Dear family and friends,
Nothing special on the menu today. We had a brief visit from Laury and her son David yesterday, which gave me a chance to walk out into the garden and see all that is happening there. Unfortunately, one bad thing has been the death of our fish, which had survived two winters by burrowing in the mud at the bottom of the pond. Then one day, all gone. Did our neighbor spray poison on his plants? Did a heron swoop down and gobble them up? Or did a raccoon go fishing? Can't tell.
Otherwise, the day was spent either at the computer or with the Sunday paper or, in the morning while on the stationery bicycle and in the evening, watching television. The morning TV treat (in between MSNBC) included some minutes of Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in a Southern costume flick, with a full roster of slaves (African Americans) and indentured servants (white folks). I remember some of those 1940s songs and can sing along, and they can bring tears to my eyes, but it is appalling to see the racist depiction of the sorrowful slaves, finding comfort in religion and, in this movie, in a tree that could take away their suffering. What did it do to our young heads to see this kind of nonsense. Plenty of it left today, though it takes different forms. In the evening we started with a 4-star Preston Sturgess film with Eddy Bracken, but after enjoying the stable of actors so familiar in many films of that time (1944), we could not tolerate the plot, so repetitious, so limited. We turned to a mystery from the BBC, and once we accept the fact that certain characters' accents will be impenetrable, we settle in to enjoy this show, made recently but showing Britain in 1945. It seemed more realistically convoluted than the one-note Sturgess film, but in retrospect, it is just as silly—though with a respectable British gloss—as the USA film made in wartime. Nowadays the makers have to have more than one plot-line, a la the TV show ER (Emergency Room), I think, but the relation among the plot lines is either empty or unbelievable. And so to bed to read more of the NYT: also disappointing. This could be me.
Another sunny day today. Hoping to get some work done to prepare for more work by my Columbia helper—and I hope to send off the Measure for Measure review. Good news from Harry: he may get a new publisher for Fairleigh Dickinson Press. Laury may collect her Shakespeare Association essays in a book after all. Go, Laury!
Talk to you all later,
Love,
Bernice
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Josh and Lori's three girls in 2009Rafaella 14; Noemi 19; Shayna 17,
and below in 1998. Josh's mother, Sandy, was a dear friend, and our friendship extends to her children and grandchildren. It would be great to attend the weddings of these three beautiful women.
Dear Family and Friends,
I started my blog this morning and inadvertently erased it. The lost text is probably lurking in my computer somewhere, but let it go! I can't write twice, because basically I write for myself—glad to have family and friends reading my posts of course.
So I will continue where I left off rather than start all over.
I know I am making very good progress, because I can do so many things I could not do before. I think back to the days I needed help to lift my leg (and Betty's gift of a leg-lifter came in so handy!), when I could not pull on my socks, when I could not get into my bed —and on and on. Now I can drive. I can walk with a cane, and, in close quarters, like my kitchen where counters are always handy, I can leave my cane leaning on the side. But, and this is the big But, I still feel a long way from normality. I can't imagine going into the City by train and walking up and down all the stairs, and walking to our apartment, just 6 blocks from Penn station. Can't imagine walking down the long, shiny corridors of the NYPL, can't imagine making my way to MoMA, just 13 blocks away. etc. etc. etc. I know I cannot lift anything even a little heavy: lifting makes my pelvis ache. I want to know how long this good but not great stage of my recovery will last. I do know I get better every day. I rode my stationary bicycle for 45 minutes today. But it seems so slow when I think back to March 15th the day before it happened, or even that morning when I was in my SPIN class—almost two months already. OK, it's not my nature to repine. I will soldier on.
We are hoping to hear from Harvey, our son, and Rachael, his daughter, who are in Oslo, he on medical business, she as a tag-a-long who needed a break from her strenuous filming schedule. Today, with nothing on the schedule, thank goodness, we will be phoning family and friends, catching up. Especially I want to thank Sophie and Brendan for their lovely party for Gracie First Communion. We do love this family. People ask "How do you know Sophie," and I say "Ever since the day she knocked on our door"; she stayed with us briefly while attending graduate school at C. W. Post, an arrangement made by a friend of ours who had recruited her as his first grad student in aesthetics and who asked us to let her stay with us until she got settled. Now she is a grad student again, but this time for a PhD in English. How can I help but be happy when I have such wonderful people in my life!
