Art Myers

The world of diamonds and diamond jewelry is a world of its own. Combining beauty, value and portability makes them ideal for private ownership and the movement of wealth. On occasion important and well-known pieces of famous jewelry disappear. Walter Wainwright knew little of this world and had no interest about missing jewelry. Today he was only concerned about being able to make it back to his cabin in the foothills near Dubois, Wyoming before dark. The Wednesday morning flight from Washington, D.C. to Denver gave him time to get there and, on the way, make a quick stop at The Hitching Rack in Lander for dinner. He was tired, depressed and still hurting from having been shot. It has missed his vitals and now only causing him pain if he moved. His attempt to recover a young man from kidnappers had gone badly. The victim was dead, and the three kidnappers killed when they tried to collect the ransom on the offshore transfer.Turning his Mercedes camper van into The Hitching Rack's parking lot the lack of any cars or trucks had him remember it was closed on Wednesday. He decided to drive around the building to return to the highway and it was there that his life would change. Behind the building a strange scene was unfolding with a big man in the bed of a pick-up throwing someone's belongs onto the ground. He then dragged an attractive young woman out of the cab and pushed her onto the pile. Seeing Walt approach he decided to make his exit.It is here that Walter meets Susan Sussman, sitting upon her possessions with no place to go and no way to get there. They would spend that night in the van together at the Dubois Campground and the next night outside the cabin he had used to run his recovery programs over the past ten years. He resigned his position, lost the use of the cabin and started his new life with Susan.Their chance meeting of ninety-six-year-old Mary White in Dubois leads them on a search for two of the most prized and missing diamond jewels in the world. First finding the Tiffany Hazelnut necklace and pendant, followed by the much more valuable Egyptian Queen Nazli's Van Cleef and Arpels tiara.WAINWRIGHT is the story of how they were found and the love story of the two people who found them.

Cynthia Anne Ashbaugh was born on July 28,1998 into a middle-class family in Wauseon, Ohio. By her sixth year she exhibited the talents of a prodigy on the piano. Her mother was a pianist, and the family had a Steinway Parlor Grand piano that had been handed down from her mother's side of the family over four generations. It was Cynthia's great-grandmother Anne, who was living with them, that encouraged the very young Cynthia's interest in Sergei Rachmaninoff, the man and his music. She told her the stories her mother had told her of the time she had spent with him, the love they shared and the music they created together.It is in Cynthia's dreams that she comes to believe that she had been with Rachmaninoff himself, helping him compose the first movement of his Concerto Number 2 and aiding his recovery from the depression he was experiencing at that time. She had a mental breakdown while in her junior year at Interlochen College of Creative Arts and was found sleeping on a bench in the West Hollywood Greyhound Bus Station not knowing who she was, with no money or identification and saying she had come there to visit Rachmaninoff at his home in nearby Beverly Hills.As she is recovering from this breakdown, as a caregiver to an elderly lady, Wilma Herman, she becomes surrounded by a group of talented people. Most importantly John who, with five scientist friends, had invented and built a travel back in time machine. This had made it possible for a trip back in time for her, and two others, to visit Rachmaninoff at his home just before his death in 1943. This trip brings up the question of her having been there before that requires answering.Rachmaninoff recognizes her from an earlier time and gives her three boxes, two of which contain his never published compositions. In one of those boxes are two short compositions that had never been heard before, but that Cindy could flawlessly play from memory. These two scores were identified as 1899 Cynthia on the top of the first page. They shouldn't have been there, and it is here that the story of Cynthia's Dreams begins.

Ed Adams, with his wife Julia, was working his way through the donor's party following his being the featured pianist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic opener for the 2022 season. Congratulations and kudos were being accepted by Ed for his exceptionally fine playing of Rachmaninoff's Concerto Number 2 and the very difficult Concerto Number 3.He spotted a piano in one corner of the room and steered Julia in that direction seeking some space to take a break from the admiring attendees. Next to the piano was an elderly lady, in a wheelchair, seeming to be asleep. Julia knelt down to clasp her hands just as her eyes opened. Seeing Ed she said, "Edward Adams, my goodness you can certainly play Rachmaninoff. I knew him, you know."Robert Johnson and Sandra Williams were trying to get close enough to Ed to introduce themselves and just behind them stood a short man who was discretely observing this activity. The three waiting could clearly hear what Wilma Herman had just said and it was this that set-in motion what was to become a great adventure for all of them and would result in extraordinary gifts to the lovers of classical music.The short man, known only as John, with five partners had developed the means to travel back in time. Robert Johnson had been their first traveler and one of his trips had been to visit Rachmaninoff shortly before his death in 1943.It was this connection and Wilma saying, "I knew him, you know." that had John ready to plan and execute the next trip back in time. Ed Adams Touches The Stars tells the story of this trip and also of family, love, friendship, talent and respect that made it possible.

This is an autobiography. My story of eighty years from 1935 to 2015. My life started out as normal for a youth born in Southern California to parents of modest means but then wandered in many directions. Ancestry, family, youth, adulthood, education, marriage, daughter, home. Then from engineering to art, moving to Aspen, Colorado with family, later to Lake Forest, Illinois, back to Loveland, Colorado, onto a boat, and finally, but probably another move before the last one, to Vero Beach, Florida. A sculptor for thirty years, doing several house renovations, part of a design team of a unique pinball game and later a personal computer, catering and bed and breakfast operation. A fisherman, hunter, outdoors man., auto mechanic and handyman. My wife, like wise, made many adjustments. A registered nurse, in real estate sales, store owner, publisher of a coloring book, was the better half of the catering and bed and breakfast operation, excellent cook and home maker. We are still a happy married couple. As you may expect some thoughts and opinions are included. It has been a good and interesting life. I am recording it primarily for family and friends but hope others may find it of interest. It is my conviction that no other generation has had a better time to be alive than mine. That it made it possible for me to live it as I have and that it's story may have some value for you.

