September 2013

SEPTEMBER  2013

font called Bangla Sangam MN

wonder where that font is from?

time to make lunch.  Muggy silvery Sunday noon.

Va on the piano.  We seem to be headed to a comic movie later today in Concord.  "End of the World."  Walk at Target before.  Did I mention how incredibly muggy it has been since last night?  Group dinner moved to this coming Friday at 6. 

Everything feels ok this morning but I can't tell.  Is Va being still a little cautious or worried.  She didn't want to talk about her mental obsessions which still might be bugging her.  We did manage to watch the start of the bbc crime drama Broadchurch.   Which seems good-ok but not outstanding.  Not sure we will continue.  Too much tv is the current theme.  We both slept well after reading for a while after the tv show.

Read Karl Ove does make you think you should be/could be writing everything down all the time. 

MONDAY evening Just back from seeing "The Butler" with Art and Karen.  I teared up a number of times just because of the powerful imagery from the great violence of the times we all lived through.  Underscored for me how protected and hidden our lives have been.  It was well done in a certain slick, hollywood way, and sure enough the main powers, Lee Daniels and Danny Strong have credits for snappy, smarmy work such as "Precious. . Sapphire" and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I would side with Kenneth Turan -- Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times was more negative; "An ambitious and overdue attempt to create a Hollywood-style epic around the experience of black Americans in general and the civil rights movement in particular, it undercuts itself by hitting its points squarely on the nose with a 9-pound hammer."  Several critics compared the film's historical anecdotes and sentimentality to Forrest Gump.   Wiki

reply today Tuesday to email from Phil

him to me --

You mentioned affirmative action recently.  The following was written by a black prof at Washington U in St. Louins who was reviewing another black prof, Harvard's Randall Kennedy's, latest book about affirmative action.   I confess that I am opposed to affirmative action basically for the reasons cited below.   For a while I was for it, but no longer.
 
People are "opposed to affirmative action on the grounds that it denies or perverts merit; that it emphasizes the group over the individual; that it generates reverse discrimination, which is pernicious; that it insists on equal results instead of equal opportunity; that it can be realized only through egregious social engineering; and that it intensifies racial consciousness by creating a compensatory racial case system as a form of bourgeois patronage....The policy is also critiqued  for having created a sense of entitlement in blacks, a kind of political militancy that has deformed their sense of self-reliance and made claims of victimhood a way to "get over on" or "hustle" white folks in a sucker's game, which many liberal whites indulge because they don't really believe that blacks are grown-ups."
 
I well remember going to a bathroom in DC's courthouse about 15 years ago and seeing graffiti in a stall that said "Blacks are such children."  I wondered if it was a lawyer, a judge, or a juror who had written that.  But I knew the feeling.   
 
Since then, I've learned  - as apparently you have, too - that the only blacks who benefit from affirmative action are precisely the black bourgeois, as noted in the above quote: "bourgeois patronage."  
 
Kennedy', in his book, also apparently notes that blacks have had to "disparage the legitimacy of merit" to preserve their advantages and he thinks that it wrong (as do I.)  
 
I wonder what the sentiments are in NH where the black population is so small.  Minnesotans, I have found, are very tolerant - in fact, quite supportive - of blacks, but are not so tolerant of Indians.   Surprise, surprise, there are almost no blacks in Minnesota but a lot of drunken Indians.  I imagine NH is like Minnesota except that there are no Indians. 

I've never been sure that I really know how to use the word "trenchant" but that

word came to mind when I read the key paragraph and I want to say that is

indeed a trenchant critique that I like a lot.  

NH seems so incredibly non-black that I doubt that people really have any opinion

well worked out in their minds.  Now in Boston you will hear differently---but then

there the Irish have long held the position of "black" that their rise in stature and

attitude would have interesting parallels I suppose.  

Here in NE I hazard to say that it has all been re-mixed by the low number of blacks

and the self-righteousness of the liberal whites who saw themselves as abolitionists

from way back.  But over the past thirty years the importation and arrival of browns

from Pakistan and India and Asia in general as created new challenges to the

old Irish-Anglo tensions.  And now (as in walmart last night) there are Africans.  

