Road to the Villages – ACEO

Manuela,
Me gusta mucho tu trabajo! I love your work! and colors! I saw were you were born in Venezuela. My roots are from Venezuela as well. A beautiful country!
Elizabeth

@Elizabeth Chapman
Hola Elizabeth, gracias por tu comentario. Thank you for stopping by! what part of Venezuela are your roots from?

Well, I mostly lived in Caracas and Puerto Ordaz for a time. My mother’s side is related to a lot of Vegas/Sanchez. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of any of them. What part did you live in?

@Elizabeth Chapman
You kidding me?! I grew up in Puerto Ordaz and was born in Caracas. I lived in Caracas while I was going to college. I studied at the Colegio Universitatio Monseñor de Talavera in La Castellana. While in Puerto Ordaz I lived in Los Olivos and as for high school I attended the CIMOS. Where in Puerto Ordaz did you live? I’m not familiar with the Vegas/Sanchez, but that’s not a surprise as I’m really bad with names, so I might now them by face but not by name. Were you familiar with Alta Vista and the Centro Comercial Zulia? my parents used to have a jewelry store in that mall. This is so funny! that we both used to live in the same country, same cities and we get to meet online in the US.

Hope to hear from you soon! now I’m really curious as to know if we’ve ever met!

yes, this is interesting. I lived in Puerto Ordaz from the time I was six until I was nine. My dad (Norman Patterson) worked for Orinoco Mining co. and I attended an American school there. yes, we lived in Los Olivos. My grandparents lived in Caracas. My grandfather(Rafael Vegas) founded and ran Santiago de Leon, a school in Caracas which I would attend during breaks. You might be familiar with that. Was this mall your parents owned a jewelry store in Puerto Ordaz or Caracas? We did know some people that also had a store in a mall in Puerto Ordaz. I once met someone here in the states that attended the same kindergarten I did, in Santo Me! (not sure I spelled that right) It was the craziest thing ever, so it could be possible that our paths have crossed. Keep in touch.

@Elizabeth Chapman
The mall was in Puerto Ordaz, that’s correct.
I haven’t heard of the Orinoco Mining Co. in such long time! ha! everybody refers to it as the CVG, so you are bringing back sooo many wonderful memories of my childhood!
I’m sure familiar with the Santiago de Leon in Caracas, who doesn’t!
The only American school in Puerto Ordaz that I’m aware of was the Colegio Internacional Miguel Otero Silva, which is the one I attended until graduated from high school in 1985.
My parents house was located in Calle Mediterraneo, manzana 22. That area changed so much over the years, now the house has in front right across the street two schools, a public one and a private one. In what year did you move out of Puerto Ordaz? I’m pretty sure our paths must have crossed and we just don’t remember. Puerto Ordaz was a small city and at the time I was growing up my we used to know almost everyone. Please keep in touch.

oh my, there is so much information, but maybe we can make some connections. I left Puerto Ordaz to live in the states when I was 9 years old, and graduated from high school here in 1977. so, you would have been 1 year old. yes I just turned 50! My mother is going to get me more information on the name of the street and school I attended. She does remember us living close to an american church in “camp b”. She has also told me that my dad bought her a gold orchid pin with pearl from your parent’s jewelry store. She remembers the store and my parents also had some friends that owned a store in that mall Juan Pablo y Celia Palazios. Jose y Josephia Rivas were neighbors of ours. A friend of Dad’s (Marcopolis) ex-wife married Victorio who owned an Italian grocery store in that mall. My aunt Helena (Helena Vegas de Velarde) also lived there for a time. An uncle Epharin Carrera was an engineer for the Gure Dam. My mother’s name is Corina Patterson and Epharin’s daughter, Carmen Contrenas still lives there. Any way, I know those are a lot of names but maybe there might be something to connect. I have memories of a very wonderful childhood. Puerto Ordaz is a part of that- I use to roller skate in the streets, was free to go to friends houses, loved school, climbed and picked mangos from the trees, iquanas in the yard, the yellow popcorn trees and the list goes on and on…. at the time the american school I attended was the only one and only went to sixth grade. I was a part of their decision to move to the states. Let me know if you think of anything else.

@Elizabeth Chapman
OMG!! this is incredible!! your parents were my parent’s customers! this is so amazing!! I remember those gold orchids in my mom’s store! gosh I thought they were horrible! LOL!!… I wish my mom would remember, but I’m afraid her memory from those times might be gone, she’s suffered of Alzheimer for about 5-6 years now, still I’m going to try and ask her. I remember camp-b, of course! I had so many friends in there that I was able to reconnect with on facebook, and the only church that’s still there, at least it was 14 years ago, that’s how long I’ve been away from Puerto Ordaz. Carmen Contreras sure sounds familiar, but I can’t pinpoint her, so I asked my brother and he said the same thing, the name sounds familiar to him but he can’t pinpoint her either.
There was also a ballet school I attended to, the name of the owner and director is Carmen Fiorani, they were very well known in Puerto Ordaz and was the first and only ballet school at that time.
Oh! and the only boutique during that time was Boutique Chic, the owner was/is Pianina Antennuci, they were great friends of my parents and later on I would do modeling for her boutique. Then there was another jewelry store, the name was Joyería Brun and the owners were a French couple, they had 2 daughters Bebe and Betty and 1 son Bernard. I used to hang out with them a lot and we used to go to the Club Caroni to swim on the pool during weekends. I used to skate during Christmas time throughout the mall where my parents had the store, and I remember having a blast!… Gosh! you sure brought so many beautiful memories! of course, climbing the mango trees ( I was always getting yelled at by my mom! hehe!). Where are you now? I’m living in Michigan right now, we got back from Spain about 3 years ago. From Puerto Ordaz to Michigan, life sure takes us places! I have to pull out the memories, especially with names since I’m so really bad! I have photographic memory, but when it comes to names I’m completely clueless. I’ll call my mom tomorrow and see what I can get from her. You have a great weekend!