I heard today from some long-time friends who have been reading my blog. That makes me so happy. I enjoy hearing from all of you, friends and family.
Love,
Bernice
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Columbia U Shakespeare Seminar
Dear family and friends,
After a rushed morning because I slept so late, I prepared a sort of résumé for Pete at MIT. Our website will be moving there very soon: our brilliant Jeffery is working with their brilliant Belinda to get, as Eric, would say, "all our ducks in a row.” Pete wanted to have a listing of the work we four hamletworks.org editors had published or that had been accepted, and talks we had given, since 2007. For those still teaching, he wanted to know how we have used our site in our assignments. Nick responded to that very well, but I haven't been teaching, of course. Only three years, but my list filled 2 pages (12 pt. Times font)!
After that it was a rush to get into the City for the Columbia U Shakespeare Seminar Board meeting at 4 p.m. Usually the trip takes an hour in mid-day but yesterday it took over 75 minutes, so I missed the first 10 minutes or so. I was there for the important part, though, of choosing a roster of speakers who could be asked and designating who would receive the Bernard Beckerman honor.
Merwin, who is my rock, drove me in. He didn't think I could manage the train, and he was quite right. Managing with the walking I had to do was challenge enough. He read during the Board meeting and attended the talk, which was so far out of what I think about that it was entertaining. It was about a play that dramatizes a board game, Arden of Feversham, about the varying positions of the wealthy in an audience (on stage, in the far above, in boxes at the back of the stage), and much more. The speaker, Gina B from the U of California, Davis, was charming, young, enthusiastic, responsive to the questions posed by her respondent, Jean H. from Columbia. and by the audience. I asked a question, which is not my usual practice, but the handout she distributed showed, in its quotation from the play, bracketed “[asides]” and other stage directions. My query: how would these moments have been handled, for the original script does not show the word "asides" (which is why they were bracketed in the copy she gave us.]
Before the talk we had our usual hour of drinks and chat, and I enjoyed seeing friends there and also at the two meetings, Board and Seminar. Most of us have known each other for a long time. And new friends are delightful to meet. Some were of course surprised to see me with a cane, but I could quickly explain that it was a temporary thing. Those who read my blog, like Joe, know more than most will ever learn about me.
Between the Board meeting and the social hour, I noticed that the Seminar office was open and asked Alice, who runs it, about money remaining in my account. It's big! Over half. (This is a subvention from the Columbia Office of Seminars). And Becky wants to continue working with me. This is a relief. And now I have to figure out exactly what the best way to use her would be: it would help if she came here, at least for an initial tutorial. Let's see how it works out.
After the talk, Merwin and I lived a kind of comedy: he was looking forward to a snack afterward at Popover's (86th and Amsterdam), so we had given up on the idea of joining some of the seminarians at the Amsterdam Café (near 119th). We dropped off Bill G., who has to use a walker now, at that restaurant and saw, anyway, that there would not have been a close parking place. We got to Popovers, parked right in front of the restaurant, and then saw at the door the notice that it had been closed by the Board of Health! We were so sorry about that for their sake but even more about missing the meal we had hoped for. He approached another nearby restaurant on foot, but it was mobbed and there would have been a long wait for a table. So off we went to Long Island, discussing many possibilities, passing on one that had no parking in front, and another that was darkened, but finally ending at Le Citron, where I had a salad, a glass of Merlot and, unfortunately, two big crusty rolls with too much olive oil, which gave me a belly ache all night.
I realize I have missed some windows of opportunity to speak by phone to our granddaughter Rachael: she is off somewhere starting today, probably for a while. And we want to talk to Sandy, who is back in Cleveland: her mother is now in a hospice facility rather than hospice at home. Somehow, time goes by so quickly!
I got a lovely card from Leslie at the JCC: I miss my friends there; thanks, Elaine, for being a regular respondent.
Up early for a busy day! It's sunny and inviting, but first my stationary bicycle.
