The One With David and Patricia Mastrandrea

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "For Love & Chocolate"

Episode: The One With David and Patricia Mastrandrea

Hosts: Tommy & Tara Gallop (Mr. & Mrs. Truffles)
Guests: David and Patricia Mastrandrea
Date: September 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of "For Love & Chocolate" centers on enduring love and the sweet intersections between relationships and chocolate. Tommy and Tara (Mr. & Mrs. Truffles), celebrate the romantic journey of David and Patricia Mastrandrea—a couple married for 52 years, together for 55. The conversation travels from lighthearted Beverly Hills shop tales and listener mail to the profound spiritual and emotional partnership between their guests. The Mastrandreas share the story of their meeting in 1969, their shared spiritual inclinations, their supportive roles in each other's personal growth, and their advice for lasting love.

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Key Segments & Highlights

1. Setting the Scene in Beverly Hills (00:24–04:49)

• Tommy and Tara open with observations about the changing seasons and the return of local customers to their chocolate shop near Rodeo Drive.
• A humorous story about a missing shipment of "Milk Butter Crunch" truffles and a devastated VIP customer underscores how chocolate is woven into their community's affections.
• Quote:
  • “When we don't have people's favorites, all hell breaks loose.” – Mr. Truffles (03:01)

2. Family Updates & Listener Mail (04:54–10:27)

• Personal note: Their daughter Marley is bringing her new boyfriend to dinner, which is treated with warmth and excitement.
• The mailbag features:
  • "Mikey from Montecito" announcing he married a woman who just inherited $250 million.
  • Giovanni, an Italian listener, requests matchmaking help in LA and prompts a comedic rendition of “Making Whoopee."
• Quote:
  • “Another season, another reason for making whoopee…” – Mrs. Truffles (08:16)

3. Introducing the Mastrandreas (10:28–12:11)

• The Mastrandreas’ impressive backgrounds and 55-year love story are introduced.
• The couple is celebrated for their long, intertwined careers in the arts, entrepreneurship, education, and environmental advocacy.

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The Mastrandrea Love Story: An Enduring Partnership

First Meeting & Instant Connection (12:07–18:05)

• How They Met: In October 1969, at a Stanford Esalen workshop—David was organizing, Patricia was attending.
  • David describes his first sight of Patricia:
    • “An angel had landed and appeared to me like out of a Botticelli painting or something.” (15:14)
  • Patricia reciprocates the sentiment:
    • “I absolutely knew him.” (17:19)
• They spent the evening talking, sharing a back massage, and feeling an immediate sense of rightness about their connection.
• Their first kiss happened that night, “as soon as possible.” (18:05)

Shared Spiritual Journey (18:47–23:16)

• Both were deeply involved in the intellectual and spiritual movements of the Bay Area in the late '60s and early '70s.
• Fascination with Zen Buddhism and openness to different philosophies.
  • Connections with figures like Baba Ram Dass and Ralph Metzner.
• Quote:
  • “We kind of had these different ways of coming to something that was the same.” – Patricia (22:00)

Partnership & Marriage (24:01–26:41)

• Lived together for three years before formalizing their commitment, motivated in part by wanting to move into a Tibetan Buddhist community.
• Their wedding was a simple city hall ceremony, writing their own vows to reflect a “deep, deep commitment and connection.” (26:13)
  • “I was continually proposing for three years... through poetry and music.” – David (24:45)
• The marriage was personal and spiritual, not about external displays or conventions.

Sustaining the Relationship (27:37–31:36)

• Both cite openness, creativity, kindness, and steadfast support as foundational.
• Patricia:
  • “I can never be bored with David... You have to just stay open.” (27:46)
• The couple has handled life’s challenges—illness, adversity—by supporting and strengthening each other.
  • “We’ve experienced suffering, sickness… And how are you dealing with that? Are you preparing yourself to deal with that and, you know, help not only yourself, but others?” – David (31:17)

Advice for Enduring Love (30:17–31:36)