Even a muslim couple walking home last evening (long walk) with baby in carriage

and woman in full black burka.  Va almost couldn't help but gasp when we saw them. 

New Mexico has a similar strange mix where American blacks also get lost in the

shuffle in similar ways as here in NE.  There the whole mix is determined by

Spanish ancestry, Hispanic ancestry [I can't tell you the differences here---maybe

puerto rican vs cuban vs central Am & caribbean] and the wide range of native

American groups.  

The Wash U reviewer's critique seems to be to put the hammer on the nail-head 

with the question---are we ultimately striving for true liberty of the individual or not?

That seems the ultimate challenge to all misplace liberal attempts to right

social wrongs through group programs.  

continue at pop level in next email --  

=======

Wednesday night

Another wild day off scurrying around the fleshpots of Concord.  Had my first ever, I think, Buffalo Wings (boneless, which made them seem like McNuggets).  Blackened blue cheese burger, big greasy rings.  Coffee at the True Brew. The New Gibsons feels like an old ladies' new library.  No comfy sitting spaces, not inviting.  Big though with a big childrens' section.  Knausgaard one and two were on the shelves, and Marias' Infatuations hardback.  Splendid sunny day and I did take a walk.  Also hit Bam; bookstores now demonstrate the wealth-poverty gap like everything else. 

Thursday late afternoon ---

great swim this morning.  lunch at Uno's.  Walk in arcade. lazing about now.  Much cooler, colder tonight.  Should answer Rupert's long email/letter. 

Friday afternoon  September 6

Chill arctic air breezing in the window in spite of gorgeous sunlight and crystal blue skies.   All day too.  Good walks at Docks and a salad and ice cream lunch there. 

Sunday 8th  almost noon  bright and gorgeous but cold and windy.  FaceTime with Dave and Emma.  Baby 2 is doing well, mom was sleeping in.  Now in month 3.5 and don't know the sex yet so are keeping mum still.  Want to know before telling Emma and everyone else.  We hope we'll know before month 5 which Dave says now we have to wait until for.  Good little spell of writing last evening and maybe even a bit of a zone developing around the whole project.  Keep going with it. 

Yesterday we lunched in Littleton and walked there.  Tried hard to buy something I wanted at the bookstore.  They've cut their novel section to almost one shelf unit. 

Monday night   For safe keeping posting the new address here for when I can add it to the end of the create space book

http://chromenospapersbox.blogspot.com/

I'll put Volume 2 there after making vol 1 available in print as a limited edition, a very limited edition ---

Tuesday evening    Getting a kick out of fixing the book up for CreateSpace and finally seeing that it is not all that much of a problem.  Not sure the end product will look that great because I'm not going over the interior with a fine editor's comb.  Part of my espousal of the Raw Publishing philosophy--get it out and don't fuss with it any longer. 

None of my emails to possible luncheon mates has yielded anything this week.  Azevedo said Friday's are open for him so I guess I could tap into that.  Tomorrow Va has PEO, an early and long morning, so I can take that off but since she is out I could stay home and write!  concept.  Could I actually do it?  At least for a time?  Hard to say, we'll see.  Tonight we're staying up late.  She came back from book group and we both had some chili and she's revved watching dancing on tv. 

I'll see how the book goes, the Chromenos volume.  Maybe I will go ahead and do the second volume too.  Wonder how much it will cost.  Unless you buy the isbn through createspace they won't "distribute it" beyond their own shop and Amazon itself.  Probably they make money on the purchasing price of the number.  But I could go ahead and do that and see how that works too. 