Love to all,
Bernice
After a rushed morning because I slept so late, I prepared a sort of résumé for Pete at MIT. Our website will be moving there very soon: our brilliant Jeffery is working with their brilliant Belinda to get, as Eric, would say, "all our ducks in a row.” Pete wanted to have a listing of the work we four hamletworks.org editors had published or that had been accepted, and talks we had given, since 2007. For those still teaching, he wanted to know how we have used our site in our assignments. Nick responded to that very well, but I haven't been teaching, of course. Only three years, but my list filled 2 pages (12 pt. Times font)!
After that it was a rush to get into the City for the Columbia U Shakespeare Seminar Board meeting at 4 p.m. Usually the trip takes an hour in mid-day but yesterday it took over 75 minutes, so I missed the first 10 minutes or so. I was there for the important part, though, of choosing a roster of speakers who could be asked and designating who would receive the Bernard Beckerman honor.
Merwin, who is my rock, drove me in. He didn't think I could manage the train, and he was quite right. Managing with the walking I had to do was challenge enough. He read during the Board meeting and attended the talk, which was so far out of what I think about that it was entertaining. It was about a play that dramatizes a board game, Arden of Feversham, about the varying positions of the wealthy in an audience (on stage, in the far above, in boxes at the back of the stage), and much more. The speaker, Gina B from the U of California, Davis, was charming, young, enthusiastic, responsive to the questions posed by her respondent, Jean H. from Columbia. and by the audience. I asked a question, which is not my usual practice, but the handout she distributed showed, in its quotation from the play, bracketed “[asides]” and other stage directions. My query: how would these moments have been handled, for the original script does not show the word "asides" (which is why they were bracketed in the copy she gave us.]
Before the talk we had our usual hour of drinks and chat, and I enjoyed seeing friends there and also at the two meetings, Board and Seminar. Most of us have known each other for a long time. And new friends are delightful to meet. Some were of course surprised to see me with a cane, but I could quickly explain that it was a temporary thing. Those who read my blog, like Joe, know more than most will ever learn about me.
Between the Board meeting and the social hour, I noticed that the Seminar office was open and asked Alice, who runs it, about money remaining in my account. It's big! Over half. (This is a subvention from the Columbia Office of Seminars). And Becky wants to continue working with me. This is a relief. And now I have to figure out exactly what the best way to use her would be: it would help if she came here, at least for an initial tutorial. Let's see how it works out.
After the talk, Merwin and I lived a kind of comedy: he was looking forward to a snack afterward at Popover's (86th and Amsterdam), so we had given up on the idea of joining some of the seminarians at the Amsterdam Café (near 119th). We dropped off Bill G., who has to use a walker now, at that restaurant and saw, anyway, that there would not have been a close parking place. We got to Popovers, parked right in front of the restaurant, and then saw at the door the notice that it had been closed by the Board of Health! We were so sorry about that for their sake but even more about missing the meal we had hoped for. He approached another nearby restaurant on foot, but it was mobbed and there would have been a long wait for a table. So off we went to Long Island, discussing many possibilities, passing on one that had no parking in front, and another that was darkened, but finally ending at Le Citron, where I had a salad, a glass of Merlot and, unfortunately, two big crusty rolls with too much olive oil, which gave me a belly ache all night.
I realize I have missed some windows of opportunity to speak by phone to our granddaughter Rachael: she is off somewhere starting today, probably for a while. And we want to talk to Sandy, who is back in Cleveland: her mother is now in a hospice facility rather than hospice at home. Somehow, time goes by so quickly!
I got a lovely card from Leslie at the JCC: I miss my friends there; thanks, Elaine, for being a regular respondent.
Up early for a busy day! It's sunny and inviting, but first my stationary bicycle.
Love to all,
Bernice
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fun, mostly
Dear family and friends,
Of course the high point of the day was meeting with the writing group at NCC. Those who are still working there among those who came were a bit stressed perhaps by the end-of-semester business. But we had a good time. Toby read a piece about my blog! When she quoted it, she asked me to read the excerpt, which was fun. Though I am writing for everyone who cares to check in, I admit that I mostly write for myself, to remember my daily life! Sometimes it's a struggle to think "What did I do yesterday?" or "What happened?"
