87 Roommates....And Still Counting

By Freda Amsel

"87 ROOMMATES...and Still counting" is a funny
and informative true story about sharing your
home with total strangers.

Whether todays recession is pinching your budget or you would just like meeting some wonderful people, and some not so wonderful people, this could one day make you an author.

As a Numerologist, I needed to prove my numbers
since Im a skeptic at heart, and you never really know a person until you live with them.
Well, I sure got their number and I became adept
at my proffession.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453573051

Book preview

87 ROOMMATES . . . . and Still counting

Freda Amsel

Copyright © 2010 by Freda Amsel.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010913347

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4535-7304-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4535-7303-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4535-7305-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

86515

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

INTRODUCTION to the main character . . . ME

The Lighthouse of My Life

In The Beginning . . . .

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

ROOMMATES

WANTED

TESTIMONIES

Foreword

"87 ROOMMATES . . . and Still counting", is a book about renting a room in your house or Apartment as a means of supplementing your income in order to cope with the current economic crises. Whether your home is about to face foreclosure or gas prices, health and insurance are all saturating your income, renting a room may indeed help you float through a rough period and even connect with some wonderful people, and some not so wonderful people.

In this day and age of recession, one of the solutions to financial limitations is to share your home with one or more roommates and create a source of income that was most prevalent during the depression of 1929.

Freda’s divorce in 1975 gave her a need to take control of her life in the same fashion her mother found as a means of survival. Her true life experiences makes for a most entertaining read not only in the variation of the characters that shared her home but the logic she uses through the lessons learned by living with strangers. 87 Roommates and Still counting makes for fun and informative reading.

Introduction

I came alive in ’75. That’s when, at the age of 43, I moved into what I called my lighthouse. Divorced after 22 years of marriage, I found a 3 bedroom Shangri-la just a mile south of where I lived. My two younger sons, age 16 and 18, moved out one year later and that’s when I began advertising:

ROOM FOR RENT . . . . in the heart of Northridge.

Share a beautifully furnished elegant home on

a quiet street west of CSUN College. Good

vibes!

What followed in a period of 30 years, were 87 people of diverse background, culture, age and occupation. It even included 2 children, 4 pets, namely; Taco, Tantra, Tuffy and Lady, and many roommates that returned for another stay of anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. At least 3, and as many as 5 tenants shared the house at any given time, not to mention visitors and overnight guests.

One of those returns was my son Dan, who decided to go back to college on a part-time basis. Twenty roommates and 9 years later, he left the nest, or as I usually phrased it; flew the coop. That terminology was appreciated by everyone visiting the Lighthouse since, upon entering, the first noticeable accessory hanging in the entry was a chime of 22 white ceramic birds with the names of every person who lived in my home. Each one was numbered next to that particular resident, not only because of sequence of arrival, but because I put a great emphasis on numbers. It was just before my divorce that I became interested in Metaphysics, and numbers in particular. You might say, His number was up!

I had always dreamt of owning a real Lighthouse, but since that seemed unlikely, Dan built me my very own tower . . . . a loft in the garage, complete with skylights, window, a stairway, etc. It occupied the length of the garage and 1/3 of the width. It eventually became my permanent boudoir and retreat.

Dan, my eagle, moved out to live with the ex wife of Roommate #5 Greg, who had been living here just prior to Dan’s return to school. Sharon had been an infrequent visitor and Dan never met her. Years later, I took the opportunity of introducing them and from that day on, the Universal law of attraction took over. The romance flourished and not surprisingly, she became roommate #27.

One of our home’s greatest attraction was a 10x20 gazebo complete with a huge rock waterfall, a pond of 13 healthy, happy full-grown goldfish and 2 log seats completely engulfed with Morning Glory flowers. Situated on the far left corner of the house, it was accessible by a front gate that led to this secluded area. I gave an open invitation to all my friends and to all the customers of the Cosmic Connection Metaphysical Bookstore, where I worked, to come there for private prayer and meditation. Unfortunately, two groups of fish had to be replaced because of people who forgot to shut off the pump when they left, draining out all the water from the pond. Unlike salmon, they were unable to swim upstream. Dan solved the problem and installed an automatic timer.

Roommate #30 deserved the credit for inspiring the gazebo. It was no coincidence that he had a passion for Lighthouses and had carved a 3 1/2 ft. wooden replica 13 years prior. Shipped from his father’s home in Philadelphia, it was with him when he moved in on Mother’s Day, May 13th. He happened to be in construction! Five fellows volunteered their labor, a dump truck, several tons of rock borrowed from somewhere in Malibu Canyon, and together they transformed Dan’s Hothouse. One of those fellows was Roommate #31 who had long ago visited from Johannesburg and miraculously moved in on time to co-create and complete the project.

The dream became a reality for everyone, including 3 neighborhood cats with a fondness for fish. The same cats were entertained by huge chimes that hung from the patio roof just outside the sliding glass door of the living room. Each spring, several Sparrows chose to lay their eggs in a tiny plastic container that I placed on the top surface from which 5 pipes gently swung. Over a dozen babies were produced out there, not to mention a few that were produced by several roommates indoors as well.

The following vignettes will introduce you to those stories and more. Only first names have been used to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.

INTRODUCTION to the main character . . . ME

My life’s motto has been to Express, Experience and Expand. I’m not a famous celebrity by talent or profession, nor have I achieved any great humanitarian deed that deserves a story about me. However, we each have a tale to tell that distinguishes our individuality. We each contribute to life in our own unique way through our efforts and desire to become better human beings, which I believe is our true purpose on earth.

Having just turned 75, I see myself as a colorful character with a few unusual experiences that might warrant your curiosity, one of which is having had 87 Roommates share my home these past 30 years, thus this book. Suffice it to say I can’t reveal in detail the lifestyle or history of each resident. That would take 87 lengthy chapters or 87 books. Neither can I accurately account for their behavior and attitude except through my own personal perception.

