Dave captured the crepe myrtle. I can see it from my bed.

Dear Friends and Family,

I know I have been lax about writing my blog. For days, I didn't feel up to it, and I don't want to write about my health only. But I am feeling better this morning than I have for a long time. On Monday, dear old friends, Phyllis, Annie and Pat, came with a big bag of take-out from Kiraku. I didn't feel up to going out, but I am always cheered by the love and kindness of friends. Annie brought some of her delicious oatmeal cookies and told us all about the new house she has bought and moved into. She wanted to be closer to her children. She had a lovely house, but it was far east in Long Island. Everyone but the dog is happy about the move. He had so much running room; now he is on a street with sidewalks.

I thought Merwin and I should try to see Dr. Janus, the pulmonologist, and we were squeezed into her tight schedule on Tuesday afternoon. It took hours, and fortunately Merwin set me up with portable oxygen. I seem to be oxygen dependent now. I hope not always. The good news is that the lungs sound clear. Whatever is bugging me is more probably a general virus, caught at the hospital. My thighs, front and back, have raised red blotches on them. A biopsy revealed nothing except it ruled out everything but a virus. Dr. Janus put me on a week of prednizone, promising that it would make me feel better within a few days: she was right.

On Tuesday, Sonia helped me do most of my exercises. Yesterday, too, I was feeling better when Sonia was here, and I worked alongside her in the kitchen. Barbara stopped over with good organic vegetables from her garden. Sonia had been preparing to make cheese pancakes, and I decided on a whim to add some of Barbara's spinach, which grows on a pole and thus is not a problem to wash quickly. The pancakes were quite good, but I intend to make spinach pancakes out of the remaining spinach, without any cottage cheese.

Many dear colleagues, especially Nick, write to me with news about our website hamletworks.org and general news. Harvey sent me a paper to look at and improve. No matter how I feel, I seem to be able to put on my English teacher's hat and make it better, at least a little.

I have my face turned toward NYC. I yearn to go there, and wonder how we can do it with the oxygen.

Love to all,
Bernice