Dear Marion,

Thank you for your vivid and vivacious account
of the opening day at the Minnesota State Fair.
Your report makes me feel very inadequate, so for
that matter, do my grandchildren's satisfaction
with their various activities. My oldest granddaughter,
Rebekah, now in her third year at Harvard, is finding
fulfillment in the regimentation of rowing in a scull
on the Charles River, an activity in which she spends
two hours in the early morning and two hours in the
late afternoon. My older grandson, Nathaniel, starting
his first year at Yale, has just survived a four day
initiation rite in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of 
New Hampshire with a group of his classmates. They
were not told were they were going; they were 
prohibited even from taking wrist watches so as to be
unable to orient themselves about the time of day.
My younger grandson Benjamin, finds fulfillment
in playing soccer and baseball. My younger granddaughter
Leah wants only to ride horses. All these concerns 
seem strange to me; I don't know where I fit in.
And then it dawns on me that I don't.

I've been working assiduously preparing the reams of 
documents which I may - or may not - be required to
file in my appeal. I need remove myself only a small
distance to obtain a different perspective, - in
which my efforts seem hopeless or absurd or both.
Yesterday Margaret and I decided we would go to
Konnarock, - we had planned to leave this morning,
when I discovered that the older of my two old cars
has a very serious brake disorder. Since that is the
car which my son Klemens would use in our absence, I
decided it was imperative to stay until the car had
been repaired, which I hope will happen tomorrow, -
Tuesday. We might then be able to leave Wednesday
or Thursday. On the other hand, if the repair is
too expensive, we might need to replace the car,
which would keep us in town even longer. Time will
tell.

Meanwhile, as is apparent from my letter, I'm somewhat
short on inspiration, the result I think of too much
and too intensive involvement with my legal work. But
those efforts will soon be behind me, and then I'll
have more interesting matters to discuss. Please
tell me more about the Fair, if and when you have
occasion.

Jochen