Lost day

Dear Friends and Family,

I didn't write yesterday because it was such a low-energy day for its first several hours. I did recover towards evening.

I woke up today feeling ready to go, as long as I remain fairly still, sitting at the computer. I decided to try something new with the prednisone: because the energizing effects of the prednisone don't seem to kick in for about 6 hours, I decided to take the 40 mg with a banana at 2 a.m. (I am wakeful because the prednisone is still giving me a boost, I guess). I got up then for good at about 5 a.m. and did feel better than I have. I'll see how the day goes. My aim is to get energized during the day and be able to sleep through the night. Not a bad idea!

Yesterday I started going over old documents and deciding which to keep and which to throw away. My NCC promotion folders are humongous collections. It's nostalgic glancing at them: They record what I did for the 6 years in between each promotion: I was a busy person! They go, except for a few reprints of things I have written. I am hoping to put my Hamlet-related reviews on the website.

And of course I am still thinking recipes. Michèle gave me one for salmon packets, which does indeed sound very easy. She has served a version of this with jullianed zucchini and carrots when we visited her and Raymond in Rouen. I want to try the one with leeks because, believe it or not, I have never made anything with leeks though I like them very much:

She writes: "You need two individual salmon fillets with the skin on and two or three leeks, depending on their size; salt and pepper and a little cream.

"Leeks are no problem: you generally keep only the white part, except for soup. Wash thoroughly under running cold water. Chop them up into small segments and stew them with a little salt and pepper in a little fat (I use margarine, which has a neutral taste unlike olive oil) on a low heat for at least 15 minutes; check that they are soft (I am very empirical). During that time, prepare some foil to make up a parcel with your salmon, skin down, and the vegetables on top. They go in the oven for about ten minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish fillet: again, I am empirical) and then you add some cream before serving, right in the packet."

Another trip to North Shore Farms is in order to get leeks and salmon.

We have nothing specific planned for today but hope that Dawn can visit us.

Love to all,
Bernice