THE 2011 FRECHETTE GAZETTE

LIFE IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

If I have learned anything this past year, it is that life should never be taken for granted. Each day is a gift… each moment is special. In 2010, we spent our first Christmas without my dear Mother, Queen Adele Stevens, who died 9/30/10. Somehow, we got through it and faced a hopeful New Year. We were determined to put our sadness behind us and move forward. Little did we know what was ahead. On the morning of Feb. 16, I received a call from my brother, Ed. I knew from the tone of his voice that something was not right. His words were, “Lynda, we lost our brother.” As I write this I recall that life and time stood still….I remember going to my knees in the kitchen and screaming…. “Please, Oh God, no!!! Please tell me you are wrong.” But it was true….Our precious brother, Fred Stevens had been on a golf trip in Hilton Head, and during the night he had a massive heart attack. Still reeling over the passing of Mom, this was more than we could bear. Fred’s passing leaves a huge hole in our family structure. He was a wonderful brother…a great husband to Anne, a loving Father to Fred and Joe, a devoted grandfather, a cherished Uncle, Cousin, and Friend to all blessed to know him. He and Queen Adele are missed every single day!

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

So, how do I follow what was just written? As I said, I learned something very essential from losing Fred…..that life is fragile, very short, and to make each day count. There is a void in our hearts that will always be there, but Life demands that we continue and pick up the pieces of our shattered lives… take one day at a time…inch by inch, moment by moment. And that is what we’ve been trying to do, with the love and support of family and friends who lift us up and keep us going.

BOB & LYNDA’S WORLD

We are so blessed to live in this wonderful world…..and especially Key West, FL and Chippewa Lake, OH. Both places are filled with fabulous people, lovely scenery, great fun and amazing activity. Bob is still a realtor in KW and is on several boards in town. He loves to golf when he has time and he is ‘my knight in shining armor’..my rock. I try to play tennis as often as possible, am a huge supporter of the Arts in Key West, along with Bob, and still send my blog out several times a week to over 1,000 people, informing everyone about the events going on in KW. You can check it out at https://www.conchtv.com/key-west/lynda. Together, we take advantage of all the things going on here….you name it, we try to be there! As I said…life is short and we don’t want to miss anything! You can e-mail me at kwlynda@bellsouth.net and Bob at rfrec59@bellsouth.net. Stay in touch…we LOVE to hear from you!

NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC

In March we flew to NYC to see our dear multi-talented friend, Bruce Moore, perform his cabaret show at The Metropolitan Room. We also got to see my Broadway idol, Sutton Foster perform in the smash hit, ‘Anything Goes.’ In May we flew to Washington DC to see another dear friend, Terri White, perform in opening night of ‘Follies’ at The Kennedy Center. It was fabulous and we got to attend the cast party and hobnob with Bernadette Peters, Elaine Paige, Linda Lavin, & Ron Raines….Wonderful! And thanks to Bunnie Smith & Jack Paul for being the ultimate hosts…even got to tour much of DC with them. Also so special to see Diane May and Donna Barnett too! A side note is that ‘Follies’ is now at the Marquis Theatre in NYC until 1/22! And then on to LA in May!

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

If you ever have a chance to go to a Class Reunion, go! I was blessed to have graduated with a super group of people…we are close till this day, and every time we are together is a celebration! This year, our reunion was on July 30, and I was the presenter of the Program for the evening. It was so much fun….and every classmate was awarded a special memento, made just for them by mois! By the way, Bob loves our class and rightly so! We are a unique group who graduated from St. Stanislaus High School ‘several’ years ago!

ROAD TRIP TO UPSTATE NEW YORK

In August, what fun it was to enjoy some quality time with Mary Ellen & Clayton Beattie at the Finger Lakes…and then with Richard & Will Stephens & Tony Martinez in Eden, NY. Just loved every minute with our wonderful hosts! We also loved visiting Niagra-on-the Lake…beautiful!

