In concert

Time is passing and it's way past time for me to write again. Since the last time that I wrote, Peter has gone to and returned from Romania; Michael and Elizabeth have
been sick twice and I once; my parents have returned from a three-week jaunt in Russia; my brother introduced me to Google Earth; a doctor diagnosed my shoulder problems as acute tendonitis; I ordered "Typen turkischer volksmarchen" from Amazon in Germany; Josie seems to have doubled in size; and another of my valued colleagues has been fired. So, as you can see, I haven't been idle! I am very much looking forward to our upcoming vacation: we will go to my mother-in-law's house on Cape Cod, near the beach, and do nothing for seven days. Except eat.

All the firings at work were making me glad that the tenure system still operates in universities. Now that Peter's book has been accepted by the press, he has begun his tenure application. He's been told for seven years that he would be submitting for tenure. Just before he submitted, however, the administration told him that they were probably going to start separating promotions from tenure, and how did he feel about that? Good thing he went to
Romania; otherwise he might have told them more about his feelings than they
wanted to hear!

So many people are moving on: many of the children's classmates will be moving on to other schools. Our cherished tenant is heading for a new job in Texas, where her family is; Robyn may be moving on to a much-anticipated position with an aid organization; and I spent part of Saturday helping S. with her CV so that she can leave her abusive position and find something more congenial, perhaps in Manhattan.

Elizabeth had a studio class as one of her last piano events--the students all play for one another, but parents or other audience is not allowed. Michael missed his recital because of illness, but did manage to make it to the concert his group played for the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce at the town's sidewalk sale. We took Josie along: she strolled along through the crowds as though she had been doing it all her life and curled up under the cafe table while Michael was playing. She was greeted by so many people that Robyn suggested that we should have opened a "Pet the Pup" booth for a dollar a pop!