I live in Springfield,Mo, and have lived in this area since I moved here in the 4th grade. You might say I now have an ozarkian view point! The last time I was in Venezuela, I was 19 y/o. I am married with three grown children, well almost. The empty nest is just a few years away. I live a very simple life- yes, another ozarkian trademark!

I learned about you from Laurie Pace. She had seen some watercolor paintings that I was selling on e-bay, and contacted me leaving her contac sites. And of course I replied. She had given me some advice, among was a list of about 6-7 people that could be trusted. This was back in January, and I had checked them out but never contacted any of them. What interested me in you was two things- one your diversity(because I was thinking an artist had to stick with one style) and two that you were from Venezuela. I am not one to leave comments, but I am so glad that I have. I have enjoyed communicating with you, and it has also brought back many good memories for me.

I was just thinking this morning about the food in Venezuela. I loved ayacas, paella, black beans, rice and platanos. Even the pizza was better there!! I still love these foods- but not my kids. Oh, and the coffee, cafe con leche was the best! My grandmother was French, so there was the pastry shops as well!

Friends I ran around with in Puerto Ordaz were Sheila Fleming, Megan Valentine, Liz Crowley, Wyatt Delong, the Robinson’s were neighbors of us. Well, kids have arrived so need to go- keep in touch!

I have to thank my good friend Laurie then that for some divine reason brought us together! this is so amazing!
I’m really glad you decided to contact me. This shows how small the world is and how connected we are from each other.
Definitely I’m living proof that an artist doesn’t have to stick with just one style, is not bad, but certainly not necessary. If your creative juices need to flow let them flow.
If one day we are able to get together I’ll make sure you eat some of the Venezuelan food you so much remember. I don’t know if you ate them, am sure you did, but we always make Arepas con queso o carne mechada. We find the same corn flour, imported from Venezuela, harina P.A.N. and make arepas almost every week. We try to keep the tradition even during Christmas time, with the hayacas, pan de jamon, and pabellon is my oldest son’s favorite dish ever. My kids grew up with them, so I make sure they don’t forget their roots. Two of them were born in two different cities in Venezuela and the last one was born in Atlanta, but still I want them to love that beautiful land that saw their mom grow and gave her all the tools she needed to be who she’s today.
Definitely the food there was soooooo good! I sure miss so many things!
You take care and please do stay in touch =]

Manuela,
Omg, I had forgotten about the arepas- we use to buy those off the streets- yes with flys swarming around- they were delicious! I mean I looooved them- can you tell I love to eat? Seriously, do you know of where queso de mano can be bought? we use to bring it back with us to the states in a cooler, because we couldn’t find it here. Yes-maybe some day we can meet and you can cook! I wish I had done more with keeping traditions with our kids. Sounds like you’ve done a wonderful job with it.
I read your blog yesterday, and have bookmarked the different strokes for different folks, that looks very interesting.
On a different note, much easier said than done- but we are all here on a journey and there is a way that it will be used that can fit in with your art. You have so graciously been given much talent and have been so faithful to use it, that I can’t hardly believe that it would be taken away. Keep working at the pace you can handle without causing you pain. Look at creating as a healing process and allow it to heal you. Your versatility may well be an answer as well. I often am amazed when I have created something that just comes together quickly or taking something that looks like a mess and then with just the change of something it’s beautiful. What amazes me is that I believe God is the creator of all and that he does the same thing on a much bigger scale.
So, just believe and continue to work- God is in control and works all things for the good of His children. Hope this makes sense and is meant to be an encouragement to you. Thanks for communicating with me. I have really enjoy reminiscing the old times!
I will most definitely keep in touch,
Elizabeth

Elizabeth,

Thank you so much for your words! the talent will never go away, but if before the creative process was sometimes painful spiritually, now is painful physically and that’s the part I struggle very much so, but I’m a positive person and I’m sure that I’ll find a way to create one way or another.

We can’t find “queso de mano” here, we are in Michigan and can barely find the “harina pan”, in FLorida you would be able to for sure, but there is a cheese that we buy at costco that is quite similar and that’s the one we use for the arepas and even for the cachapas. The flies swarming around was something I would never get used to, and I just couldn’t eat on those places with flies everywhere, so no street food for me hehehe!

I truly enjoyed communicating with you. Please do keep in touch!

Have a spectacular summer!!

Manuela,
I just wrote a lot- and I don’t think it submitted it- my e-mail is elizabethchapman@artlover.com
Elizabeth

HI Elizabeth!
This is the only comment I’ve received, the other one didn’t go through.