Recipes for Life (28 page)

D
URING MY VISIT
to the Vatican, I was introduced to countless priests and other clergy, all very excited about meeting “Krystle.” I was stunned that they actually watched
Dynasty
. I remember thinking: I sure hope the pope doesn’t watch it, too. I mean he must have better things to do . . . right?

Touched by the Pope.

Of course, being raised catholic, the pope had always been held in high esteem by my mom. His Holiness was one step away from God: next level you were in heaven.

As is always the case, thousands of people gathered outside the Vatican to see the pope. I was part of a small group that was going to meet him personally. I was with my friend Bridget Hedison, and the two of us could see Pope Paul moving along the line toward us, stopping to talk to people. As he got closer, I remember my heart was beating a little faster and I was thinking,
Oh please don’t call me Krystle.

The pope took my hand, smiled sweetly, and asked: “Buenos Aires?”

I replied that I was an American and he smiled and nodded while I beamed inside, so relieved that His Holiness had no idea who I was.

D
URING THE
DYNASTY
years, I rarely had free time during the day to go to a restaurant. Our schedule was so intense that when I had time off, I would be doing fittings with Nolan Miller, interviews, photo shoots, or studying my lines for the next day and often the next week’s show as well. I’ve always been in awe of people that have the extraordinary ability to memorize lines, in what seems like a matter of minutes.

Any chance I got, I’d go to my favorite restaurant, La Scala, for lunch and have their famous Leon Chopped Salad. I love this salad so much that when I did a guest appearance on the
North and South, Book II
miniseries, Michael was so excited that I was the highest paid female to date for a one-day shoot that he offered to bring me lunch on the set from any restaurant anywhere to celebrate. Without batting an eye, I blurted out “La Scala’s chopped salad.” Now if Bunky had been choosing, she’d have probably made Greeny order from Maxim’s in Paris. But I still prefer the “Leon’s Chopped.”

Aside from running into dear friends like Dani Janssen, Polly Bergen, and Suzanne Pleshette, what was so great about this restaurant was that the staff was very respectful of everyone’s privacy. We could just go there and relax with friends. However, one day while Bunky and I were eating our chopped salads with great joy, we sensed a presence and discovered a man standing uncomfortably close, just staring at me.

When I looked up and made eye contact, he asked, “Linda, don’t you remember me?”

I said I was sorry but I didn’t, and then he blurted out, “But I’m your husband!”

Bunky and I exchanged a knowing look, because she kept a special file for fans like this gentleman. He sincerely believed we were married. Others were far more frightening, to the point that the FBI had to become involved. As a result, Bunky would get a little unnerved in these kinds of situations.

I’m never sure what to say, but this time I was really thrown, because my “husband” began drooling—literally making a pool on the table. We were both praying the maître d’ would come to our rescue, which she finally did, escorting the man out the front door. Bunky and I slipped out the back, deciding to do our errands first, then maybe come back for our salads later.

As we picked up things from several stores in Beverly Hills, I was greeted by salespeople, all cheerfully telling me that my husband had just been there looking for me. After four or five stores we decided to call it quits and head for home.

Throughout my career, fortunately, 99.9 percent of my fans have been extraordinary and supportive. I believe part of it is because the characters I have played resonate with the best part of us as people.

Thrilled to be reaching back.

Unfortunately for John, there was a point on the show when the writers had Blake mistreating Kystle. John really wanted our characters to make up soon, because it seemed every weekend when he’d travel for a tennis tournament or the horse races, he’d come across irate Krystle fans. At one point, he was even attacked by a little old lady in a hairnet, just like Ruth Buzzi on
Laugh-In
. She got right in his face and shouted, “You treat your wife terribly!” Then she chased him through the airport, hitting him with her purse.

W
HEN
I
WAS
married to John Derek, I did a guest spot on
McCloud
with Dennis Weaver. What few people knew about Dennis is that he was a lay minister at the Self-Realization Fellowship. While we were working together, he invited me to one of their Sunday morning services. I was very moved by Dennis’s sermon, which I learned was based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. Later, Dennis gave me the book that he said had changed his life, called
Autobiography of a Yogi.

Because of Dennis I took the first step in what would become a lifelong spiritual journey. After spending years studying at the Self-Realization Fellowship in Malibu, I went on to learn all I could from books and other teachers, like Ernest Holmes, Eckhart Tolle, Abraham-Hicks, Byron Katie, and Patricia Sun. I have always enjoyed hearing other people’s perspectives. I believe there are many ways to arrive at the same empowered place.

One day, a friend gave me a book with a plain white cover. Inside was a passage that touched a chord in me. It said: “We are all divine beings.” It spoke of the absolute equality for men and women and resonated for me on so many levels. But mostly it confirmed my belief that God is in everyone and everything and that God is unconditionally loving.

This white book was my introduction to Ramtha, who teaches that each and every one of us create our reality. Students of Ramtha are initiated into this philosophy through disciplines so that it becomes their personal truth. Ramtha is channeled by a remarkable woman named JZ Knight.

With my dear friend JZ on her birthday.

When I heard Ramtha would be speaking in Yucca Valley, California, one Sunday, I invited my friend Linda McCallum to come with me. That day, Ramtha touched my soul with his words. I wanted to know more. I traveled up to Washington State, where JZ lived and did most of the Ramtha teachings at the school called RSE.

When I first meet JZ I loved how down to earth and simple she was. Our first con versation was about baking and pies! I connected to her instantly. I find it fascinating that you can meet someone for the first time and feel as though you’ve known her forever. Bunky was like a mom to me, JZ a sister. I have a deep respect for her, not just for her courage to channel, but because she is one of the most loving and generous people I know.

I’d never been to the Pacific Northwest and I fell in love with its extraordinary natural beauty. I’d been thinking about having a getaway home and I knew I’d found the perfect setting. I discovered an old Italian villa for sale on a private lake. When I walked into the kitchen and saw that it had five ovens and two dishwashers, I knew I had come home.

With all the madness surrounding
Dynasty
, Villa Madera was the perfect refuge, even if it was only for a quick weekend here and there. It was never my intention to move to the Pacific Northwest full time. I still had a beautiful home in Beverly Hills, but I found myself loving the nature and the privacy of Washington State.

My beautiful Villa Madera.

Most everyone thought I was crazy “escaping” Beverly Hills for the “Land of Rain.” John Forsythe used to call me just to ask if the sun had come out yet.