Going into the office and greeting old friends there, sifting through the accumulation of mail in my mailbox, walking down the corridors of Bradley Hall, I was greeted by many and also saw many strange faces. It has been 11 years since I retired, after all. But I still feel a strong connection to the place. To my friends, it goes without saying, but even to the place. I also ran into Rick, and got and gave a big hug. I am so proud of him. He was with Inez, who looks terrific.
I read to my group a part of my review of the TFANA MM. It's good to read a paper aloud; I did catch something that needed to be changed. But what I noticed most was how blank everybody seemed: they did not remember the play, which they had probably read eons ago. I have to stop and think: who is this review for? It's for the Shakespeare Newsletter of course, but how many will know the play as well as I do having just edited it and seen three performance versions? Hum. Something to ponder.
After our reading, four of us went to LL Dent, a Southern-inflected restaurant, where we met LL Dent herself. Charming. We chose, among us, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, fried catfish (I think), fried chicken salad, spicy cabbage, and sweet potato pie. We four ordered all of this and shared so everyone could taste. We liked all but the macaroni and cheese. Of course, as a vegetarian I avoided the animals.
Toby had picked me up, and she drove me home, so we had a chance to chat on our own. Since she and Elliott retired this past year, she will soon be selling their Roslyn apartment and making their NYC apartment and their summer house in Lennox, MA, their main domiciles. Change. Wonderful for them, of course. They will be planning to spend time with Brian, their new grandchild in Boston, of course, closer to Lennox than to Long Island.
I held up really well through all of this activity. On other occasions, I have not been able to go to lunch after our readings. So there is improvement (the result of NOT taking certain meds that were supposed to help me but didn't). But when I got home I was exhausted. The long awaited call had come from Mount Sinai in the morning: I am going to be in a trial for a medicine that will not cure my condition but that could reduce symptoms such as the humongous spleen. I went to NCC before all was settled, so I left the details to Merwin. He and Amy, the nurse at Mt. Sinai, decided that the first appointment would be June 10th. Once started, if the first tests go well, including bone marrow biopsy (BMB for short), I will be going to Mt. Sinai every week for a while for follow-up tests. Merwin, who interests Dr. Mascarenhas very much because he also has an MPD, will be studied with me but he won't get the drug since he has no symptoms to speak of.
After hearing about this, I was ready for sleep, but I had a long talk with Jim L., the editor of the Focus series Laury and I are working on, and that was even more tiring. I went to bed afterward and recovered somewhat by evening, We spoke to our granddaughter Michelle, who sounded very up. I hope we can get to see her as soon as I can get into NYC easily. Afterward, I decided to do the easy task of looking over the TLS copies that I have, thanks to Kathryn. Then a little reading of The Church of Shakespeare and some sips of Tonic and a little vodka. I slept very well, better than in ages. Thank you, vodka?
As I write this, I am listening to Harvey over the speaker phone talking to Merwin. So this may be a little discombobulated.
But all is well, and I look forward to the day, including NYC!
Love,
Bernice
Of course the high point of the day was meeting with the writing group at NCC. Those who are still working there among those who came were a bit stressed perhaps by the end-of-semester business. But we had a good time. Toby read a piece about my blog! When she quoted it, she asked me to read the excerpt, which was fun. Though I am writing for everyone who cares to check in, I admit that I mostly write for myself, to remember my daily life! Sometimes it's a struggle to think "What did I do yesterday?" or "What happened?"
Going into the office and greeting old friends there, sifting through the accumulation of mail in my mailbox, walking down the corridors of Bradley Hall, I was greeted by many and also saw many strange faces. It has been 11 years since I retired, after all. But I still feel a strong connection to the place. To my friends, it goes without saying, but even to the place. I also ran into Rick, and got and gave a big hug. I am so proud of him. He was with Inez, who looks terrific.
I read to my group a part of my review of the TFANA MM. It's good to read a paper aloud; I did catch something that needed to be changed. But what I noticed most was how blank everybody seemed: they did not remember the play, which they had probably read eons ago. I have to stop and think: who is this review for? It's for the Shakespeare Newsletter of course, but how many will know the play as well as I do having just edited it and seen three performance versions? Hum. Something to ponder.
