Real Housewives of Orange County: Gretchen's Tragedy, Glass Houses

Real Housewives, Orange County version:
Nice Guy Jeff Beitzel Passes Away
Who's Throwing Stones?



It's season four of Housewives with two new additions: 30-yr-old Gretchen Rossi and Lynne Curtain. Curtain replaced Lauri Waring Peterson after Peterson opted to drop out of the show when her son was arrested for drug possession.

The storyline surrounding Gretchen has her dealing with her boyfriend Jeff's bout with leukemia. Jeff Beitzel, who was fifty-four, passed away in September.

Beitzel served as Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Quantuam Fuel System Technologies. A mechanical enigineer, Beitzel worked for Ford Motor Co. until 1983. After leaving Ford, Beitzel founded several automotive companies prior to working for Quantuam.

Jeff Beitzel's three children from a former marriage were on the most recent episode. The kids, all in their teens, had flown in to be with their father while he was in the hospital. All three of Jeff's children wanted to be there with their father. They also spoke highly of Gretchen and how she had been by their father's side during the eight months since he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Last week Gretchen took some time off and spent a couple of days with her family at Bear Lake for the Fourth.

So far new Housewife Lynne has been in a shopping mode on the show with her two teenage daughters. The latest trip on episode 5 had Lynne plunking down $1800 for eight articles of clothing and looking to buy a BMW for her oldest daughter when she turned 18.

Lynne met Gretchen for lunch where Gretchen tried to get Lynne to tell how old she was. Lynne, who keeps in great shape with activities such as surfing and kick boxing, wouldn't tell Gretchen her age. On the first show featuring Lynne she admitted she was "obsessed" with "staying young" even though raising her two daughters, ages 16 and 18, have probably put a few gray hairs on her head.

On tonight's show, Lynne's oldest daughter, Raquel, turned 18. Lynne and her husband of 18 years, Frank, held a luncheon for Raquel where they presented her with a cute little silver BMW. Earlier, before the party, Raquel demanded her younger sister Alexa take off the white dress she had chosen to wear. Raquel wanted to wear the white one and for Alexa to wear a blue dress that Raquel was supposed to wear. Such is the drama of having teens, as Raquel pouted her way into getting the white dress while Alexa wore the blue one.

Alexa was in tears at the party after she met her boyfriend in the parking lot of the restaurant and her boyfriend told her the dress made her look like a "stripper". Lynne was shocked at his comment as it was her dress. And yes, the dress did look as though it belonged more on a stripper than a 16-yr-old girl.

What side is Tamra Barney showing this season?

Continue reading: Real Housewives of Orange County: Gretchen's Tragedy and Glass Houses

by LBG
Source: Real Housewives of Orange County: Gretchen's Tragedy and Glass Houses