• David’s playful, candid advice:
  • “Have a lot of sex the first seven years.” (30:17)
• Patricia adds the importance of patience and understanding that happiness cycles, but steadfast commitment brings you back to joy.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Instant Recognition:
  • “I knew him. I absolutely knew him.” – Patricia (17:19)
• On Intimacy & Care:
  • “He truly has healing hands. People attest to that touch.” – Patricia (17:48)
• On Lasting Happiness:
  • “All I could think of was, I want to be this happy all the time.” – Patricia (21:56)
• On Proposing through Art:
  • “I would do it through poetry and when we started playing music together…” – David (24:45)
• On Partnership:
  • “She’s taken that something and made me realize that compassionate, loving, kind, respectful, philosophical person who is always there for people.” – David (28:35)
• On Family Support:
  • “Our families all accepted us wholeheartedly.” – Patricia (26:20)
• On Cycles in Relationships:
  • “You can’t be in the God realm forever... it comes back and you’re in the God realm again.” – Patricia (30:38)
• On Building Strong Foundations:
  • “Create a really strong foundation in the beginning.” – Mrs. Truffles paraphrasing (30:32)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Setting the Scene / Chocolate Shop Stories: 00:24–04:49
• Family Notes & Listener Mail: 04:54–10:27
• Introducing the Mastrandreas: 10:28–12:11
• Meeting Story / Early Days: 12:11–23:16
• Partnership, Marriage, & Philosophy: 24:01–27:37
• Advice & Reflections: 30:17–32:05
• Hosts’ Reflections / Outro: 32:56–35:05

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Final Thoughts & Host Reflections

Tommy and Tara close by reflecting on the “pure love” and authenticity of the Mastrandrea’s relationship. They extend thanks to the couple’s daughter-in-law, Annabelle, who helped bring the guests onto the show. The hosts muse about the culture of the '70s, the magic of California, and their appreciation for enduring love stories.

“They are so sweet. They are pure love.” – Mrs. Truffles (34:32)

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Conclusion:
This episode shines with warmth, intimacy, and wisdom. It not only tells a remarkable love story but offers uplifting advice and perspective on nurturing real connection, staying open, and embracing the full journey of life together.

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Transcript

[Mr. Truffles]

From deep in the heart of Beverly Hills, you found For Love and chocolate with Mr. And Mrs. Truffles. Well, welcome back, everybody.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Welcome back to the podcast.

[Mr. Truffles]

You know, it's interesting because our neighborhood, you know, the summer is all about tourists and travelers and day trippers. And now that the tourists have kind of left LA and Beverly Hills, all of the locals are back and school is back and the weather is starting to drop and we have all of our regulars coming back. There's new construction in the neighborhood. There's that bustle of. I mean, I can't believe I'm saying it, but we're going to be entering the holiday season.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, you know what? There's just this feeling in the air that it's autumn now.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You know, I can feel it. And there is, you know, everybody's going back to school, they're getting their teeth clean, they're getting to their regular checkups. We're a block west of Rodeo Drive, which brings in a lot of celebrities and fancy people. But we're also a block east of Back Bedford Drive.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's right. Which is.

[Mrs. Truffles]

They all go for their dentists and.

[Mr. Truffles]

Doctors and plastic surgeons. And it really is the street. It's the street.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It is those things.

[Mr. Truffles]

And we're smack dab in the middle of all of it.

[Mrs. Truffles]

In between there, we've got William Morrison Dever.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Store. And we've got the big auction houses on our street. Across the street from Jose e. Bear Ciprianis, Mr. Chow's.

[Mr. Truffles]

Mr. Chows.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And we've got a fat, fabulous new restaurant open up at the end of the street, which is almost ready for grand opening.

[Mr. Truffles]

Can't wait.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Looking gorgeous.

[Mr. Truffles]

And then we've got, three streets over, we've got Cannon Drive, which is Restaurant Row.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, I mean, that's, you know, if you want a Kardashian spotting, just hang out over there for an evening. So, you know, it's just kind of remarkable how we're in the middle of this big flurry of activities. And so it's not that surprising when you see paparazzi walking around with their giant cameras. And the other day they were outside our shop. Yes, they were, because we had someone very special in our shop. And I won't say any names, but there were at least three paparazzi out there. So if you look around on tmz, you'll probably see them. But the problem with this very famous person was if you see them, they don't look very happy.

