Tomie and travel agent Holly would occasionally take groups to locations, such as, Provence, Mexico, and Santa Fe. The latter trip was planned to coincide with a gallery opening of new paintings by Tomie. There was one night when Tomie made plans to go to dinner at a friend’s home instead of joining the group at a restaurant. Yet, he went to the lobby of the hotel to wish the group a nice evening. He had been seated. When he began to stand up, his pants didn’t follow his body upward. His new slider belt had fallen apart and the weight of the belt took the pants downward. Quick thinking Holly did her best imitation of a flamenco dancer and spread her skirt to give Tomie time to collect his “thoughts.” Stores were closed. John from Michigan rushed to his hotel room to retrieve a spare belt. Evening plans salvaged, and best of all, Tomie had a new story to tell… with humor, suspense, and gestures. (Bob)