After our reading, four of us went to LL Dent, a Southern-inflected restaurant, where we met LL Dent herself. Charming. We chose, among us, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, fried catfish (I think), fried chicken salad, spicy cabbage, and sweet potato pie. We four ordered all of this and shared so everyone could taste. We liked all but the macaroni and cheese. Of course, as a vegetarian I avoided the animals.
Toby had picked me up, and she drove me home, so we had a chance to chat on our own. Since she and Elliott retired this past year, she will soon be selling their Roslyn apartment and making their NYC apartment and their summer house in Lennox, MA, their main domiciles. Change. Wonderful for them, of course. They will be planning to spend time with Brian, their new grandchild in Boston, of course, closer to Lennox than to Long Island.
I held up really well through all of this activity. On other occasions, I have not been able to go to lunch after our readings. So there is improvement (the result of NOT taking certain meds that were supposed to help me but didn't). But when I got home I was exhausted. The long awaited call had come from Mount Sinai in the morning: I am going to be in a trial for a medicine that will not cure my condition but that could reduce symptoms such as the humongous spleen. I went to NCC before all was settled, so I left the details to Merwin. He and Amy, the nurse at Mt. Sinai, decided that the first appointment would be June 10th. Once started, if the first tests go well, including bone marrow biopsy (BMB for short), I will be going to Mt. Sinai every week for a while for follow-up tests. Merwin, who interests Dr. Mascarenhas very much because he also has an MPD, will be studied with me but he won't get the drug since he has no symptoms to speak of.
After hearing about this, I was ready for sleep, but I had a long talk with Jim L., the editor of the Focus series Laury and I are working on, and that was even more tiring. I went to bed afterward and recovered somewhat by evening, We spoke to our granddaughter Michelle, who sounded very up. I hope we can get to see her as soon as I can get into NYC easily. Afterward, I decided to do the easy task of looking over the TLS copies that I have, thanks to Kathryn. Then a little reading of The Church of Shakespeare and some sips of Tonic and a little vodka. I slept very well, better than in ages. Thank you, vodka?
As I write this, I am listening to Harvey over the speaker phone talking to Merwin. So this may be a little discombobulated.
But all is well, and I look forward to the day, including NYC!
Love,
Bernice
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
More Progress
Bonnie Evans, the woman in the red blouse, sent this to me. She'sA banner day on Wednesday: I drove the car around the block, and it felt perfectly natural. Bill, my (former) physical therapist, had said I could do it, but I was a little frightened. My right leg, the driving leg really, could hardly be lifted without pain a couple of weeks ago. While the overall pain is still there—though to a much lesser extent—the movement of the foot from gas to brake and back again added no pain. Feels perfectly normal. This means that I can drive anywhere where I can be reasonably sure of a safe passage by foot with my cane—and a not-too-distant walk. The cane will be a thing of the past within a few weeks, I believe.
Toby is picking me up today for our writing group meeting at NCC because I can't be sure of a place to park were I to drive myself, and I don't think I am ready for a 1/2 mile walk. I will be reading part of my Measure for Measure review, which I hope to submit this week.
Chopped chicken liver was on the menu for Merwin. He's somewhat averse to strong onions, so I chopped a shallot very fine, and finely chopped celery added some crunch. I used 3 or 4 whole hard boiled eggs for about double the quantity of livers, which I had broiled the day before. Then the really new idea: instead of fat (the original recipe calls for chicken fat, which no one uses any more), I cut up very fine a ripe avocado. It is of course full of vegetable fat of a very healthy kind. Merwin loved the result, and because there was so much of it, I called Vivian to come over and get a serving for herself and Mel. She liked it too.
In the afternoon, Merwin took me to the dermatologist for my 6-month checkup. She recognized immediately the spots on my arms as being caused by a steroid, which I told her was prednisone. Nothing can be done about all of the symptoms it causes.
Merwin is continuing with his project of converting old 33 records to CDs: He discovers interesting inserts: for example, my friend Marlene gave me a recording of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poems, and within, in gorgeous handwriting, Marlene had prepared a text of all the poems. Also there are several recordings of Old and Middle English literature, which was the field I was aiming for at the time.