[Mr. Truffles]

Nope. And everyone's always happy when they leave our shop.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Except we had a little problem with our shipment from Zurich this week. Because they forgot to include. For some reason, there was a glitch. And our Milk Butter Crunch truffles did not make it onto the airplane tragedy. I mean, this could lead to civil unrest in the streets.

[Mr. Truffles]

I'm not looking forward to the next few days, I'll be honest. Because when we don't have people's favorites, all hell breaks loose.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, and this particular truffle is a lot of people's favorites. And the thing is, the champagne truffle is like the go to romantic gift. It's the. The truffle that says, I love you. But then there's the personal stash and the Milk Butter Crunch truffle. Really, that is a lot of people's happy place. Their little personal stash.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, my goodness.

[Mrs. Truffles]

They come in and they just buy boxes.

[Mr. Truffles]

They order pounds at a time.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, this particular couple, you know, we were really hoping to maybe get them on the PODC. They don't quite make the 20 year, like, cut off that we usually look for in a couple. But they're so fabulous.

[Mr. Truffles]

We might look the other way.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We might look the other way on that one. But we're just hoping their marriage survives.

[Mr. Truffles]

When we. I mean, not only did his face fall, but he got very serious. It was like, almost like an audition. Because he said, you kidding with the. I mean, you guys have it in back. And we're like, no, I. They're fresh.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We don't keep a backstop.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, yeah. And then he said, I don't know if I can go home without him. I was like, well, I mean, I've got other options. He's like, no, he got me off. No, it's Milk Butter Crunch or bust for us. And I'm gonna go home, and I'm not gonna have him. And I'm gonna catch hell and be in the doghouse. It's not my fault. And I said, do you want me to call her and explain? And he said, would you? He was kidding, of course. But it just goes to show you how personal and connected our custom with our chocolate. It's that good.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It is. And it's really, you know, telling that, you know, some people's marital happiness sometimes depends on it.

[Mr. Truffles]

Y.

[Mrs. Truffles]

There's another couple whose happiness is a little more important to me right now than Mr. Trev.

[Mr. Truffles]

Why would that be Mrs. Truffles?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, I'm very excited. We're very excited. And I think you know why? Because our daughter Marley is bringing her New boyfriend to dinner tonight.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes. Go, Marley, go.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So Mr. Truffles will be put pulling out all the stops. We're doing barbecue. We're giving the dogs baths.

[Mr. Truffles]

Dogs are getting baths. It's a big, big deal.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes, it's a very big deal. It's always a big deal when you bring someone home to meet your parents.

[Mr. Truffles]

I know. And you know what? I think we give good parent. Don't you think?

[Mrs. Truffles]

We do. And our dogs present well.

[Mr. Truffles]

They do.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I put a bow tie on Phineas.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, a little doggy downer to make sure they're a little calmer than usual.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. And this young man is bringing the dessert, so he's excited to meet with us, too.

[Mr. Truffles]

I think so.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. So that's going to be a really fun evening and hopefully the beginning of something new and beautiful for all of us.

[Mr. Truffles]

We love to watch love blossom. And when it's with our own kids.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, that's the best.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes, we love love. We love seeing our children in love. And speaking of love, I think you know what time it is.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, is it time?

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's time. Mailbag. Well, Mr. Truffles, what's the first thing in our mailbag today?

[Mr. Truffles]

Okay, well, this is from Mikey in montecito.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Mr. Truffles]

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, I've been in love with Bridget since the day I met her. And after two years together, I finally proposed. She said yes, and we got married. On our honeymoon, she shared with me that she recently inherited $250 million. I don't have any questions. I just wanted to share that with you. Sincerely, Mr. Lucky. Oh, Mikey.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, good for you. God bless you both.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes, thank you for sharing. And please send us your address so we we can come visit you for dinner in your manse.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, Mr. Truffles, what else have we got in our mailbag today?

[Mr. Truffles]

Well, Mrs. Truffles, this comes from Giovanni. And Giovanni writes, Dear Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, I am a frequent visitor to your shop since I moved from Italy a year ago. Giovanni.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Hi, Giovanni.

