Dear Cyndy,

Thank you for your letter, and most particularly
about your concern about the shuttling between Konnarock
and Belmont which Margaret and I are contemplating.
The drive to Virginia three weeks ago seemed so easy
and so pleasant, that I am encouraged to try it again.
My present plans are to leave here on June 8 or 9.
I will be very careful and proceed as way opens. 

In the past two days, I've spent much time finding
and scanning into the computer pictures of my grandparents's
and their family, as well as documents, such as pages
from my grandmother's prayer book, and the dedications
written into the first volumes of the collected works
of Schiller, Lessing, and Heine which my uncle, the one
who was killed in the Normandy in November 1914, received
as Mar Mitzvah presents in 1909. Juergen Hartmann is a
passionate historian who thanks me for every tidbit I 
e-mail to him.

Yesterday also I neatened and cleaned the laundry room.
I has planned to tackle the basement pantry which we
call the freezer room because it is dominated by a large
freezer chest; but after days of rain, the sun finally
appeared, and I was unwillingto forego its blessing
for a subterraneous endeavor, however worthy. After
dark, I took a shower and discovered that after running
the electric dryer the day before, I had forgotten to
turn on the hot water heater. This old house has a
very small (60 amp) electrical supply, insufficient
for an electric kitchen range, a hot water heater and an
electric dryer. One must therefore turn off the water
heater while the dryer is in use, and I had forgotten
to turn the hot water heater back on. The result was
lukewarm water and a very short shower.

This afternoon, subsequent to the graduation ceremonies,
Nathaniel telephoned me. We had a long conversation. His
parents had gone home, leaving him in New Haven where he
will, in a day or two,  begin a concert tour to Brazil
as principal trumpeter with the Yale Symphony. He'll be
in Belmont early in June and will then fly to Amsterdam
to play for his patron Benjamin Zander who is taking
his Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra on a concert tour 
to the Netherlands. Later in the summer he has an 
engagement for a master class in conducting with a 
prominent Spanish conductor whose name I don't know.
From there he flies to Bulgaria to meet the family
of his girl friend Radina. Soon after his return he
goes to Indiana to begin his graduate training. A busy
life which seems to make him happy.

You asked about the fourth friend. That's a good question.
Originally I thought of Katenus and his sterling housekeeper
Elly, so now one might consider Elly and Charlotte in 
competition for fourth place. On the other hand, it's
occurred to me that a bit of suspense might not be amiss.
Just possibly an occasional hypothetical reader might
plow through all 1200 or 1300 pages, just to find out
who the fourth friend might be. So who am I, accusing
Mr. Ciarmataro of fraud?

Stay well and happy, and give my best to Ned.

Jochen