I honestly canNOT describe my utter and thrilling delight when I realized the “Benedict reservation” was none other than OUR Benedict family, namely Louis and his wife, Kay. HUGE CARTWHEELS AND POMPOMS OF ANTICIPATION. Louis lived here from 1952-1955 with his parents. They had made a visit a number of years ago when his brother Risque joined him at which time we learned two incredibly meaningful and serendipitous pieces of info that I took as a premonition to my reign as steward of The Surgeon’s House.
From the moment I saw my home I yearned for an arbor over the dining room French doors and I longed to replace the cheezy hot tub with a koi pond. On that visit, the only two images the Benedicts could find were: (1) Of Louis with his mother, seated on the dining room steps UNDER THE ORIGINAL ARBOR; and (2) The other of him and his mother again in front of the FISH POND THAT HE AND HIS FATHER BUILT exactly where the cheezy hot tub sat! In fact, on further investigation, the hot tub was positioned on top of the original foundation of the fish pond. How is that for inspiration of place?
This time we were blessed to reconnect with Kay and Louis (nearly 90 now) and Risque’s daughter, Nicole, and her daughter, Caitlin. What an utter thrill to once again see the enduring impact this home has on its residents. Louis re-read the comprehensive history that he wrote in 2017 for This Is Your Life: The Surgeon’s House and was pleased to report that he hadn’t fibbed! Thanks for the marvelous opportunity for gratitude to host the Benedicts . . .