OUR TRIP TO ITALY

While I was working on the Class Reunion, Bob was planning this fabulous trip! He had his head buried in travel books for months…Fodor became his new best friend. We left for Italy on 9/14. It was a magical vacation. We re-visited cities we had been to before like Rome, Florence, & Venice, and also grand new places like, Orvieto, Resina, Assisi, Perugia, Montepuliano, Cartona, Lucca, Portovenere, the fantastic Cinque Terre area, Portofino, Santa Margharita on the Italian Riviera, the Lake Come area(couldn’t find George Clooney anywhere!), Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Piacenza, Cremona, Verona, the Lake Garda, and Padua. Each town was memorable, the weather divine….the food was to die for and we both gained too much weight dining on that sumptuous Italian cuisine. We also had two wonderful drivers who got us up those winding roads and right to wherever we had to be every day. Two Italian high points were spending three glorious nights at the magnificent villa, Casa Nova, in Resina Umbria, guests of Jerry Galeana, a great hostess! This was like something out of a movie… something we will never forget. The other unique moment happened in Florence. It was evening and we were searching for a restaurant recommended by the concierge…. All of a sudden, passing by, I said “Bob, there is Ken Peskett”….Ken is a friend from Key West….I called out to him, and sure enough…he turned his head and said, “OMG, the Frechettes…no one even knew I was here!” We ended up sharing dinner and a very special evening together. I mean folks, what are the odds? You can run but you can’t hide (Right, Ken?)! It is a small world after all!!! Our last days in Italy were spent in Venice….as ethereal as we remembered when we visited some 20 + years ago.  On Oct. 1, we boarded a train and began our trip heading to visit Bobby Nesbitt in Munich, GA.

MUNICH, GERMANY

We were excited to be ending our European trip in Munich, with the wonderful Bobby Nesbitt, one of our dearest friends. Bobby was performing for a month at Pusser’s New York American Bar. After dinner, we went to listen to Bobby play and sing and it was pure joy!!! After about 45 minutes, in walks Pat West and Chip Allen from Key West! You can imagine our surprise as we did not know they, were in town. It turns out that Bobby and Pat & Chip wanted to surprise us, and they surely did! Needless to say, it was another high light! The next day, Bobby took us on a super walking trip of Munich…visiting parks, churches, gardens, etc. On Oct. 3 Bobby took us to the last day of the famous Oktoberfest in Munich! We had so much fun ….delightful to see thousands of people of all ages enjoying themselves…men and women in authentic German costume. Thanks Bobby! You were a great tour guide! The next day we left for the good ole USA!

OUR CHILDREN

Both Rob and Melissa live in Illinois. Rob is still in the AC & Heating Business, loves to fish, and is a devoted father to daughter, Alexandria (Lexy). Darling Lexy, now 13, going on 20, is a great student, athlete, & cheerleader too! Melissa and her husband Jeff have become active in their parish, St. Dismas. Jeff is in the Knights of Columbus & a lector. Melissa, who has a big, caring heart, loves being in charge of the Youth Group! She continues to be a big country Western fan. Her son, Jonathan, lives on his own, and is working in Mt. Vernon, IL. How quickly the years go by. My hope is that one day we will have our children all with us for Christmas!

NANCY STEVENS

This is a tough one! Sandwiched in all the lovely times and fun activities, there is great sadness. Nancy was married to my brother Ed, for 23 years. Though their marriage ended, Nancy remained close to our family. In fact, she has been like a sister to me….she is godmother to our son…the mother of nieces Sally & Jennifer & nephew, Ed Jr.…who are also our godchildren. In September, Nancy was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. After surgery, they were able to remove 95% of the tumor. She was to begin radiation, chemo and a vaccine therapy three weeks after. Unfortunately, in those three week, the tumor grew back, and more surgery to remove that mass was needed. This was a shock to Nancy, and she has decided to let go and let God….to not have any further procedures performed. She is at peace with this and claims she is ready to ‘go.’ She is at The Holy Family Home, St. Barbara Suite 210, 6707 State Rd., Parma, Ohio 44134. It is a 24/7 Hospice Care Center. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and also our whole family who loves her and will deeply miss her presence in our lives. She enjoys getting mail, so please do send her messages of support and love at this difficult time. We will be flying to see her on 12/16 thru 12/19 to say our Goodbyes….my heart is aching once again.

CHRISTMAS 2011

This will be our first actual Christmas spent in our Key West home. Our house is decorated to the hilt, and we look forward to niece, Sally Stevens & husband Robert’s visit with us 12/27 to 1/1. It will be special to celebrate the New Year with them here. This year we celebrate all those we have lost, and the wonderful people they were. We remember, Mom Adele, brother Fred, plus dear friends, Mary Jo Da Silva, Vince Neuman, Lynn Bernat, and Adeline Turner. May you & your loved ones enjoy a blessed & beautiful holiday! Reach out…touch…love! Make each day count! Looking forward to hearing from you not just on Christmas but throughout the year. Cheers for 2012! Love to one and all…..Lynda and Bob Frechette