanor and Chauncey heard three, middle-aged men singing a Crosby Stills Nash song as they walked along the boardwalk down the beach.  They sounded like the originals, almost.  Another gift from Zuma.

Old clothes

Eleanor likes to keep order in the house.  For this reason, soon after her daughter Lila arrived home from college, Eleanor suggested that her daughter clean out her closets and drawers to find clothes to sell to a local resale store.  Eleanor had helped Lila unload the car and saw firsthand the clothing resources available to Lila.

Eleanor had helped Lila unload the car.

Eleanor gathered a few items of her own, including, the red Albert Nipon dress she wore as she and Chauncey left their wedding reception.  The dress was a gift from Eleanor’s stepmother, a Cuban professor with a flare for the dramatic.  Eleanor and Lila both tried the dress on.  It didn’t fit either one of them.  They admired the dress for a few minutes.  Lila made it dance on the hanger.  Then, it went into the sell pile.

Lila’s boyfriend, Chive, was enlisted to help carry the clothes from the parking garage to the two resale stores. The first store claimed to buy only designer clothing.  Eleanor felt confident about the Albert Nipon label. 

The store owner was a petite blond in her fifties, dressed in tight, white pants and a colorful, flouncy top.  She wore blue eye shadow.  She educated Eleanor about clothing as she examined the offerings.  Studying the Albert Nipon dress, she said, “Oh, yes, Albert Nipon.  We sold a lot of him when we first opened in the early eighties.  But, not now.”  And, about a green silk shirtwaist dress from Brooks Brothers given to Eleanor by her father, the owner said, “No, no one comes in here asking to look more conservative.”  Eleanor, Lila and Chive left without a penny.  Chive commented that the owner had not looked at him once.

Eleanor remained optimistic and encouraged the others to continue on to store number two.  A friendly, young Asian girl greeted them and asked to see what they had brought.  Chive sat down on a bench nearby having lost interest in the whole process. 

The dress was a gift from Eleanor's stepmother.

The girl considered each article of clothing carefully.  She held the item up to the light, felt the material and, more often than not, folded it up and placed it in the “NO” pile.  When she got to the Albert Nipon dress, she took more time than usual.  She held it up several times.  She turned her head and looked around the store as though she wanted to consult with the store owner about the dress.  Eleanor was excited.

No one else came to check out the dress.  The girl selected six items, including the dress, out of about 40.  She priced each article and offered Eleanor 35% of the total in cash or 50% of the total for store credit.  A pair of short overalls Lila had purchased for $6.99 were priced at $9.50.  The Albert Nipon dress, originally $200, was priced at $10.50.  Eleanor handed Lila a certificate for store credit worth $34.50.  Lila and Chive were dismayed.  Eleanor was not.  She felt relieved to be able to cross off selling used clothing as a career option and return to her drawing.