Many interruptions

Dear family and friends,

I am just getting to the blog just before 2 p.m., very late for me. Betty sent me this morning important information I need to write something for the Shakespeare Newsletter about her husband, John, with whom I shared an intense interest in Hamlet. Turning to John was the first thing on my mind this morning.

Our son Harvey phoned, on his way to have lunch with two former students, to see one of them graduate from Yale, and to hear Bill Clinton give an address. We'll get the scoop from him later, if not on the NYT online.

Merwin and I have returned from a trip to the Super Market: there always seems to be more to buy! Before that we went to the beach, where he had his usual vigorous walk and I trailed behind with my cane. I walked yesterday a bit too much, and that knocked me out. I went all around our neighborhood, enjoying the flowers, a few dogs (I always LOVE seeing dogs), the houses and the very few people who happen to be out. Among the latter were our very across-the-street nice neighbors, Lorraine and her two daughters, Amanda and Kaeli, gorgeous little girls. Lorraine and her husband Scott bought the house from Brendan who married our friend Sophie and moved elsewhere.

Yesterday, Sophie popped over with her great Spinach Pie. She also brought a hummingbird feeder, in response to the hummingbird photo I had put on my blog, I think, and we can hope to hold a few hummingbirds on our hands some day!

Toby and Elliott came over in the afternoon. Funny thing. I had agreed that I would phone them after nap time to tell them when to come. But in my faulty memory, I remembered only that they were coming at 4 o'clock, so as to arrive after our nap time. At 4:30 we finally phoned and got the truth, and they popped over. [Soon there will be no such popping, except in NYC because having retired from their Long Island faculty positions, they will soon sell their Roslyn apartment.]

Just a few days after my broken pelvis, Elliott celebrated his retirement at a local restaurant. I had missed the event, so yesterday Toby read their son Eric's introduction and roasting (very gentle) and Elliott set up his computer to give a Power Point presentation of his talk to me (and Merwin, who had already seen and heard it of course). It was great, full of the enthusiasm of a dedicated teacher. I asked him how was he doing this, giving up teaching, and he said that his college gave him an offer he could not refuse. I don't know much math, I'm afraid, not any more, though I used to be quite good at it. The difference between me and Merwin was that I was willing to memorize and considerd that "learning" the material. He had to understand and hated memorization.

We went to a local restaurant, Ernesto's, about 1/4 mile from our house, and had a lovey meal: Toby and I both had eggplant parmesan, and each took away enough for lunch today. Toby had also made Bittman asparagus pesto and brought a full container of it for me. She and I agree that it is not as good as basil pesto. I froze her pesto and will use it when the hamletworks.team arrives, but I will add basil as well.

The evening ended fairly early, with reading what had already arrived of the Sunday paper.

And so to bed, now for a nap.

Love to all,
Bernice