My mood of doom and gloom was gone this morning for no discernible reason. I did have frustrating dreams about church and choir. Again there was no obvious reason for this. I was distressed to see that Lucy my grand daughter in England has come down with Covid. We chatted with the English group today and they all seemed in pretty high spirits and Lucy was suffering from no ill effects due to Covid. But this, of course, means they will have to alter their behavior for a while. It is likely they will all get before they’re done. Sarah and Matthew are both vaccinated. They are monitoring Alice for any signs of Covid which is complicated by the fact that she has a terrible cold.

I was reading the letters of C. P. E. Bach this morning. He referred to himself as “soft-hearted” when discussing his choice not to set a poem about the death of his adult son to music. This struck me as a better way for me to talk about my own over sensitive nature. I’m just “soft-hearted.” “Soft-headed” is more like it.

It snowed last night. This morning seemed like a good morning to snuggle and read. I read some more of Arvilla Smith’s diary. She and her husband eventually end up in the Holland area and work with local Indians.

Both of them kept diaries. I’m up to Arvilla’s 1838 entries. At this point, I think they are living in a place called Gull Creek not far from Kalamazoo. Arvilla’s husband, George (or Mr. S as she refers to him throughout her diaries) does not begin his diary until the year of 1838 and then very sparsely. I am planning to cross refer more now that I have reached that point in Arvilla’s dairy.

Reading diaries and letters of people is very like spending time with them. It is a comforting thing to do on such a cold and snowy day for sure.