May-June 2022

May-June 2022

On the train now from Amsterdam to Paris. Amsterdam itself was for the most part surprisingly fine weather – even a glorious heat-wave near the beginning of our stay. Early on we had dinner with Stephan & Koen at Sluizer. For almost the whole time in Amsterdam it has been my usual computer difficulties – both mechanical and with 1Passport & Backblaze. Carlo took the train in early one morning to help me with my laptop troubles. Later that dayMarie-Laure from Paris and Meg from Stratton both arrived, but at the same time so did Wilhelm and Melvin to remove the bathtub.

Richard & I have had a few ritual sessions and finished casting beans for the lemures and then cast all into the Amstel from the Magere Brug on the Ides. With our luggage when we had taken the Eurostar, Richard got frighteningly worn down, could scarcely walk and would sleep most of the day for several days. Then on the 25th when we were going to Stephan & Koen’s for dinner along with Pierre & Leandro, a cyclist crashed into Richard before he had reached the zebra crossing on the Weteringschans. He was knocked to the ground and seriously injured. We have seen Hans twice, and Richard has been slowly improving, but Hans said that his recovery will take between four to six weeks in all.

Before all this last, we had a dinner at Caramba with Santima, Laura, Michael & Maxim, Marie-Laure, Meg and Jimmy. As it had turned out, Richard’s colonoscopy got scheduled for earlier that day. He was angry with me for having arranged it but very happy when he received a clean bill of health and was told that he will never need to do another colonoscopy again. The dinner itself was enjoyable, but Richard had more to drink than the clinic had told

him. Ralph arrived the next day.

On the day that followed, I learned from Carol Seajay that our beloved Saint Lynne had passed the day before. At least I had written her five days earlier. She had battled for more than a year and always kept an appreciative view of life and the world about her. She died at home which is what she wanted and had been surrounded by the love of many.

Before the gals left for Paris, Ralph had prepared an enormous breakfast. With him that evening, we dined at Va Piano. More laptop trouble that day with the screen suddenly going black and then oscillating back & forth but being lit for only a few seconds each time. Through Apple, I talked to Brian in Ireland who helped me through it.

The following day, Frits Meerhof, the real estate agent that Maxim had recommended, came to view the house in preparation for the possibility of selling her. Ralph came back late from his training and after we had gone to bed and then departed before we had got up the next morning. We ritualised for the May Agonium, lit a fire and had negroni. The next day was a Soteria – this one with Heward Wilkinson on “Who Wrote Shakespeare?” – presumably

Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford (pushing the divine right of kings) rather than William of Stratford (an actor and the front man for a more plebian/popular appeal of the plays). It was an interesting talk.

We voted in the California elections, and I faxed our ballots. The new bathtub has been installed, but Wilhem never came back to collect all of his left behind equipment. I finally moved it from the second floor to the first. We had a dinner with Santima at Shiva, and the next night one with Jim at Tomo Sushi. Richard managed to walk to both. Otherwise, he would sleep for most of the day. We did manage to Zoom with Maggie. Frits came with both the measurer and photographer. And since the next day was Nancy’s birthday, we Zoomed her.

At the Krasnapolsky we lunched with Jacqueline & Hans on the Kalends of June. I completely miscalculated/misremembered our June nefastus which does not begin on the Kalends and finish yesterday but starts with the Nones and continues into almost all of our stay in Paris. We will make an exception for tomorrow’s Matralia. We were able to enjoymuch of the Jubilation via the television. Marta & Kostas made dinner one night and came up with it to share with us.

We Zoomed Barbara for her birthday. And then on the eve of the Nones, ritualised and had dinner at the La Margarita Café-Restaurant. It was texmex and so-so but good enough for us along with a pitcher of margarita, and then on the way home we had ice cream cones. Did a review endorsement of Phyllis’ spell crafting book. Marta burst into tears when she saw me feeding the ducks and came out to thank me. She, Alan, Liam & Kostas’ mother all left later

that day. Kostas goes temporarily to Spain tomorrow. I will miss them.

We have arrived now in Paris. Marie-Laure met us at la Gare du Nord. We ubered to the Rue Oberkampf, and I had help getting my tremendously heavy suitcase up one floor to the Blue Room. We are ensconced happily and will be in Paris six days before taking the TGV to the Midi.