[Mr. Truffles]

Giovanni. I've been enjoying you podcast very much, but I'm wondering, since you keep talking about matchmaking, if you can possibly help me. I have a good career here and a romantic heart, and I very much would love to find a beautiful woman to make my new life here complete. Grazi, Giovanni.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, Giovanni, I really do think we can help you, but you should be forewarned.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, yes. Another bride, another June, another sunny honeymoon.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Another season, another reason for making whoopee. A lot of shoes. A lot of Rice, the groom is nervous. He answers twice.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's really killing that he's so willing to make whoopee. He's washing dishes and baby clothes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

He's so ambitious. He even sews.

[Mr. Truffles]

But don't forget, folks.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That'S what you get, folks, for making whoopi. All right, Giovanni, well, thanks for writing in. And we will be sending you a little chocolate gift and the names of a few fabulous girls that you can call. Now, this next couple that we're to going, going to have on today. They know all about making whoopee.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, yeah. They have been making whoopee for a long, long time. This is David and Patricia. Master Andrea. They met in October of 1969. It was love at first sight and they have been inseparable for the last 55 years. Patricia Blossom. From a pianist and English literature student into a multifaceted traveler. Founder of a school for kids, environmental entrepreneur, co founder of a company, head of a university parent club, and environmental researcher. David acknowledged the mentors and friends who encouraged him to follow his dreams by going side by side with Patricia on travels, taking him into the worlds of finance, technology, both interactive and virtual. Running a tech company, real estate development, construction, asset management. They're very grateful for their wonderful family and they have so much love in their lives. And we'll be right back with their wonderful romantic story. For over 40 years, toyshare has been a staple in the Beverly Hills community. Like so many other families in the community, our family has had a long standing love affair with Toyshire chocolates. Over the years, we form traditions and memories around these extraordinary and the enchanting wonderland of fantasy truffle boxes inside our store. Today, our family is proud to be carrying on the Toyscher tradition in Beverly Hills. And we're back.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We're back. Welcome back.

[Mr. Truffles]

Welcome back, everyone. So we are actually recording from our Airstream studios.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It is such a pleasure to have our new friends here at the Airstream Studios with us.

[Mr. Truffles]

And I think the story about how we actually met is pretty extraordinary. We were at a little apple orchard, flower, you pick it place here in Avila Beach. And I just noticed, just kind of under this beautiful tree, there was a young man who was giving his wife a chair massage. And I thought, I think they really like each other because they're however many years they've been together, he still is being incredibly attentive. And she doesn't seem to be hating it. I'll be honest, Mrs. Rebels, she was not hating that massage. And so of course, I introduced myself because I am Mr. Friendly Pants. Push came to shove, I got him in a headlock and I said, yes, you are going to do our podcast. And he put up his white flag and he relented. And now here we have David and Patricia Mastra. Andrea. Welcome to the show, guys.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Thank you.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Thank you.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Thank you for inviting us.

[Mr. Truffles]

Of course. I know. I heard. A little bird told me that as much as you wanted to do the show, it was actually your daughter in law who promised to buy you dinner tonight that got you here. Is that fair?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

She wants to know all the details.

[Mr. Truffles]

She wants to know all the details, isn't it?

[Mrs. Truffles]

I want to know all the details. How long have you two been married?

[David Mastra Andrea]

52 years.

[Mr. Truffles]

52 years. That's a prize right there, isn't it?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. So let's get into it. Tell us, how did you two very first meet?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

David was still at Stanford going into his senior year, and he, as a job, managed the Esalen at Stanford program.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Really?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

I had done. Oh, I do too. Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

The Esalon Institute for People who Aren't Familiar is an extraordinary retreat center up in Big Sur, California. It was founded in the early 60s by a couple of groovy Stanford men. They feature natural hot springs, yoga, meditation, and various types of esoteric workshops and lectures. For those of you who saw Mad Men, it's where Don Draper had his big epiphany.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

I had done some of the other workshops. They were quite expensive. And I noticed that if I went to Esalen at Stanford, it would be a lot cheaper. Actually, I had signed up for a workshop with Gabrielle Roth, who is a creative dancer. There's still dancers in this area that dance according to her philosophy. She's no longer with us, but there's people that do that. It's a movement.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

