I am now retired from the State of California where I worked a total of 33 years, including 18 years in the Governor’s Office and State Legislature, and the remaining 15 years in the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. During my career, I worked with national and statewide politicians, celebrities, and business leaders.
One memorable experience from my career years was a chance encounter with President Gerald Ford, who was visiting the State Capitol in 1976. As he and his entourage walked through the Capitol grounds, many people came out to greet him. I was one of those people, and when he paused to shake my hand, I saw his smile turn to sudden horror. The girl in the “red” dress who was standing next to me was pointing a loaded gun at the President! In a flash, both the girl in red and I were pushed to the ground by Secret Service agents - the gun lying between us! To make a long story short, this was the assassination attempt by “Squeaky” Lynette Fromme”, a disciple of Charles Manson.
Years later, I retired at 58 and have been really enjoying a life of leisure. I am committed to a healthy lifestyle and spend my mornings working out at the gym. This is followed by a two-hour walk with my little dog, Lilly, which also includes a stop at the neighborhood Starbucks. Ah yes, life is good!
My husband, Jack, and I have not been able to do much traveling since I retired – just a couple of weeks a year to the Oregon Coast. Unfortunately, Jack’s health has not been too good in the past few years, but he has been doing much better in the past few months. We are hopeful that we can get back to doing some serious bike riding soon. We have a couple of speedy road bikes, and before Jack got sick, we used to haul the bikes to Lake Tahoe, Sausalito, the Napa Valley, etc. and enjoy long distance rides.
As for our visits to Kelseyville, we return at Christmas time to be with my sister, Christie, and her family. My parents passed away about 10 years ago, and Christie is the only one of my sisters to return to Lake County. I guess I am now a city girl, as I enjoy life in Sacramento and especially the fact that Macy’s and Nordstrom are only a few blocks away!
Irene Kavanagh
Lilly & Tober January 3, 2009
2009 -Mothers_Day_Chico_Shoes_
Irene and Jack
Lilly & Tober January 3, 2009
2009 -Mothers_Day_Chico_Shoes_
Irene and Jack