Bright white day

Dear Friends and family,

If only we had known just how much snow we would get during this storm, we would have done a slightly more serious shop yesterday. As it is, we got lettuce, milk, cream, and a few other basics. But being snowed in makes me yearn to do some cooking, and I don't have the proper ingredients for anything I want to make. I will, then, make do.

Yesterday Ilona picked me and Gladys up and took us to RSNS, our synagogue, where we stuffed, labeled and stamped the monthly newsletter to go out in the mail today or tomorrow. This is the only volunteer work I do now. I have given up ushering in NYC. I have given up escorting at Planned Parenthood. I sit in the RSNS library, with friendly, knowledgeable people, working with our hands while we chat about books, movies and ideas. Always a pleasant couple of hours. Once a month, we and others meet for lunch at the Jolly Fisherman.

On the way home, Ilona sketched out a recipe that her son's Chinese girlfriend made on a recent visit. I wish I had some leeks on hand: I would try to do my own sort of version of i: it calls for special Chinese scallions, available only in Chinatown, I think. I took a roll of polenta out of the freezer this morning to see what I could do with what I have on hand. Polenta sounds so good; it's comfort food on this snowed-in day.

Earlier, the very nice installer had come to put up the new shades in the bedroom. I washed and folded the very dark curtains that I had pinned up after the room was painted, and voila, there was light, light, light. The shades are the kind that roll up entirely, making the windows look bare. I want to string up "angel lights," tiny bulbs above those windows and on the adjacent dark wall, above the pictures and books. I chatted with the installer about these sad days: he works 3 days a week now instead of 6 and cannot meet payments. We are doing our bit, I said to him, but of course it's not enough.

Yesterday was a day catching up on a variety of desk chores: One was responding to 2 papers for the seminar I am in at the Shakespeare Association Meeting in Chicago. I signed up to go, never really expecting I could travel to Chicago and participate in person. But there are communications ahead of time that I thought I could manage: I am to respond to 2 papers with 3 questions for the authors to consider responding to at the seminar itself. These two authors will respond to my paper in the same way, with questions for me to consider answering. It's a fun activity for me. My paper is on Measure for Measure, theirs, respectively, are on Othello and Troilus and Cressida, but all are on overhearing by characters and audiences in the three plays.

Next, I was asked to glance through a grant proposal for a seminar/workshop of high school teachers, and to write a short letter to indicate I would be willing to lead sessions for two days in August 2011. 2011! Well, you never know, right? Even though I have these blasts in my blood (not a good sign) and this hip pain, I am just taking things one day at a time, and not crossing out the possibilities for a future. I sent my letter off lickety-split.

Finally, Jay at the NYPL asked me to write a paragraph describing my Hamlet work. He likes to show the powers that be there that the denizens of the two study rooms are active scholars and writers.

And of course there were all the usual things that go on in a household: conversations with children and friends, doing the wash, and all the rest. We are thinking of all our friends who are in pain, wishing for them a good day today.

Love to all,
Bernice