Dear Alex,

Thank you for your letter. The surge of endogenous corticosteroid
which, immediately after Margaret's death, seemed to make all things
possible, has abated. Now I'm uncertain for how many of the projects
that seemed to thrust themselves on me, I will have the time and 
the energy. But I will proceed as best I can.

The mood in which I find myself five days after Margaret died is
somber, by no means despairing, perhaps not even sad. Permeated 
by gratitude, by the gratitude to her for having given me 63
blissful years of a marriage happier than I could have imagined, 
years unsullied by disagreement, not to speak of rancor or anger; 
I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to care for her in her 
declining years and months and days, and grateful that since both 
mind and body were irreparably disintegrating, she is now beyond 
all pain and suffering. I'm much relieved that I no longer need 
to fret about what would become of her if I died first. The rest 
of the family will do quite well without me.

Day after tomorrow, on October 21, Nathaniel will go with me
for the day to Nantucket where I will try to reestablish the
video surveillance system. On October 31, Klemens and I will
drive to Konnarock. After a night or two, on November 3, I will
drive him to Charlotte NC, about 150 miles away, to take a 
plane to San Diego. Six days later, on November 9, he will 
return to Charlotte, where I will meet him. We'll spend one 
night in Konnarock, and return to Belmont on November 10. While 
I'm on the road, I'll have my cell phone (617-548-5768) turned 
on. In Konnarock, where there's no cell phone coverage, the land-
line number is 276-388-3111. All that's just for the record;
I don't think I'll need to be comforted. After we're back from
Virginia, I hope to visit you in Readfield.

And you, I hope and wish, will stay as healthy and happy as
circumstances permit.

Love, Jochen