Arthur's tractor and the evolving shed.Dear family and friends,
Harvey and family will be returning from the memorial service in Cleveland today. I am looking forward to the record that was made of the event, which sounds as if it would have been exactly what Lee would have liked.
After a lot of resting on Saturday, we went in the evening to a concert of Spanish music from Latin America at the elementary school in Glenwood Landing where Harvey had gone to kindergarten, The next year we moved to Glen Head and the school there, about a mile East. Our friends Miriam and Doris are in The North Shore Community Chorus, which did very well for itself. We enjoyed it very much, in spite of the oppressive heat, with no air-conditioning. The highlight was the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez (1963). Doris, later, said it was very difficult to learn, but the effort paid off in what seemed like an effortless performance. We didn't stay afterward to chat. Too tired and hot.
On Sunday we had a long day that I am happy to say I got through without difficulty. Though of course I was glad to get into bed last night!
Before we left for the city to see Elyssa perform, I read Harvey's entire paper on some exciting work he's doing. This would be of course just a first quick read. I think it is wonderful that he depends on me and Merwin to give the last word on his written work. The language is scientific, but it is English as well, and I enjoy working on his wonderful ideas.
At 2:00 p.m. we drove to Evelyn and Harris's house in Queens and parked our car on their street: since Harris was already in NYC having watched a grandson play baseball, Evelyn drove us to NYC where we ran into a street fair that kept us moving at a snail's pace. But we got to the Gene Frankel Theatre on Bond Street in time to see "The Untitled Project," part of a month-long festival of plays at three theaters on the Lower East Side. At the theater we met Elyssa, the fresh graduate from Harvard, who only a week after graduation was already in NYC doing what she wants to do, acting in a play. She looks lovely, fresh and alive. The energy flows from her. I was proud that I was able to give her a present to celebrate her graduation. Many months ago, I bought a necklace I thought would be perfect for her and put it in the present closet. I was happy to be able to find it there and bring it, and see it on her. Since shopping right now is not in the cards, I am pleased that I came across something lovely for her and had tucked it away where I could find it.
The play, which ran from about 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., was a bit tedious though very short: it reminded me of the words in A Midsummer Night's Dream: Theseus' master of ceremony, Philostrate, tells Theseus about a proposed entertainment called "A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisby:”— “A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, . . . But by ten words, my lord, it is too long . . . .” The main thing is that the actors yesterday did what they needed to do and acquitted themselves well in spite of the weakness of the material. Laury, Elyssa's mother, had slipped in some three minutes into the performance, and afterward we six, Harris, Evelyn, Laury, Elyssa, Merwin and I, went out for dinner to one of the several restaurants on this cobblestone street. We chose a Catalan one, which was very empty at the early hour of about 6:15 p.m. but very sloooooow (though solicitous) in providing service. Finally, we had all eaten, said our goodbyes to Laury and Elyssa, and dashed back with Harris and Evelyn to Queens, where we picked up our car and returned home. And so to bed.
Today I am feeling more like myself. I am ready to enjoy the company of Florence and David for lunch, and then to plunge in again to re-read Harvey's fine paper, this time including the footnotes and captions for the illustrations. Another full day ahead!
Love to all,
Bernice
Harvey and family will be returning from the memorial service in Cleveland today. I am looking forward to the record that was made of the event, which sounds as if it would have been exactly what Lee would have liked.
After a lot of resting on Saturday, we went in the evening to a concert of Spanish music from Latin America at the elementary school in Glenwood Landing where Harvey had gone to kindergarten, The next year we moved to Glen Head and the school there, about a mile East. Our friends Miriam and Doris are in The North Shore Community Chorus, which did very well for itself. We enjoyed it very much, in spite of the oppressive heat, with no air-conditioning. The highlight was the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez (1963). Doris, later, said it was very difficult to learn, but the effort paid off in what seemed like an effortless performance. We didn't stay afterward to chat. Too tired and hot.
On Sunday we had a long day that I am happy to say I got through without difficulty. Though of course I was glad to get into bed last night!
Before we left for the city to see Elyssa perform, I read Harvey's entire paper on some exciting work he's doing. This would be of course just a first quick read. I think it is wonderful that he depends on me and Merwin to give the last word on his written work. The language is scientific, but it is English as well, and I enjoy working on his wonderful ideas.
At 2:00 p.m. we drove to Evelyn and Harris's house in Queens and parked our car on their street: since Harris was already in NYC having watched a grandson play baseball, Evelyn drove us to NYC where we ran into a street fair that kept us moving at a snail's pace. But we got to the Gene Frankel Theatre on Bond Street in time to see "The Untitled Project," part of a month-long festival of plays at three theaters on the Lower East Side. At the theater we met Elyssa, the fresh graduate from Harvard, who only a week after graduation was already in NYC doing what she wants to do, acting in a play. She looks lovely, fresh and alive. The energy flows from her. I was proud that I was able to give her a present to celebrate her graduation. Many months ago, I bought a necklace I thought would be perfect for her and put it in the present closet. I was happy to be able to find it there and bring it, and see it on her. Since shopping right now is not in the cards, I am pleased that I came across something lovely for her and had tucked it away where I could find it.
The play, which ran from about 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., was a bit tedious though very short: it reminded me of the words in A Midsummer Night's Dream: Theseus' master of ceremony, Philostrate, tells Theseus about a proposed entertainment called "A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisby:”— “A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, . . . But by ten words, my lord, it is too long . . . .” The main thing is that the actors yesterday did what they needed to do and acquitted themselves well in spite of the weakness of the material. Laury, Elyssa's mother, had slipped in some three minutes into the performance, and afterward we six, Harris, Evelyn, Laury, Elyssa, Merwin and I, went out for dinner to one of the several restaurants on this cobblestone street. We chose a Catalan one, which was very empty at the early hour of about 6:15 p.m. but very sloooooow (though solicitous) in providing service. Finally, we had all eaten, said our goodbyes to Laury and Elyssa, and dashed back with Harris and Evelyn to Queens, where we picked up our car and returned home. And so to bed.
Today I am feeling more like myself. I am ready to enjoy the company of Florence and David for lunch, and then to plunge in again to re-read Harvey's fine paper, this time including the footnotes and captions for the illustrations. Another full day ahead!
Love to all,
Bernice
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