As well as movement.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's a movement.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Movement, yes. Got it. So, David, you could take it from that.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Okay. I was using faculty staff housing. There's some beautiful homes that we were having access to, and one of them was in Portola Valley. Really nice, cute place. Enough area for Gabrielle to do her teaching. I got a call from Gabrielle and she said, david, I can't come. I'm pregnant. My doctors said I have to stop moving. And I said, okay, no problem. We can just refund the tickets and reschedule this to next year. So I promptly and tracked down almost everybody and they said, oh, great, sure, that we understand that completely. And then there were four people that I couldn't reach, so I had to go to the home and just wait for those to show. Well, three of them showed. The fourth, I said, well, I've got the names of these people. The fourth is a woman. Maybe I'll get lucky and to meet someone. And I'd come back from Italy and I'd had not done any romantic involvement, try to return, but I really wasn't going to settle. So I was waiting. And lo and behold, I saw the last person drive up, get out of her car and start walking toward the entrance. I said, oh, my God. It was just. An angel had landed and appeared to me like out of a Boticelli painting or something. And then when she spoke, it was really soft and gentle. And her eyes. Oh, my God. It was a long drive from San Francisco to Portola Valley. I invited her.

[Mr. Truffles]

And so you were a little nervous.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Meeting her, But I was a little nervous, yeah. We sat on the couch talking. I already know that this is gonna work. I mean, brain, zan beauty. Hey. I just have to be compassionate, kind, respectful, and just relax and talk a minute. Totally.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's something. Wow, I love how you painted that picture of how you first saw her. Because I. You took me back to the moment because I'm sitting here with you and you talk about her eyes and that she was just an angel that appeared. It's so sweet. That's so. I mean, that's why we do these, right? It's not. It's. It's to hear the stories of people that had been in love their whole lives and that seminal moment of seeing them for the first time, you. Patricia, he was just another guy, right?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

No, no. He was beautiful, too. And he just. I knew him.

[Mr. Truffles]

You knew him?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

I absolutely knew him.

[Mr. Truffles]

Like you had known him your whole life?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes, I knew him.

[Mr. Truffles]

And without saying a word?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

Wow. Isn't that incredible? And had you ever experienced that before?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

No.

[Mr. Truffles]

And you guys are early 20s at this time, right?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So you sat there talking. How long did you two sit and talk for?

[Mr. Truffles]

Well, apparently, 52 years.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

For a while. And. And I don't know how you started to rub my neck.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Just got a long drive back. I can sense you might enjoy a little back rub.

[Mr. Truffles]

Look at you.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

And he has healing hands.

[David Mastra Andrea]

I do.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Truly has healing hands. People attest to that touch. I mean, it's an amazing touch.

[Mr. Truffles]

You met. You spent the evening together.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right. But I am curious as to the first kiss. Do you remember the first kiss? David shaking his head yes.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Well, of course. I mean, it was as soon as possible, so I didn't really want that evening to end. We were affectionate and we had our first kiss the evening before she left. They go home.

[Mr. Truffles]

And you were getting all the signals that it would be okay to kiss her, right? Oh, yes.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Oh, yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

This was 1979.

[David Mastra Andrea]

So, you know, a lot of whirlwind things going on in that.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes. And openness to many, many things.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Banded minds.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right. And you're kind of somewhat in the epicenter. Yes, Right there in the Bay Area.

[David Mastra Andrea]

That's right.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Oh, yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

How incredible.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Because I spiraled into those kind of epicenter things that were going on. We'd go to Esalen, we'd go to the concerts in San Francisco. You know, incredible talents.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. Would you call yourselves hippies?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

You know, our daughter in law used that word. And you can't be at Stanford and be a true hippie. I'm sorry.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Well, I grew up in a Catholic family, very strong Catholic family, like going back 900 years. And so we were expected to be a certain way and do certain things. So I did that. It's very good, good student and very good athletic capabilities. I played instruments and I played football, basketball, baseball. You know, I was in the band. They wanted me on the football team. And I said, okay, well I'm going to do both. They said, well, no one's ever done both. I'm going to do that. So I would change into halftime and from my football uniform, marching band uniform.

[Mr. Truffles]

And go out and do that.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yes. And then I'd go back in the locker room, put up my football gear.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You were still at Stanford when you two met?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yeah, we were there, but this was high school. This is high school.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

This is high school.

