In Nat and Valle's dining room for apertifs and conversation
We had the good fortune to meet the folks who live in the big house directly across from us. We often admired the beautiful persimmon tree in their garden from our terrace level sitting room window. Martha met Nat one morning as he was entering his garden through the gate on our lane. We wanted their permission to prune their large rose bush growing into one of the windows of the bedroom facing the impasse between our two houses. One morning, after Martha talked with Nat, we arrived to find that the bush was pruned. We discovered that Nat (89) and his wife, Valle, had pruned it for us! When we found out, we knocked on their door, with a bottle of Rasteau wine in hand, to thank them. They invited us in for drinks – what a joy it was to see their beautiful home, filled with art and antiques, and engage in conversation with these two gracious and fascinating people. The evening warmed our hearts. Nat told us of his work as a French resistance fighter during WWII and his capture and internment at Dachau. His daughter, an accomplished artist, created a book of drawings in response to her father’s experience. Her images are deeply moving and powerful. Nat and Valle gave us a copy of her book – we treasure both it, and their friendship, greatly.
Valle and Dory - I love her glasses!
–Dory