I’m delaying some of my reading in order to blog now while no one else is awake. I didn’t stay up for the arrival of Elizabeth, Jeremy and Alex last night. Thankfully, Sarah and Matthew picked them up from the airport. Eileen has a doctor’s appointment this morning and had to fast for her blood test. She also went to bed but I think she got up to see them after they arrived. I slept.

I am finding my introvert nature drained by the effort to not talk too much. I also fear I’m failing on that point. Matthew is inquisitive and I have to remember not to become too chatty.

I had a funny dream last night. My old friend Ronn was trying to get me to perform one of my songs. I couldn’t remember it in the dream. I kept trying to play and sing it but was failing. I remember wanting to tell Ronn that all these old songs were not really that good anyway (something I am gradually coming to understand). But in the dream I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. Of course as I was trying to remember this song there was a group of people listening expectantly to my feeble efforts.

I woke up and remembered the song a bit. It was “Chain of Command,” a song I wrote long after Ronn had ceased to respond to my reaching out to him. That’s ironic.

We ended up having a very late lunch yesterday with the fam at the local Irish pub. After Mark and Leigh left, I went and practiced organ. By the time I had exercised it was 7:30 PM and I was exhausted.

I’m still tired this morning. I got up and finished a chapter in Finnegans Wake, then did my Greek. It’s very very quiet and I’m not sure how lightly Alex sleeps so I’m being quiet as possible.

Not sure how this week will pan out. People need to see each other. We will definitely make a trip to the Ann Arbor branch of the Jenkinses. Also up to Whitehall to connect with the Hatches (although I might skip that one if possible).

My brother Mark made noises yesterday about meeting half way for lunch. We used to do that periodically before he moved to New Hampshire. I was hoping we could resume that. He’s a bit closer now than he was when he lived in Garden City.

I better stop and put the pics in before people get up.

Sarah and I were discussing how to find and keep friends in life yesterday. I told her that I had not been able to do much of that, that my friendships were mostly herself, Matthew, Elizabeth, Sarah and Eileen. I love living with Eileen but it’s too much to ask of any relationship to be everything one needs in life socially and intellectually. So I console myself with the “conversation” of music, poetry and literature. Feeble but true.

Sect’s Death Ritual Clashes With Indian Law – The New York Times

Working out religion and public morality.

Italian Neighbors Build a Social Network, First Online, Then Off – NYT 

A counter intuitive story where the Internet brings people together in the flesh as community.

Analysis Finds Higher Expulsion Rates for Black Students – The New York Times

I heard some of this story on the radio. I wonder how people can continue to insist on a color blind society when one hundred per cent of students expelled in so many schools are black.

Cynthia Macdonald, Poet Known for Humor and Ability to Shock, Dies at 87 – The

I don’t know this poet’s work but plan to check her out. She was encouraged by Ann Sexton one of my favorites.

Jimmy Carter’s Unheralded Legacy – The New York Times

I remember when Carter was president and have often been confused on how people have interpreted it (usually to his detriment). This is a helpful retrospective.