So for a couple of hours yesterday evening we had company. That doesn't happen much any more, since people travel less than they used to — at least the people we know. I wanted to take photos but I didn't. It didn't seem right. So I give you a photo of our living/dining room and empty chairs. The visitors were two of Charles-Henry's nieces. I had never met them before. They made a special trip to come meet us and talk for a while about their uncle, our friend.
We sat around the dining room table for a couple of hours and reminisced. I'm talking about two women who are just four or five years younger than I am. We shared information about CHM's life. We compared notes. We each drank a glass of some of the local bubbly wine. It was nice. I have a feeling we'll see them again. More tomorrow.
Oh, I just love seeing your home... it really is so warm and inviting, and attractively full of colors and nice things :)
ReplyDeleteSo, would these be the daughters of chm's brother, who had contributed some of the information about their grandfather's life, to the wikipedia page? Did he have only one sibling?
Yes, CHM had only one sibling, his brother Pierre, who died two or three years ago at the age of 101. Pierre had four children from two marriages, including the two daughters of his who came to visit on Wednesday. I think they might come by again today on their way back to Grenoble, where they live.
DeleteCHM's father, who was a well-known doctor in Paris, passed away in 1956.
DeleteSitting around the table, sounds so French.
ReplyDeleteIt really is very French.
DeleteHow lovely! It sounds like you will each fill a bit of a void in each other's lives where CHM was. Hopefully it will be often enough that we will see their faces here.
ReplyDeleteIf they stop by here today on their way back to Grenoble I'll take some pictures.
DeleteGlad you were able to meet one another with the possibility of more time together.
ReplyDeleteI do hope they'll stop by again today on their way home. They wanted to give me some photos they have on a hard disk that they forgot to bring to our house when they came over on Wednesday. I gave them some photos that day.
DeleteSounds like a good time was had by all! More happy times in the future to share and learn more about CHM and each other.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good time. I actually knew Charles-Henry a lot better than his nieces did because I know about his life in the U.S. from 1969 until his death this year. I asked them if they had been to his apartment in Paris anytime recently and they said no, even though they spent part of their childhood there in the 1950s. I was there several times a year between 2006 and 2017, and at his house in southern California numerous times between 1997 and 2003.
DeleteBesides your years working in France you have that terrific advantage of spending time with CHM and Walt in France tasting and viewing and enjoying all the arts there! And now, all your residential time as well! You will be chalking up more time in France than the USA pretty soon, right? (Unless you have already told us that is true!)
DeleteKen your living room looks very cozy and inviting. I like the way you've done it up!
ReplyDeleteMost of the credit for that goes to Walt. And most of the larger pieces of furniture are ones we bought here when we first arrived 20 years ago, but five or six smaller pieces are ones we had in San Francisco and shipped over here back then. We really like this house and the yard. Maybe we'll never leave it (except maybe feel first...)
DeleteMaybe you and Walt will be taking a trip to Grenoble in the near future!
ReplyDelete