My memories of our beginning......

I loved my job - every day brought something new and I found I loved all the ins and out of the motel business. I looked forward to going to work each day and was never in a hurry to leave at night. Listening to Dick interview the managers was amazing - he would somehow manager to bring out the 'real' person and get to the core of whether they would make good managers or not. But as the unemployment figure got less and less, his screening system didn't seem to matter so much - it was just a matter of getting the bodies! I can remember one time his saying - "I'm to the point that I'll even hire someone with a wart on his nose". Within a few minutes, Mary ushered in the newest applicants and in walks this man with the biggest wart I have ever seen on his nose. Dick and I didn't dare look at each other!

I can remember when Dick called me dear, but have to be honest that I simply thought he had absentmindedly said it - like one calls someone by the wrong name. But when the day came for me to leave for Monterey, I was beginning to question some things. But to go back briefly to the event leading up to that - Dick told you how we were suddenly out of managers and the problem came up in Monterey. I always remember his saying - "Well it looks like I'm down to me or thee - and it aint going to be me!". This was in the morning, lunch time I headed down to the local motel and had a two-hour mini-training session on how to rent a room and run the front office! Fortunately I knew the bookkeeping system, so just needed to know how to manage the rest.

As told, Dick drove me to the airport and there was an outside area at the Santa Barbara airport in those days where one could go outside and see the planes leave. That's where Dick was so as we took off, I could look down and see him. I felt awful, which made me very confused. I hadn't seen John in almost two weeks and yet here I was sad at leaving Dick. After the motel bit, we returned to Santa Barbara for a few days and then John and I went to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada to be with his family for the holidays. I think my ex-mother-in-law picked up on a strain that even I didn't realize was there with John. She said something when we left about staying close which I didn't quite know where she was coming from. I do know that my conversation during that holiday was work, Mr. Topper, work, Mr. Topper.......

I have often been amazed how strong 'denial' can be and when we came back, routine took over with John gone, my working life being my whole being, until the infamous Palm Desert trip. Dick and John had arrived ahead of Sue, Katrina and I, and when we checked into the motel we were told that Mr. Topper and Mr. Marsh were in the restaurant. We walked over there and sure enough, across the restaurant sat Mr. Topper and Mr. Marsh (John). My heart leapt - but for the wrong person.

There are now words that can express the emotions, the pain, the turmoil when I got home. I didn't sleep that night, wept and wept, and made the decision to call John. Regardless of anything else, I could not disrespect him by staying with him when I loved another person. It was not an easy time for any of us. The rest is history. That was 44 years ago and both Sue and John went on to very happy marriages and I know that Dick and I have been the soul-mates that fate intended us to be.


We sealed it with a kiss - In Las Vegas on August 6, 1966. I had left Motel 6 and was working in an orthodontist's office (Dr. Kuhn).
Dick's assistant Jim Campbell and his wife Betty went to Las Vegas with us and stood with us.
We were married in the Little Chapel of the Flowers. We went to the Aku-Aku restaurant for our wedding dinner - all very Hawaiian. When we went back to the motel it was to learn that there has been a big problem at the Palm Desert motel - apparently the motel manager and the restaurant manager had gotten into a big fight and one of them had thrown the other one in the pool. We were needed there asap.
Early the next morning (Sunday) the four of us drove there and put out that fire. My boss had given me the Monday off, so we were able to stay there overnight and then drove home on the Monday. What a honeymoon!!
We did manage to take a short belated honeymoon a little later. Dick had bought me this 1966 Mustang that I loved and we took a quick trip up the coast and spent one day in San Franciso. There was a little bit of Motel 6 business along the way, but mostly just fun time for us.

Sue and Katrina had moved to Fresno, but we would try to get over there when possible and spend time with Katrina. She and I always got along well and I always remember being really touched when she said to me that she had a hard time thinking of me as a step-mother, but thought of me as the big sister she had always wanted.
Looks like Katrina was a lot braver than I was in this picture - I look as if I'm afraid to get too close!