Dear Cyndy,

This will probably turn out to be a short letter
because the first of my two patients for today is
scheduled to arrive in one hour. I apologize for 
failing to reply to your penultimate letter. That
was an inadvertent slip-up. I thought I had, but
the thought is no substitute for the deed.

With us, everything is well, - or as well as can
be expected after eighty and eighty-six years 
respectively of hanging in there. My father liked
to say: dem Alter entprechend, and then translate
into not quite colloquial English, according to
age.

The memorial concert for my sister is still far in
the nebulous future, scheduled for July 14, and for
now, subject to the inefficiencies of coordinating 
the cooperation of four independent-minded grandchildren,
of Klemens who is nostalgic for the landscapes and
personages of his childhood, and of the daughter-in-law
Laura who feels somewhat left out, because although
she imparted to her children their technical musical
skills, she is unfamiliar with and mildly uncomfortable
in the environment - dare I use the word "cultural" -
which my parents imposed - or inflicted - on their offspring.
Not to speak of Margrit's myriad friends, at least some
of whom have already expressed an interest in participating
in ceremonies that are to take place, almost literally,
"in the middle of nowhere." The logistics of fetching them
all from the local airport and providing them with
accommodations are daunting, if not impossible.

No word yet from the Massachusetts Appeals Court which has
been brooding on its juridical eggs for all of sixty days;
and the longer the time that elapses, the more likely that
they will deliver nothing more than nothing, windeggs with
the slight stench of hydrogen sulfide that is characteristic
of rottenness. I console myself with the thought that the
understanding of law and the legal process that I am gaining
is valuable in managing the numerous technical legal issues
with which I'm confronted day by day, living in a society
whose complexity has long since eclipsed what made the Tower
of Babel crumble. That this is an insight apparently peculiar
to myself, certifies my madness.

An appropriate juncture to send you and Ned my very best wishes.

Jochen