A couple of days

Dear friends and family,

Now when I look out of the SE facing window from my comfortable recliner, I see the scaffolding of several leafless tress, one behind the other. The SW window is similar, but now the fir tree behind the deciduous trees has come into view. The W-facing window shows fir trees in the foreground and behind them the graceful branches of the leafless trees. This will be my view, pretty much, until next April. Interestingly enough, the Azalea's leaves are changing color a bit. Some will probably drop, the rest remaining green all winter: the huge bush is near our front door.

The extra railing for the path from the front steps to the street is half-done. I think it will be good to have, particularly when the path is snowy.

Busy few days. Arthur came and very willingly did a few chores to help out, including shopping and cooking, and recycling a huge number of plastic bags. We had potato-broccoli latkes for dinner: not bad. I had too much broccoli and needed to use it. Merwin says, sotto voce, "I like plain broccoli with butter," but no one listened. Same thing happened with Debbie's cauliflower casserole for the next night: it involved many ingredients, and the little voice sounded again: "I like plain cauliflower with butter." The casserole accompanied a fish dish that Arthur made: preheat over to 400. place fish in very lightly oiled pan (spray is OK too). Using freshly grated cheddar cheese, cover fish with gaps of fish showing. Surround the fish with raw sliced mushrooms. Bake for 20 minutes, until fish is flaky. Very very tasty. Laury, who came for a visit, was presuaded to stay for a bite and joined us for a family dinner at the kitchen table. The three women each had a big glaas of wine before and with dinner. I hardly every have that any more, and it was mellowing.

Earlier, I had made a potato curry that we (especially me) nibbled on all day. Cut into small chunks 2 potatoes, 2 medium onions, 2 green peppers. Heat a little oil in large pan and begin sauteing the vegetables. Add 1 tsp curry powder or more to taste, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover. This step takes a long time. The vegetables almost melt into each other. If the pot seems dry, add a little water. At the end, when the veggies are very soft and melded, boil off any remaining water. Serve hot or room temperature. This is a recipe from an Indian man who was my sister's grad student at Brown. He often came to her home, the family center for Thanksgiving for many years.

I was not able to do any of the things I had planned to do with Debbie: go to TJ Maxx for just a few items and organize my freezers. Too tired. Too much itching. But we had a good time chatting. Now Arthur and Debbie have left, and the next time we may see them in on Merwin's birthday, Christmas day. But Arthur and I talk on the phone every day and sometimes twice a day.

I have a new Cynthia Ozick book in hand; it comes from our tiny little local library. I am looking forward to reading it. Funny that they should have it when they have so little.

The fabulous Margaret is here now, cleaning the rooms most in the need of a going over. How good to have her, I might say she is a gift from Laury, who does so much for us. I won't write about plans for the coming week because I never know if I can do what I hope to do, but rest assured I am looking forward in spite of the misery of fatigue and itching to activities that are fun to think about even when I cannot, finally, do them.

Lots of love,
Bernice