Dear Cyndy,

At 11:12 p.m. it may be too late even for me to start on a letter,
but I'll try and discover how far I get. I mailed my notes on
Victoria's presentation separately so that you might forward them
to her if you thought they might help her. My own intuition,
if you forgive the presumptuousness and intrusiveness, is that
Sam's problem is an intra-family issue which is being projected
onto the School Board and thereby distorted and maybe even magnified.
You've got to be realistic: California is in a financial crisis,
on the threshold of state bankruptcy, - and Sam's needs may be among
the first to be denied. As I wrote, I'd focus on remedies that cost
the Board no money, and if necessary, finance coaching or tutoring
from within the family.

I'll forward to you the 14 pieces of e-mail which have passed
between my cousin Marion Namenwirth and myself since June 18. The
first letter, dated June 18, you will notice duplicates some of
what you already have. I wonder if there's something wrong with
me that I feel no need to conceal or to embroider my family's 
history. For all I know, I may be afflicted with a species of
exhibitionism, but I find it much relief to be able to describe
what I understand and what I remember. The consequence of that
description is a revival of my love for my parents so vivid and
consuming that, especially here in their house in Konnarock, I
feel about them as I remember feeling when I was 14 or 15 years
old; and it is this renaissance of affection which persuades me
that my candor is not a breach of faith. The letters forwarded
to you will come with images attached and with some German text
untranslated as they passed between Marion and myself. If you
want the English, just ask.

So far as your August 20, visit is concerned, please do what is
most congenial to you. If you're coming from Canaan, the trip
to Belmont takes three hours, you could easily arrive in mid-morning,
unpack and store Joanne's belongings, have lunch with us, leave
by mid-afternoon and be back in Canaan before dark: Margaret 
and I would not be offended that you didn't accept our invitation
to stay overnight. But if you would like to stay one or more nights,
and you don't have to decide in advance: you can wait to decide until
you've arrived and had a chance to inspect the premises, - if you
decide to stay, the pleasure (and novelty) of having you would be well
worth the little bit of trouble of making up three beds in two large
rooms: One double bed, one "twin" bed, and one very comfortable twin-size
box spring and mattress resting on the floor. There is one bathroom
on the second floor where you would be sleeping, a second bathroom
on the third floor immediately above, and a third bathroom on the
first floor immediately below, all available for your exclusive use. 
Please remember that my initial invitation referred to your "camping
out" in our spacious but sparsely furnished and somewhat shabby house.
"Camping out" is a caveat that I can't retract, because becoming
civilized, - or "cultivated" as my parents would have said, - 
is a slow process which can no longer be initiated by candidates
79 and 85 years old respectively.

Please stay well, and give my best to Ned.

Jochen