Chugging right along!

Dear family and friends,

Just as I was about to sit down and write my blog yesterday, the electricity went off and stayed off for an hour. Since Jesús was here, and we had work to do together, the time for the blog just slipped away. I wish I could convey the beautiful feeling of being with someone well loved, as Jesús is by both Merwin and me, and also the special joy that comes from working together on projects that are meaningful to us both and to the Shakespeare community at large. Then I have to wonder: will we see Jesús again here? I had my first long ride in the car on Sunday to pick Jesús up at Islip, and then on Monday I had an even longer one to take Jesús to JFK. Each time it got easier. I think I am getting the hang of what I have to do to maneuver myself into the seat without stressing the pelvis. So today, instead of having Amy come here to do my nails, as I expected I would need her to do, I think I will go there, just a quarter of a mile away. With Merwin's help I will get in the car and out of it and into the shop, then back into the car and home. With my wheelie, I know I can do it, and looking ridiculous on the main street of Glen Head is OK with me.

For dinner Sunday, I made a lovely beef stew, with wine from Trader Joe's. It is quite good for drinking too. I made myself a vegetarian version of the stew. Both will return for supper tonight, I think. For breakfast, we had gefrüschte matzoh again, except Merwin has given up on it because it makes him sick, literally. Delicious, but deadly. For lunch I was going to make a new recipe derived from the cookbook "Southern Fried Matzah" (you'll notice that there are lots of ways to spell matzo), but the time slipped by and I had to make something faster. This is a variation of the basic blintzes recipe but without the blini. I mixed together no-salt-added farmers' cheese and egg, one package of cheese and one egg per person. I layered a loaf pan with sliced fresh apples and covered them with the cheese mixture. I would ordinarily bake this quantity at 450 for almost an hour. I pushed it to 500 because I was late getting started. It was delicious. The cheese had a brown crust at the top and sides (I don't grease the pan) and was semi-firm underneath, the apples were soft but still had shape, and by the way, the special apples from Lee and Henry were delicious prepared this way. Merwin likes some jam with his portion; Jesús and I liked it as it was.

The idea from the cookbook is intriguing. You make the blini mix, and spread half of it in a buttered pan. Carefully spread the cheese mix on top of the blini mix. You would have to be very careful to make sure the cheese didn't impinge on the blini layer. Then you cover with an additional layer of the blini mix and bake for about an hour at 450.

We are blessed with our sons, as most of you know. Yesterday Dave sprayed our trees (which he selected and planted some years ago) with milk mixed with a few other ingredients. He believes in organic gardening. He helped Merwin move the worm box outdoors. It's been in the cellar some months; they seem to be doing OK. Dave also helped Merwin with some TV and computer problems. And Dave also did some shopping, locating the apple butter that is an indispensable ingredient of my vinaigrette salad dressing.

We also heard from Harvey and Arthur. Harvey had a flood in his house that required him and Sandy to make trip after trip to the dump to throw away soggy things, including carpeting. The sad part is that he had to throw away the records of his earliest research: slides, reports, and the like. Of course the fruit of that work remains intact in published papers and in medical practice, but there goes the history. Arthur called while his daughter, Sabrina, was visiting him and his wife Debbie and mother-in-law Dorothy in New Hampshire, so we had a chance to talk to her also about her work. She is working in Boston, using her B.S. degree in chemistry (my father had an MS in chemistry; Laura our oldest granddaughter is working on a PhD in organic chem at Boston U). All our grandchildren are post undergrad age. Sigh.

Towards the end of the evening, Laury came for a brief visit. We didn't work for once, just talked about what was on our minds and about the Shakespeare Conference. Her seminar went well, and she is glad she went even though she was there barely 24 hours. She and I will start working again on Measure for Measure soon. I also had the pleasure of making her a little snack, a hamburger with a matzo roll with applesauce on the side. Not only do I enjoy cooking but also feeding the people I love.

I am beginning to turn a little onto my right side a couple of inches when I am lying in my glider. I consider this a good sign that I will be more mobile soon. It would be a relief not to always have to lie on my back.

We've already heard from Jesús that he had a wonderful greeting from his children, who were still in pjs at breakfast this morning when he arrived. While he was here, we saw many delightful minutes of videotape of the family, especially the children. They remember well their visit here. And we spoke briefly to Carme, his 9-year-old daughter, when his wife Xelo phoned. Pau has been away all weekend visiting a friend, leaving mother and daughter to enjoy mother-and-daughter-things. Lucky family. We also saw what we have heard about for a long time: Jesús playing in a wind band. I thought it was a casual group, but this is a huge orchestra, and the occsaion was a big community concert, crowded with folks from his village and nearby villages.

It's a gray day today, but I look forward to good progress on all fronts.

Love,
Bernice