It was early the afternoon of July 15, 2020 and Sandra Williams and Robert Johnson were sailing their just purchased 2015 Tartan 4700, Du-eT, from Honolulu, Hawaii to San Francisco, California. Sandra was at the helm and Robert was below taking a much needed midday nap. She was hand steering as she enjoyed handling the big boat and the Pacific High winds were such that it required only a light touch. It had all gone smoothly and with less than 250 miles left they were both becoming comfortable with their new purchase and confident they had the skills to handle it.However, everything was about to change. As Sandra held the wheel a wall of greenish blue vapor appeared ahead and seemed to cover everything in their path. She called out to Robert for help and he was in the cockpit next to her in seconds.They stood together and watched the wall approach. Then, just as it touched the boat, it turned into what looked like a pane of glass. A sparkling emerald green bar started to advance crosswise on the center line of the boat. Frightened and unable to move, it passed over them and then disappeared as it went over the stern rail.All seemed unchanged at first, but it had gotten colder, the sky a bit less blue and the water grayer in color. Something had happened that they didn't understand at first, but it wasn't long before Robert began having his suspicions. Sandra was not far behind him in his thinking. She cried out, "It is John It is John and his group Robert, how could they do this to us?" Robert knew she was right and he also knew that they, and Du-eT, had been transported back in time. This is when the story of their adventurous visit to 10,000 years before present begins, And this time Robert knew that John would be joining them.

Andrew Miller ends up alone in a dark and dingy corner of a bronze casting foundry as the IRS auction of it's contents rages on about him. He finds what appears to be the parts of a large piano, covered in years of foundry dust, hidden behind a big boiler In the semi-darkness of the boiler's shadow he was able to carefully examine the parts as the auction approached. He felt a sensation as he touched the curve of the case that was so compelling he knew he must obtain the parts and restore the piano. There is no auction tag so he calls this out to the auctioneer just after the big boiler that was hiding them is sold. "Piano parts We have no listing for piano parts " the auctioneer yells back to him," then continues, "Piano parts What am I bid for piano parts? Am I bid one hundred dollars?" Andy raises his auction paddle and it is immediately answered with "Sold " There is a raucous ovation of laughter and applause as the crowd moves on to the next item and Andy returns to look at what he has just done. Andy and his wife Jan had moved to Loveland, Colorado just over a year ago. He to restart his career as a sculptor and she starting a new one in real estate sales. They were both approaching their fifties and were starting over as far a financial health was concerned. The entrance of the piano into their lives complicates this effort but leads to new friendships and provides Andy, and all involved, an exciting adventure as the magic of the piano unfolds for him. It had started at the foundry, lasted through the restoration and culminates with him able to play his piano at the highest level.

Robert Johnson has lost his job, his car, his apartment, and the love of his life. What else could go wrong?He waited in his fifth floor rental, with the spectacular view of San Francisco Bay, staying until the last minute before he must leave. It had been the center of what had been the best year of his life. Tomorrow morning, the first day of April, 2015 and his fortieth birthday, he would be living in the back of the used Honda Odyssey van that had replaced the leased 2014 Porsche Carrea S which was relinquished a week earlier. He was alone and homeless. It had all happened in exactly one year.His high paying job with the start up Engstrum Technologies had, along with the company, abruptly come to an end. With his big signing bonus he had rented the apartment, leased the Porsche and met Sandra Williams, all on the same day. They would be room mates at first, to share expenses, but then became lovers. She had left him two days ago leaving only a letter explaining her departure. The rental furniture had been returned and all his possessions were in the middle of the now empty living room. Four small boxes with his clothes in two suitcases and a hanger bag. He spent his last hour setting up his almost new iPad3 which had replaced his previous one that had made an unplanned fall from the apartment's balcony. It was then that a strange looking Icon came up on the screen and then "You Have The Chance To Visit History As It Happening. Do You Have The Courage To Go There?" appeared in frightening blood red script. "ENTER" would have to wait as it was time for him to leave.Early the next morning, 42 miles North of the city in Point Reyes Station, the story of his new life began.

In the Spring of 1994 a lonely and unemployed Ed Adams chances upon a yard sale in the hills west of Palm Desert, California. An elderly woman is selling a strange collection of golf clubs designed and made, she claims, by her late husband. At his first touch Ed immediately feels that the clubs were special and made for him. The lady says she will sell him the clubs if he promises that he will never sell them and of any monies he wins twenty percent must go to charity.Ed soon finds himself on the road to the PGA Tour with a small band of elderly supporters. Although they have the highest hopes for his success Ed soon comes to realize that the group's main goal was to see their late friend's years of creative effort gain the recognition it deserved. Seeming at first to have been a chance encounter it quickly becomes obvious to Ed that it is a carefully orchestrated plan. What the group did not foresee, however, was the instant and intense connection made between Ed and Julia, the granddaughter of one of the groups members. Not only did the group find a worthy competitor to showcase the clubs but Ed finds his true love and friends that become the family he had been longing for.The small group proceeds with their plans and they all work tirelessly to achieve the goal. The grind of the professional tour takes a toll on Ed and Julia even with his successes. As they find out more about each others past they must decide which path they will take for their future. As the chase of Ed's dream becomes a reality, life and love reveals an unexpected and exciting journey that surprises them all.