[David Mastra Andrea]

I'm just in high school. Then I'm doing really well. I get this award, athlete, scholar of the year. And I get an appointment from my congressman to go to Annapolis. And I applied to Stanford. And then I go, well, you know, this is like this engineering astronaut trajectory. And so they sent me over to the naval station to get test for physical capabilities. I talked to them about astronauts and they said, oh, you could do that? I said, well, okay, great. And then I got to Stanford, I was in engineering. And then I was accepted to the Stanford in Italy, in Florence. And I went there and I said, oh man, I can get my engineering later. I love all this. Architecture, art history, anthropology, philosophy. You know, at that time there's a lot of talk. You've got to explore your inner psychophysical, your, your secret places, your creativity. And I go, okay, that's me. I gotta do that. I started that process and, and Then Esalen, Mike Murphy, and Dick Price, who started it, said, we need a student. And they said, dave, you got to take this program, become director of the Stanford at Esalen program, because that'll be opening it up to a whole new group of people, not just Esalen people. So we got all kinds of people coming in. Then I explored why these people were teaching gestalt and body movement and bioenergetics and ralphing and the Buddhist philosophy and all kinds of things, you know, that led me to say, I've got to find somebody who is at my level, and I can do this with a partner. And then, boom, the opportunity, when I came back from Italy, would just suddenly present it. And I knew right away Patricia was my life partner, and I just hoped she would let me in, reciprocate. Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You moved from a little conversation into.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

A back massage, a friendly back massage, the healing hands.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Did you turn around and drive back to San Francisco that same day, or did you?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

No, I didn't. No, I didn't. So you both stayed? I followed him home. Yes. And stayed the night and then went back the next day. But all the way home, all I could think of was, I want to be this happy all the time. I just want to be this happy. And I don't want anything else I've been doing. I want to be this happy. And it was. It was just like night and day.

[Mr. Truffles]

Like, wow.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Suddenly everything changed.

[Mr. Truffles]

I've never heard anyone say that after just spending a little time with someone.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

I just. Not this is the one for me, but I just always want to be this happy.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. So went back home the next day. I did. And how long was it before you two saw each other again?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

The next week, because I signed up for another workshop and went back. From then on, it was just.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It was on.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

It was on. It was definitely on.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Not that I didn't have a lot of competition for her attention.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

The wonderful thing about it, too, is that David had access to all these people, including Tibetan lamas who were, you know, Tibetan Buddhist lamas. I had been looking into Zen Buddhism very seriously, actually, much more in line with my thinking as a Presbyterian rather than a Catholic. Yes. Yes. And it was. The Zen center was going strong. I met all kinds of people there. So we kind of had these different ways of coming to something that was the same.

[David Mastra Andrea]

We had all these things in common.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It sounds like you were both embarking on a spiritual journey.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Absolutely.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I wanted somebody to walk that with you.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes. Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Did you know my Baba Ram Dass?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Very well.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

More than very well.

[David Mastra Andrea]

When he came back from India, he. Another gentleman who was quite a close friend of his from Harvard and then Stanford. And he said, dave, you gotta come with me. Richard Alpert's coming back from India. We're gonna see him when he gets off the plane, and we're gonna hang out with him. So, yeah. Yeah. He was telling the fresh stories, Right. To Ralph Metzner and I. Ralph Metzner? Yeah. Just like, wow, that's interesting. That's great.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. Well, that's. That's amazing. So how long was it before marriage was proposed, and how did that happen?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Well, we had been living together for what, three years?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

And we were quite interested in moving into a Tibetan Buddhist center with a lama as our teacher. And it just seemed prudent to be actually married. So we. We just went to City hall and just did it. Just an elopement.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Oh. We moved in together and got a nice little place. And then we. We know we're going to be together. We just wanted to celebrate this as much as possible, the two of us, and not, you know, show off or a lot of presents. So we didn't need that. We just needed to be together and to pursue this journey.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How was the marriage proposed? Who proposed it and how did that happen?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Can you remember?

[David Mastra Andrea]

I was continually proposing for three years.

[Mr. Truffles]

Is that right?

