Betsy quit her job as the manager of the big-box store and she, Johnny, and Tilly cleaned and scrubbed, painted, replaced the electricity and the plumbing, and opened up Rose’s Market with red-and-white-striped awnings, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, wines, breads and cakes, and the best meat they could find. They grew rows and rows of roses on their property—burgundy, white, yellow, pink, purple—and sold bouquets in honor of their Rose.

What they didn’t provide from their own large gardens, they bought locally. They named the deli Marvin’s Deli. When Marvin saw the scrolling sign, in red, his favorite color, he leaned on his cane and cried.

They named the fruits and vegetables section Tilly’s Garden. Tilly chuckled when she saw it when she came home from a break from college. “Well, I do like getting my hands dirty.” Tilly studied business and Spanish. “But I hate kale. Do we have to sell kale?” Yes, they did. “We’re not rabbits!” After Tilly graduated, she worked for Rose’s Market full-time.

Betsy found Eartha, released from prison years ago, and hired her.

“I’m happy to be back with my best jailbird friend,” Eartha said. “My momma taught me how to bake pies. How about I be your pie maker?”

“Bake your pies,” Betsy told her.

Betsy also found Rainbow. She was out of jail and living in a homeless shelter. She had been on the streets off and on when her mental illness became too much to handle and she lost whatever minimum wage job she’d been able to grab. There was a small room above the grocery store, with a kitchenette and bathroom. Rainbow lived there. She rested, recovered, went with Betsy to see a doctor for the appropriate medications, and eventually worked as a cashier. Rent was free.

Betsy organized cooking classes at Rose’s Market. Customers could come and learn how to make crock pot dishes and homemade pizza and pasta primavera. They had cake-decorating classes. Eartha taught her pie classes. Every Thursday night everything was 10 percent off. The crowds came. It was only 10 percent, but it was fun for people. They liked the price break. They liked the cake samples and cookie samples and bread, cheese, and fruit samples.

At Rose’s Market you could decorate Christmas and Valentine cookies with your kids and you could paint Easter eggs. Santa came, and so did the Easter bunny.

Rose’s Market specialized in cheese and wine, honey and breads, desserts and fresh fruits and vegetables. Their motto: Peace. Love. Delicious Food.

Johnny and Betsy bought the home from the owner who was still living with his daughter in Fresno and decided not to return. He had seven grandchildren! There were a lot of soccer games and ballet recitals! They needed him. Betsy and Johnny continued to pamper his animals, sending him photos regularly so he could still see them.