At the top, Jesús and his son Pau. Pau was injured during a basketball game and persisted anyway. Though Pau could not play in the last game, he received from the manager this splendid trophy for the team, which won largely due to his playing during the series, and you can see how happy he is. The bottom picture are Leah, Audrey and Sammy. The girls are Vaughan's grandchildren who live her in San Diego/ We have a dog named Sammy also, but being the best dog in the world he requires no feeding or walking. We'll take a photo of him sometime.Dear friends and family,
I remember the day Pau was born: I was so excited when Jesùs phoned me from Valencia (I was at the Shakespeare conference in Stratford-upon-Avon and he called for me at the desk). Jesús was explaining why he could not be at the conference: boy was he a happy man. I have known and loved Jesús since the day Camille at the Folger Shakespeare Library mentioned to him that since he was working on Hamlet for his PhD dissertation, he might like to meet me. We met and bonded immediately. To get more details, Merwin, who was in Stratford also, and I phoned Jesùs later in the evening from a phone booth outside the theater where we were seeing a play.
Since we first met, we have been close colleagues and friends. Jesús and family has visited us, including Carme, born two years after Pau, and his delightful parents, José and Isabel, at whose house we stayed when we visited them. Of course with his beautiful wife, Xelo. Jesús came to visit us in Glen Head after the Shakespeare meeting this past spring and attended my talk at the NYPL. We worked on his additions to hamletworks.org.
I didn't know the joy that my shift from medieval literature to Shakespeare would give me. Best thing I ever did for my spiritual and academic life.
I overslept this morning—amazing. Merwin began to get worried when he had heard nothing from me by 10 a.m. I had been awake a few times, but always happily snuggled into my blanket and dozed off again. I think I am feeling better on the lower dose of chemo.
As planned, yesterday we went to Kiraku for lunch with Doris and Stan. The staff greets me happily: "Hello Bernice." We were the last ones there for lunch and had the pleasure of seeing the staff being served, watching with curiosity to see what they were eating—huge mounds of whatever it was, a variety among the 10 or so serving folk. Chopsticks flashing.
After that, lots of resting, some reading, some computer work, and more resting, because we were going to services that evening, a rarity since my downturn. I wanted to go to acknowledge, by reciting the Kaddish, the anniversary of the death of Eve, my sister's daughter. Also, we, along with about 50 others, had been invited by a couple we know to attend for the announcement of the coming wedding of their daughter. It wasn't an occasion for a present, but knowing we would not go to the wedding, I wanted to give them something. I have been selecting gifts from our great store of objects, and for this couple I chose a lovely elephant with trunk up. We sat in the last row, but at some point, Rabbi Lee, from the Bima called out a "Hello Bernice" to me. At the Oneg afterward, I indulged in a glass of wine and piece of cheesecake, and as I sat at the table, the dozen or so people I know came to greet me, to say how well I look, to express pleasure in seeing me there. Felt good. Just stay away for a time and come back and you get this treatment: the prodigal son plot line.
Tomorrow Sylvia will be coming with three of her nine grandchildren: These are her son Ari's children. He and Monica are in NY for a wedding. I don't think Ari can come to see us—he and Monica have other family commitments for their brief stay.
It's a bright and sunny day, and I have been smiling from the moment I got up.I hope you are too!
Love to all,
Bernice
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