[David Mastra Andrea]

While we lived together. Because I would do it through poetry and when we started playing music together. People give Patricia so much. She's just like. Is an open, giving person herself. She's accomplished musician, and people give me things, too. So I got a lot of cool instruments. Tambouras and dal Rupas and 12 string guitars. And I said, oh, I gotta play with you. I started with accompanying her on the piano. And then I said, well, this is like a marriage, and I'd use that as a in. I said, here's a poem I wrote. And she's a very intelligent person. And she's like, is this something we should do? And she typically waits. She used to wait more. But now together, we know. We reinforce each other when we know, like, meeting you guys yesterday, I have.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

More confidence when I'm with him because he's the outer one.

[Mr. Truffles]

He's a bit of an extra burger. He's a bit of an extra.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Just like you, Tom, I'm a little.

[Mr. Truffles]

Bit of a friendly patient.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You used your art to propose to her?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Yeah.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Amazing. And so after three years of that, you finally said, it seems like it's time.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

It's like, that's good.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Let's just keep it between us. I mean, you're kind of going through the spiritual journey, and you're on this kind of Zen wavelength.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And so you kind of want to keep it Zen.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Minimalist.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So you went down to the city hall and you just. Did you write your own vows or just say what they told you to say?

[David Mastra Andrea]

We wrote our own vows.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

It was a very deep, deep commitment and a very deep connection, and we just wanted to honor that, and our.

[David Mastra Andrea]

Families all accepted us wholeheartedly.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

And your dad did say, I wish I had been there.

[Mr. Truffles]

But that was also. At the time, that was kind of the flavor of the day. A lot of couples were doing that. Right. They were kind of keeping it very private and very.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Right.

[Mr. Truffles]

Unique and special.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Did you guys take any kind of a honeymoon after you married?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

We felt like we were on a honeymoon. We were on our honeymoon. It was just amazing to be.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So what was the first, like, real romantic trip you took together?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Which kind of trip are we talking about?

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, my God.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Sorry.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, it's the set. It's late 60s, sweetie.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[David Mastra Andrea]

All sorts of truths. Very true.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes. Yes. And through a spiritual lens, actually, very much so. Yes.

[David Mastra Andrea]

I like that.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

I mean, we. We ourselves. I wouldn't call it an elopement, but we got married during COVID Oh.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We got married in the middle of the lockdowns.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Well, so many choices.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. We. It was just the two of us with our puppy. We had a, you know, me and a friend. God ordained. So you guys have been married all these years together, and you've walked a spiritual journey together.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And you're still clearly madly in love.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So tell us, what is the little secret ingredient that keeps everything just going?

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

I'm never bored. I can never be bored with David. He's always something new or something, you know, creative or something unexpected. Yes. So it's just amazing. It's really amazing. You have to just stay open. Yes. Our grandchild, one of them, he gets on David's case a little bit because David's out making friends when they're together, and he said, you don't know anybody that's not a friend. But he wanted Grandpa's time a little bit. I think it's part. It's both. He admires the ability.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

But he also wants a little bit more time, a little more focus. Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So sweet.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

We are.

[David Mastra Andrea]

She's so sweet. See, the thing is, with me, yeah, I felt I was something, and then I realized I wasn't. I went to Stanford and There were a lot of people that were better than me and smarter than me, and I was one of it was not that I was unusual. And so what I found was with Patricia, she's taken that something and made me realize that compassionate, loving, kind, respectful, philosophical person who is always there for people.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, right, right.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

And like you said, Tara has the biggest heart of anyone, you know?

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Well, David has a huge heart. And if someone is sick or, you know, disabled in some way, he feels no reserve with those people. He just right there and talks, just wants to help be present. And he is present. He's totally present. It's an amazing ability to have.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's something you're born with, you know, that is something. I mean, in the same way that you saw an angel land. I'm sure she felt the same way about you, you know, when she first saw you. There's just no you. You guys both put off a really beautiful aura, you know, and it's. It's almost like a vortex that just sucks us. And we can't help but feel the love and the connection and the authenticity and the compassion. It's. It's a beautiful thing.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Thing. Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So if you could give one piece of advice to your grandchildren or your children about how to find love that endures, what would that piece of advice be?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Well, I was thinking I woke up last night. That's a. Have. Have a lot of sex the first seven years.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

But once that child is born, it gets harder. It gets harder.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You're saying, like, create a really strong foundation in the beginning?

