I share your relief at the divorce certificate recovery; to me, a reminder
and illustration how much mischief I can cause by theorizing in the absence
of facts. I apologize for not having replied earlier. Yesterday was a day of
confusion. I didn't look at my e-mail Inbox between 12 noon and 11 p.m. and
by that time I felt too tired to write a letter that would do justice to the
event.

The day - yesterday - began by my waking at about 8:30 a.m., next, soiling my 
underwear at the toilet, washing it out by hand, then taking a shower, getting 
dressed, making the bed, and going to the third floor to write. But what ideas 
there might have been in my mind, apparently spilled when I carried them up
the spiral stairs. What little was left I typed into the keyboard, then 
bent forward and slept until noon, when I awoke aware that I was hungry. 
Took the dirty laundry to the washing machine and started a wash. 
But before I could put the oatmeal into the microwave, the telephone rang. 
Alex wanted to make sure I was still here. He asked about my health. 
I described with some candor the increasing spasticity of my gait. 
He asked about associated incontinence and then ventured the hypothesis 
of a compressive cord lesion, where surgical intervention might prevent 
incontinent paraplegic confinement to bed, which he said he himself would 
fear most of all. He made much effort to be uncritical and sympathetic. 
I told him I would discuss the matter with you on our return from the airport.

The oatmeal still hadn't been started when Nikola Chubrich telephoned asking
if he might make a visit at 5 p.m. I asked him to telephone before he left
to make sure I had gotten home from the Star Market. It was 2:30 before I had
finished drying the dishes and left for the grocery store. It was unusually
crowded. I noted with the slight surge of anger of which I am still capable
that the Barefoot Riesling which I had been buying for $9.99 ostensibly 
reduced from a price of 11.99, was now on the shelf for $12.99 ostensibly
reduced from 14.99. It occurred to me that water had also greatly increased 
in value, and was available at a somewhat lower price. 

I got home at 5 minutes past 4; it took me about 40 minutes to bring in
and put away the groceries. Nikola didn't show up until 5:30, bringing as
a present an elegant, and undoubtedly expensive two volume reproduction
of Luther's Bible of 1534 illustrated by Lucas Cranach. There ensued a
wide ranging conversation ranging from my 13 year adventure in mini-Nazism
research on Nantucket - I note as I write that Hitler destroyed Germany in 
only 12 years - but it took the Nantucket Building Inspector 13 years to
cleanse Nantucket of my measly plumbing. I trotted out my theory that the
Holocaust should be interpreted, not as at Nuremberg, the work of a few
evil individuals, but that as a herd phenomenon, that the perpetrators acted 
like birds in a flock of starlings, and that the behavior of the flock could
not be extrapolated from the individual's bird-brain function;
that it was time for a reexamination of history, ethics and politics in the
light (or shadow) of herd psychology. Nikola is both eccentric and very
intelligent. He enjoyed hearing about Dr. Clendenen who owned the drugstore
and became a wealthy landowner by addicting his patients and then taking
their farms for unpaid debts ... After about two hours, Nikola summoned 
Nathaniel who came over with a container of some of Laura's very good soup,
made tea, and distributed cake that I had in the refrigerator. Nikola
and Nathaniel left at 10:30. By 11, I had dried and put away the dishes,
went to check my e-mail, and found your note about the discovered
divorce certificate.

One final - and perhaps objectionably meddlesome thought about Marions
living arrangements. Keep in mind that if and when she runs out of money,
the nursing home/assisted living facility that has bankrupted her, will
be faced with the quandary of how to get her out. They would have social
and maybe even legal problem evicting her. So before you make any change,
try to get an idea of the available slush funds which the institution holds
in reserve (but doesn't want publicised,) for subsidizing patients who have 
become indigent in consequence of its charity.

I will meet you tonight at the appointed place and time. Have a safe flight.