Continuing to advance!

Dear family and friends,

Though it was another gray day, as it is this morning as well, yesterday we made some very significant progress. A technician came to draw blood, and I will know pretty soon what's happening in that part of my body. And the Visiting Nurse, Bill, who happens to live right here in Glen Head, arrived late in the afternoon. His specialty is physical therapy, and his goal for me is to get me more mobile. After a standard intake, he watched me move around and manipulated my limbs carefully. The exciting part was his teaching me to negotiate the stairs to the master bedroom, where I have a full bath. He thinks I may want to use the bed in there too instead of the recliner, but I doubt it, not yet. The recliner is very comfortable, easy to get into and out of.

The method for stairs in case you ever need to maneuver with an injury: Once you have rolled over to the stairway with the wonderful wheelie/walker, hold onto the banister with both hands (I will have two banisters as early as later today), lift the good leg (left) onto the step and put full weight on it. Bring the bad leg onto the first stair and gently put it down, keeping the weight of the body on the banister and good leg. Repeat until all four steps are cleared. To come down, turn around, put both hands tight on the banister, descend with the bad leg going first. Though the pubic ramus is in the middle, since I fell on the right hip it's that side that is most injured; probably the break is on that side of the ring (Merwin, who saw the Cat-scan, says it is).

I intend to try the stairs today or tomorrow and have a real shower! Bill's very strong hands helped a lot, of course. I don't want to burden Merwin with that weight (he says "no Problem!"). Bill will return on Wed. evening.

For some reason, I got no return calls from Dr. K, and will have to follow through today: I am out of some meds, and shifted by myself to an older script for pain meds.

The best news is that I sent off my le Harve essay and got in return a lovely greeting from Sarah and Nathalie. The conference starts with a reception on Wed. night. How wonderful it would be to be there among friends! But I knew months ago that I would not be able to go. I am just grateful that the organizers let me be part of the program, which is on filmed Hamlets, in spite of my absence. Did I tell you that one of the conferees suggested that there be a prize for any paper that does NOT mention my work on Hamlet over the years? I thought this was a rather negative idea, so I said jokingly that perhaps there should be a prize for the paper that mentioned my work the most. I have written a lot about the play and in particular about filmed versions.

This scholarly life is a curious business, with some people that are small and petty, and others that are magnificently generous. I have been fortunate to find more of the latter than the former. It's been, and still is, a wonderful occupation—solitary at times but often full of the warmest of friendships. I value the love I feel for (and from) so many of my colleagues.

I had hoped to return to the Sea essay yesterday, but that will have to be later today. I still need some library materials and will have to count on the kindness of friends to help me.

I continue to be able to function in the kitchen pretty well. I used some of the leftover ratatouille that Debbie had prepared ahead to make, as she had suggested, a nice noodle and cheese casserole with it for dinner. Merwin ate leftovers from the retirement dinner for lunch. Today I will do more serious cooking perhaps. My appetite continues to flourish! It's rather amazing.

The sun is peeping out a bit. Yesterday I saw our pair of cardinals. They used to be mainly ground feeders, but now they don't hesitate to get onto the hanging feeder, which I can see from my recliner. Lots of other birds are showing up, but not yet the dreaded sparrows, which though tiny are fierce and scare away other larger birds. Merwin tells me about the daffodils and crocuses in bloom, but I can see for myself the blooms on the trees appearing more bloom-like by the minute: magnolia, fruit trees, and the rest. The 5 surviving gold fish continue to swim around. I can see the glints of orange from the windows.

I look forward to another good day! I heard from Florence yesterday and hope to see her soon. She has promised me some of her delicious vegetarian soup.

Love to all,
Bernice