[David Mastra Andrea]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

That's because there's going to be all kinds of challenges. You know, challenges happen. And we were in the God realms. You. You know what that's like to be in the God realm. We know enough about life that you can't be in the God realm forever. In a certain kind of way, there's going to be challenges. I kept thinking, oh, I have to have some way of understanding when the cycle cycles. And then it comes back and you're in the God realm again. And, you know, so you have to be patient with those times when it's cycling down.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes. And. And steadfast and support each other, not lose your. Your grounding.

[David Mastra Andrea]

To that, I'd add, we've experienced suffering, sickness. There's things that come through that you don't know are going to happen, and they. Then they happen. And how are you dealing with that? Are you preparing yourself to deal with that and, you know, help not only yourself, but others?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Sweet. Wonderful.

[Mr. Truffles]

I wish that our listeners could kind of see what we're seeing, which is when we asked the question of what advice you would give. I don't know if you saw this, sweetheart, but David kind of slipped his arm into Patricia's nook and squeezed. Because that connection is. Is. It's just undeniable, you know, and it's such a beautiful thing to see. I mean, married 52 years, put together 55.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right. And as in love today as the first day you met. You know, it's such. It's such a pleasure.

[David Mastra Andrea]

We're so lucky.

[Patricia Mastra Andrea]

We are so, so lucky.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We're lucky to have you join us today and share your beautiful love story with us. Thank you so much.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. We'll be right back with more for love and show. This podcast is being brought to you by Beverly Hills Toysure Chocolates of Switzerland. Beverly Hills Toyshire at 371 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, has been serving up truffles, pralines, dipped fruits, marzipans, and our world famous chocolate bars for over 40 years. So next time you're in Beverly Hills, why don't you come by and visit or shop online at Beverly Hills Toys, your channel Dot Com. Oh, wasn't that groovy?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, baby, I just. I feel at one with the universe for having just spent time with them, don't you?

[Mr. Truffles]

And you know what I mean, I listen to them and I. I try to put myself there. I mean, the 70s, for me, it was all about puka shells and mood rings and. And Manwich sandwiches. Why are you looking at me like that?

[Mrs. Truffles]

I just love that you had to reach and struggle for the word Manwich sandwiches.

[Mr. Truffles]

You probably never had a Manwich.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I don't even know what that is.

[Mr. Truffles]

Don't knock it till you try it, sweetie.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Gross.

[Mr. Truffles]

But you know what I'm saying.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I don't eat anything that has the word man in it.

[Mr. Truffles]

The sandwich, though, was special. But the 70s, I bet you were adorable. You probably had big tails.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I was a baby. What are you talking about?

[Mr. Truffles]

In this, right? You weren't even here. You were born in 89, weren't you, sweetie? No, but the 70s were. They were special.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, I remember the 70s. My parents were smoking weed, their friends were all taking psychology classes, and my mom had test press copies of the Doors album from a friend of hers who worked in the studio.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, is that right?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. I lived in Southern California in the 70s.

[Mr. Truffles]

Okay, well, I was in St. Louis and I was part of the Kiss army, and I put smoke bombs in my acoustic guitar. We were different, you and me. Do you think we would have been friends in the 70s?

[Mrs. Truffles]

I think he would have been dipping my pigtails in the ink well.

[Mr. Truffles]

Okay. I don't even. Is that. Whoa. I'm. I am definitely getting hot and bothered. Yeah. No, it was. What a great, great interview. It was a real loving couple, wasn't it?

[Mrs. Truffles]

They are so sweet. They are pure love.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And I'd like to give a shout out and a big you thank, thank you to their lovely daughter in law, Annabelle.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, Annabelle, without you, this never happens.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Never would have happened. Thank you so much. And we'll be sending a little extra chocolate gift out to you, too.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, yeah. So that's all we got for this week, gang. But guess what? We're gonna do it again next week. Until then, say goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mr. Truffles]

This show is brought to you by Beverly Hills ToyShare Chocolates of Switzerland, home of the world's first and finest champagne, Truffles. Join us next week for more adventures in everlasting love.