I am definitely walking better. I worked for 45 minutes on the stationary bike and when we watched Rachel on MSNBC, I did all the other exercises Bill had mapped out for me. I am eager to get better as fast as I can.
Of course there is always family business, phone calls from our sons, and also from friends, but nothing untoward to report. The weather was dull with a little rain yesterday but today the sun shines bright, and the viburnum is still gorgeous, filling my study window.
Love to all,
Bernice
moving my right foot (the one that hurts ) was not hard at all.
Lots of activities
Rachael on my right, Merwin and Michelle on my leftAs always, click to enlarge and use back arrow to return to blog
Dear family and friends,
I had to post this photo to remind myself what I looked like pre-prednizone, with no apple cheeks and pumpkin belly. I will try to keep that image before me as consolation and hope for the not-too-distant-future.
Tuesday was a busy day: the morning began with an appointment for glasses. I have not worn anything but over-the-counter magnifying glasses in recent years as my eyes changed in a good direction. But because of the prednisone, the cataract on the lens of my right eye is getting worse: it already was humongous. We have a yearly Union benefit of a free eye exam and pair of glasses at a reduced price, so off we went early to pick out frames. I need something for the middle distance, from my eyes to the computer.
Later in the day, I had another visit to the dentist. I am ruining my teeth with grinding, but I already sleep so badly that I don't want to use the bite plate that should prevent it. Merwin dropped me off and went for a walk at the beach and returned just as I was opening John's book The Church of Shakespeare—I had to wait till bedtime to get back to it.
When he picked me up, we realized we could get to our free Tuesday movie. We went to see The City of Your Final Destination, a Merchant/Ivory film, with script as usual by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, co-written by the author of the book that the film was based on: Peter Cameron. Like many Merchant/Ivory films, this was bittersweet and lovely to look at. Forget that its premise was weak: a PhD candidate in real life is not committed to one book and one book only. If he could not proceed with one topic, he would choose another: I did, many do. There was one quick scene when he, in front of a class, prompts them for writing an essay about the role of fate and character in Hardy. Though he tries to elicit a verbal exchange of ideas, the bell rings and the students pick up their books and leave. That's it. The end of his career as a teacher. Wow, he should have tried NCC to experience heartache in the classroom. But of course, not only heartache. It's worth sticking to the game.
Ilona's second painting went up, and looks great with the other already there: they are joyous. Merwin continues to convert 33 recordings into CDs (thanks Miriam!). What a host of old friends we can look forward to listening to! Carmina Burana, Façade, The Play of Daniel, T. S. Eliot reading his own poetry, and more!
I wrote my thank you letters to the company that sent the technician who drew my blood for all these weeks so expertly, and I wrote directly to Bill, the physical therapist from Visiting Nurses who worked with me. I also sent copies to my Dr. K, whose office arranged for these services. She should know when her choices work well (or not).
Onward to a rainy day, but there is already a smile on my face as I anticipate a good one, with opportunities to get back to work.
Love to all,
Bernice
I had to post this photo to remind myself what I looked like pre-prednizone, with no apple cheeks and pumpkin belly. I will try to keep that image before me as consolation and hope for the not-too-distant-future.
Tuesday was a busy day: the morning began with an appointment for glasses. I have not worn anything but over-the-counter magnifying glasses in recent years as my eyes changed in a good direction. But because of the prednisone, the cataract on the lens of my right eye is getting worse: it already was humongous. We have a yearly Union benefit of a free eye exam and pair of glasses at a reduced price, so off we went early to pick out frames. I need something for the middle distance, from my eyes to the computer.
Later in the day, I had another visit to the dentist. I am ruining my teeth with grinding, but I already sleep so badly that I don't want to use the bite plate that should prevent it. Merwin dropped me off and went for a walk at the beach and returned just as I was opening John's book The Church of Shakespeare—I had to wait till bedtime to get back to it.