I would like you to get a glimpse of them through my eyes at the time these vignettes were written. I hope I have found enough humor in the actions or reactions of my own personality to warrant defining theirs. The fact is that none of us are who we were yesterday. For me, it was a spiritual story unfolding itself by the mystical way many found their way here, not to mention the 29 people that found romance, three of which ended in marriage, including my own son, who met and married the ex wife of roommate #5.

At the same time I was renting rooms, I continued to be interested in the Science of Numbers. Numerology is a simplified Astrology accredited to Greek Philosopher Pythagoras, 580 BC. He stated that God had to be a Mathematician since everything is based on numbers. As a skeptic by nature, I wanted to prove it wrong, but instead, became more convinced, not only through scientific measures, but even as it is referred to throughout the Bible.

An event that helped me contribute my knowledge of numbers to hundreds of people, and had the biggest impact on my life, was my participation in The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament in 1986. My ex husband couldn’t get me to walk around the block, but here I was signing up to walk across the United States. At 54 years of age, I never looked or felt better. Walking for a cause, exercising, eating healthy and meditating did make a difference to me as well as the march. I was one of 400 that accomplished the 3701 mile trek, walking an average of 20 miles a day, 6 days a week for 9 months.

Less than 8 months after my return from Washington, D.C. I was invited to be one of 200 Americans that would be joined by 200 Soviets for the unprecedented Peace and Friendship walk from Leningrad to Moscow. Both of these events have been well documented and will be forever savored by me. Unfortunately, Russian borscht, suger cubes, pastries, and their two flavors of ice cream, chocolate or vanilla, was raising havoc on the healthy bode I acquired on the GPM.

One of my creative expressions, just prior to renting rooms, came in the form of a trio of original comedy songs, called The Yentas, a Jewish word meaning storyteller. A brunette pianist, a blonde master of ceremony, and me, the singing dyed redhead, our goal was to entertain at convalescent hospitals and retirement homes. After three months of performing nightly, we branched out to fund-raising organizations that contributed to our earnings, which in turn we donated to our favorite charity. We were entertaining 4 nights a week for three years until our husbands rebelled.

Many exciting experiences followed throughout the years, such as a featured article in the LA Times newspaper about my house, and being at the right place, at the right time, got me a two year nationwide TV commercial for Brand Chex cereal. Aside from being a contestant on four game shows, I was a guest on a new one hour cable TV show, called Psychic Answers, discussing my peace walks, Numerology and even renting rooms. Just prior to the commercial break, while still on camera, the host smilingly said: You rest your voice now Freda. Maybe when we return, you can give me a chance to speak. I wasn’t offended, just as I hope my roommates will not be after reading this book.

My mind expanded through the practice of meditation and working at a Metaphysical Bookstore, which afforded me exposure to esoteric studies. Since people are my passion, I was continually learning and teaching the psychology and philosophy of Numerology, using it as a tool to helping others help themselves, whether meeting them at my job or having them as a roommate.

My list of interests and activities goes on and on. I believe that by expressing your thoughts, feelings and creativity, you experience people, places and things that result in the expansion of your mind and heart, thereby elevating your being to its highest potential.

The Lighthouse of My Life

By Junjun Zheng (Roommate #108)

Some people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there to teach you a lesson or to help you figure out who you are and who you want to become. Freda Amsel, is that person for me. She is my landlady, who took nine months out of her life to walk 3700 miles across the United States for world peace. I knew the first time I met her that she would have a strong impact on my life.

Freda is Jewish and has been living in America for a long time. She is 76 years old but looks much younger, because of her enthusiasm. She has short auburn hair and under her thick eyelashes are a pair of shiny brown sparkling eyes, giving you the impression that she is always smiling, displaying a lot of vitality and energy for her years.

In 1986, at 54 years of age, Freda joined The Great Peace March. They set out on foot from Los Angeles for Washington D.C, walking across the country to end the nuclear arms race. In her life, her home acts as a lighthouse, guiding people in the right direction. She is the most kind-hearted person I ever met and is always telling me to not rely on anyone else but myself and to trust my own instincts.

Freda loves lighthouses. You can see lighthouses all around the house; lighthouse lamps, lighthouse kitchen accessories and a lot of lighthouse collectibles. She told me lighthouses can be symbolic of guidance through life. It can lift up our spirits and inspire people, just as the bright beacon of light guides the ships along their route, directing them away from danger, towards a safe harbor. A lighthouse warns you to be careful of the rocks, stay away from the sand bar, and stay off the shoals. Freda has had over 100 roommates since she first rented rooms. Many of various ages came from different countries, different cultures, and some only speaking a foreign language. The lighthouse gives them hope and makes everyone living here feel as safe as they would in their own home.

It was my first time coming to America. I felt like the deaf and dumb, hearing everybody speaking too fast. I had no idea how to answer them. Everything was totally different and I felt lost. I didn’t want to talk to anybody because I lacked confidence in my ability to speak the language. Freda could sense how I felt and patiently corrected my grammar. She encouraged me to speak loudly, not be afraid of making mistakes, and to believe that I could do it. The first few months when I was really homesick she showed me around and took me to some beautiful places to help me get through my fears. Freda is exactly like a lighthouse making me courageous and showing me how to be brave. She reminds me how to overcome any painful and difficult times.

Always telling me to: love yourself, I am the type of person who finds it really hard to say no to others, especially to my friends. Sometimes I have to give up my own time to help them. I do not know how to love myself. Freda taught me to take a closer look at what I think, say and do. She said if you’re really serious about loving yourself, you can use insight to do some positive inner