From: Donald Strauss <dstrauss1899@yahoo.com>
Date: April 19, 2023
Subject: April 19, 2023

Hello Jochen:  I am sorry that I did not write a few days ago because Jan and I have been swamped with trying to catch up from our last trip.  It was a cold trip to Arizona and California.  Temps were surprising , mostly in the 60’s with constant high winds making it feel colder.  We were away for 17 days at my sister’s house in Surprise AZ, visiting friends in Anthem Arizona, then several vacation days in Palm Desert CA followed by visiting our daughter and family in San Jose CA for her birthday.  Then, we traveled to Monterey and Santa Cruz CA to see beautiful scenery.

Once back, we had to catch up filing our taxes, completing grocery shopping, completing many home projects, etc. No more traveling until June when my niece has her Bas Mitzvah in New Jersey. We plan to drive there and see many friends ending in Cape Cod where my son rented a house.  Who knows, perhaps we will have an opportunity to drop by to say “hello”, but that remains a question mark.  We also are  aging and Jan now will need to go in for surgery as she has a hernia near her uterus, apparently not uncommon in women. My health has been good following last years scare and brain surgery. 

I hope you are okay with my describing our travels; Jan (in her late 70’s) and me (at age 80) are at an age where travel is seen as our "last hooray” before the onset of future travel restrictions. In fact, we find traveling to more difficult.  For example, now I must be “patted down”  with each new flight by TSA because of my pacemaker & the fact I have titanium in my head.  This requires removing my shoes, belt and a long process of evaluation because I am not permitted through the machinery used to screen others.  

I was saddened by your description of your ailments, and your restricted manner of living, constrained to your room with such limited mobility. Your body may be a challenge, but your mind is at a level of brilliance, virtually anyone would envy.  Hope you put your mind to work and send me another one of your amazing communiques.  Don