When he picked me up, we realized we could get to our free Tuesday movie. We went to see The City of Your Final Destination, a Merchant/Ivory film, with script as usual by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, co-written by the author of the book that the film was based on: Peter Cameron. Like many Merchant/Ivory films, this was bittersweet and lovely to look at. Forget that its premise was weak: a PhD candidate in real life is not committed to one book and one book only. If he could not proceed with one topic, he would choose another: I did, many do. There was one quick scene when he, in front of a class, prompts them for writing an essay about the role of fate and character in Hardy. Though he tries to elicit a verbal exchange of ideas, the bell rings and the students pick up their books and leave. That's it. The end of his career as a teacher. Wow, he should have tried NCC to experience heartache in the classroom. But of course, not only heartache. It's worth sticking to the game.
Ilona's second painting went up, and looks great with the other already there: they are joyous. Merwin continues to convert 33 recordings into CDs (thanks Miriam!). What a host of old friends we can look forward to listening to! Carmina Burana, Façade, The Play of Daniel, T. S. Eliot reading his own poetry, and more!
I wrote my thank you letters to the company that sent the technician who drew my blood for all these weeks so expertly, and I wrote directly to Bill, the physical therapist from Visiting Nurses who worked with me. I also sent copies to my Dr. K, whose office arranged for these services. She should know when her choices work well (or not).
Onward to a rainy day, but there is already a smile on my face as I anticipate a good one, with opportunities to get back to work.
Love to all,
Bernice
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Busy day, busy week ahead
Lavin girls (clockwise from left, Gracie, Katie, and Sarah), into books
Click on the photo to enlarge it; use back arrow to return to blog
Still a little tired on Monday, but down went the prednisone anyway, now 20 mg. We saw Dr. K. yesterday, having to wait an hour or more before she could get to us. But the news is pretty good. The big red spots on my arms are from the prednisone (so presumably they will disappear when I have tapered completely, but I didn't ask), the little ones are probably leaking platelets, which were 33 last week and are 40 this week (normal low is 150). Ugly, but not a problem. The weight gain is also prednisone, as is the apple on a stick shape: actually two apples, one on top of the other: the round face on top of the very round belly, with stick legs: call it "The Prednisone Look." Temporary, we can hope. The med is also doing a number on my eyes, blurring my vision by, evidently, enlarging the cataract in my right eye: a visit to Davis Optical is on the menu today.
After the doctor, we went to the Persian grocery store that's on the way home and picked up some dinner fixings. My cousins Gert and Sylvia were coming for a visit. Gert was on her way to Buffalo from Israel, where she had visited her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, all of whom are doing well. Gert is Sylvia's aunt, and my first cousin. We had fun eating, chatting, reminiscing. I consider myself a pretty cheerful person, but Gert is even more so, and she has had plenty to bring her down. But she is now the happy companion of a very good, loving, intelligent, active man.
For the others I made the turkey drumsticks and thighs baked in cranberry sauce, and for all of us I made limabean casserole, big salad with lots of veggies, and a dessert I invented that positively disgusted Sylvia and Merwin, that Gert liked, and that I loved: layered dates on pie pan, sprinkled liberally with walnuts, then covered with Droste unsweetened cocoa powder that I had mixed with water and vanilla flavoring. OK, I overdid the chocolate, which was indeed very bitter, but I like the combination of sweet dates, crunchy nuts and bitter chocolate. I should have used about 1/2 the chocolate. I ate quite a lot of it and sent the remainder to Merwin's study to be hidden and doled out occasionally. No control here.
Merwin, with the advice of all three women, put up the larger of Ilona's paintings. It looks terrific, a bright spot to enjoy as one enters the study: to the visitor's right, the flowering viburnum just past the deck, and to the left, high up, Ilona's painting, among others. Her smaller one, we all decided, should go next to the larger one: they make a good pair.
After our cousins left, Merwin and I finished the pleasant, easy evening with TV news and books—and I had a little wine, the last of that bottle. I feel as energetic this morning as I had before the trip to NYC. So I am thinking of NYC by myself: I imagine Merwin taking me to the train and me going to Penn Station to avoid stairs and then taking a cab to our studio apartment, with perhaps a visit to my shelf at the NYPL. I think by imagining it, I can make it happen. Maybe a week from now.
Love to all,
Bernice
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