From: Neil Garrett & Rod Martin
Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone. I wanted to take time and share my slice of being in Tamara's life.
My journey with a friend.
Tamara and I met in Red Lodge on a campaign volunteer bus for a local candidate in 2010. She was easy to talk to and we connected immediately. That day we shared stories of our past and how we came to be in Montana, our love of wine animals and our families.
I invited Tamara to her first Seafood Boil at Cafe Regis, and I remember it to this day.... they poured the food on the table and she is looking around and finally looked at me and said, "where are the knives and forks"? I replied, " there are none, everyone eats with their hands". The look on her face was priceless!!! LOL
We continued to stay in touch and whenever she was going to be in RL, she and I would get together with my husband, Rod for wine dinners at our homes, drinks at Front Bar, Christmas Stroll, etc. When I was traveling to LA for business, she offered up the apt at the Venice cottage. That was a great evening. catching up, hanging out, drinking wine of course!!
We had moved from RL in 2014 and about the same time she started seeing Daniel. "The love of my life" she told me 20+ years later reconnecting and she was so happy. I could hear it in her voice.
Rod and I had the opportunity to meet and spend the afternoon with Tamara and Daniel in Venice October 2015. Yep, he was a keeper! Dammit! fuck it! That was the last time I would see Tamara in person!!
Busy lives and distance kept us in touch, (Dodgers, music, wine) but apart until last November... a video call for the elections. It was so good to see her and catch up that long, nail biting evening. We said our goodbyes and made a plan to see each other in 2021. In fact, I was going to pick up the phone and see if she and Daniel were going to be in Ojai in June when we were in Santa Barbara.
As I write this today, I am realizing that our journey started and ended participating and sharing our views during the electoral process in our country. Whew! That ended on a good note!
Tamara - Strong willed, devilish humor, smart, beautiful, kindhearted, fierce, humble.
Gone too soon, gone too soon.
Carpe Diem.