In Season 2, Episode 3 the Maine Cabin Masters were in Rome, Maine at the former estate of Elizabeth Arden. Elizabeth Arden founded the Red Door Salon in New York in 1910. When her first business partnership ended in 1909, she wanted to have a trade name so she chose the last name Arden from a nearby farm to go with her name Elizabeth. Born Florence Nightingale Graham on her family farm in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada, was a Canadian-American business woman, who as Elizabeth Arden , built a cosmetic empire in the US. By 1934, she opened the first destination beauty spa, Maine Chance, in the United States in Rome Maine. . It remained open until 1970. The Cabin Masters were remodeling it to accommodate returning disabled veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. As I watched the episode, my eyes welled up with tears as I had a past memory encounter of a dear friend who worked for Elizabeth Arden’s NYC salon. My encounter with Bernard or fondly known as Bunkie taught me some unforgettable life changing moments. Bunkie taught me how to create an illusion when making an entrance, how to indulge in Teuschers Champagne truffles and how to just embrace life with laughter.

Bernard was turning 40. As I pondered how to celebrate his birthday when this might be his very last one. Bernard known to all that loved him as Bunkie had AIDS. In a flash I jumped in. There was no better time than to take Scooter out of retirement than now. Years earlier, I had joined Clowns of America. I was a mime meant to bring simple joy and laughter. Now how was this going to work? My mind was racing with thoughts that included what if this is my last shared moment with Bunkie. There I stood outside his front door in full clown regalia looking very androgynous wearing a greasepainted happy face with a synthetic red curly wig. In the past, this face full of greasepaint had brought so many moments of simple joy and silliness to my audience. Now, nervously I was clutching a very large bouquet of Happy Birthday balloons and wondering what would happen when Bunkie answered the door. Emotions spoke louder than words. As the door flew open, joy lit up his face as he mischievously, playfully and gleefully reached over and tugged off my synthetic red curly wig. Howling with laughter and joy, we stood there melting into the moment together for what we be our last time, frozen in this moment until the tears ran down our faces. There were not enough words to express the deep joy and love and sadness that was in that doorway moment.After all these years it is still frozen in time. I surrendered and was dragged into the rip tide of a bittersweet tsunami of grief.

Soon after Bunkie began styling hair at Leslie Ellen’s . By Christmas he would land a prestigious gig working at Elizabeth Arden Red Door on 5th Avenue NYC where he would meet a prominent politician. She would invite him to do her hair and makeup for the Democratic Convention in San Francisco. That would begin his downfall from being well. My first encounter of Bernard was the day he walked into Leslie Ellen’s. Standing 6’5″ in Muck Lugh boots,with a full length red fox fur coat and topped off with a Russian fur Cossack hat was the first time I saw Bernard. He was dressed like a Russian Cossack in fur from head to toe. He had on a full length red fox coat along with a papakhi which was a Russian trapper hat and muck lugh fur boots. Later that year,I would be invited to visit him at the Red Door Salon. Feeling intimidated by the wealthy clients I would encounter, I pouted I had nothing to wear. Bunkie laughed and reassured me he would style me for my entrance. I would be dragging that magnificent red fox fur coat over my shoulder and on the floor as I made my way into Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon, 5th Avenue, NYC. Bernard came on board at Leslie Ellen’s Nail boutique as a hair stylist and make up artist. Time would showcase his exceptional talent and vision. As time unfolded he became more than just a hair stylist.

Christmas in NYC is magic on steroids. This was Bunkie’s first Christmas and he became intoxicated by the magic especially the shopping on 5th Avenue. Coming from rural Nova Scotia during a devasting fire, youngest of eleven children, Bunkie found himself in a “rags to riches”American Dream Christmas narrative. That Christmas he shopped for all of us in NYC. His present for me was such beyond a perfect gift from Bunkie-Teuscher’s Champagne truffles. Being a chocoholic it was well know and might I add observed that I would daily eat two Snickers with my morning coffee. Such a contrast to go from indulging in a widely available confectionery bar of milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and nougat to a luxury Swiss chocolatier known for high-quality, handcrafted, and artisan truffles. What an awakening moment that would get exacerbated when I offered my fellow staff a truffle. As I offered everyone a truffle, Bernard commanded the moment by demanding I close the box and give it back to him. Confused, I did as he demanded and surrendered my gift without even a taste. As I turned it over to him, he said,”this is to be enjoyed by just you. Serve it on bone china with tea” Immediately I acknowledged his request and was re-gifted the best chocolate of my life. For the next month I established an afternoon ritual and served myself a pot of English black tea, poured into a bone china tea cup with saucer along with a Teuscher’s Truffle on bone china cake dish. Years later, I was able to revisit that ritual when Teuschers opened a shop on Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM. After work every Saturday, I would stop in and buy a truffle or two and have an encounter with a fellow chocoholic, Ali MacGraw.. Now I wondered if this my first a high tea ritual? Indeed it was thanks to Bunkie.