Sept 11    Hanover by 11:30 for lunch at Market Table.  Pretty good.  Lemon, peach tart not as great as it could have been.  Lots of people in town.  Glanced into the new Hanover Inn.  Sharp and Slick.  More of a conference center inn/hotel now.  Pine Restaurant over in the corner.  Miss the old place even though I'm not in the tribes.  Tribes out in full force.  Frisbee on the green, welcome signs, seemed like homecoming as well as new students.  Bought some mags at the bookstore which looks even nicer now that Bam has taken over old borders.  Clerk said the Bam has more Christian books, probably part of it being Southern.  Long drive back through Danbury to stay in ac heat outside brutal, but down to 82 by time got into the garage. 

Thurs  nice swim this morning, humidity feels easier to breathe

Diet advice from Gerry M --  two meals, fistful, slowly--that's the take from the naturally slim online video encouragement course.  Wonder if Willow will want to try it.  I'll sign up to see what the cost will be. 

I used an online program: Naturally Slim, and lost the pounds in ten weeks. I started before I committed to the hip replacement, But the coincidence  was very helpful for therapy.  So far the pounds  are staying off, and they e better because I  bought  new clothes. 

The formula is like this: eat two meals instead of three, east only about a fistful, and eat very slowly.  Nice thing too was that the university paid for  it.  Hope all goes well.  I wish I had done the hip replacement earlier.  The pain and the cane are gone. 

Bro. Gerry Molyneaux, Ph.D.

Internship Coordinator

Communication Department

La Salle University

and he adds---water in the morning and eating habits and

the woman's voice as I suspected not worth the $400.  from

Texas at that

I will keep  an eye on the eating habits.  That’s what it’s   all about. 

Here’s a tip: when you wake up and think you are hungry you’re really not. You are dehydrated.  Try a tall glasses  with one ounce OJ and 7-8 water.  I have a couple  every morning and fell great until about 1:00 P.M. or so. 

The worst part about the Naturally Slim  program was the weekly hour-long lessons . The woman had a grating Texas accent that wore me down.   But it was worth it.  Good luck with your own campaign.    

Bro. Gerry Molyneaux, Ph.D.

looking for titles for the crack-up piece --  lazy about proofing the whole chromenos papers volume

but could start on the second volume and get that done slowly

same with the crack-up piece --  looking for a title that is

suggestive without explicit----Like Valium Diaries---

night   long stretch earlier of drafting the work, nice

off to tvlandia

Friday night went to Concord this afternoon even though I wasn't that interested in doing so and yet I could tell how much I have missed these bigger chunks of time off to fool around and even came up with a better title for the book---Dream Journeys through Compton Wynyates"  or "to" I guess

Dream Journeys to Compton Wynyates.  Why not use the title.  I wonder if Compton would block it and could he?  surely it is a public domain name. 

I like Dream Journeys but it may be pretty corny too.  Oh well. 

Didn't get far on Gerry's diet and breaking habits.  Tomorrow.  But did invent a wee tweet---where is Habits Anonymous when I need it? 

And what if Rituals Anonymous got organized too?  How would we distinguish between rituals and habits? 

Two more title notions--- Dream Whirling to Compton Wynyates

or Dream Walking to Compton Wynyates

I think I like this one best.  Whirling is way too artsy sounding even though that's how wiki talks about the dervish dance---

Dream is the framing term and within that I can use the dervish and the breakdown and the wandering and the searching.  No need to try to use lingo from the dervish world.

Saturday  We did our Sunday rituals today.  Nice and sunny now.  Tomorrow we go to Newport for brunch with the pirates over there--the river pirates.  from Keene and Windsor

Nicholas says "Journey" as the most specific Jungian weight and quality.  I thought this morning I could imitate Chatwin and use "In Compton Wynyates" like In Patagonia. 

night  we wandered Pheasant Lane and the drive down and back gave me time to realize that the way I was trying to write up the actual visit to CW is all wrong and I need to take almost the opposite approach.  And in fact the titles are all wrong.  visiting the house was not the success of the quest at all.  Maybe visiting the room at the temple conference center is after all what I was looking for---especially in terms of a ficitonalized account.  That and Rosenberg castle in Copenhagen?   Slow turning in a floating ballroom. 

Twirling through a moving room.  Getting a chamber of air to swirl.  Spiral turns on a rectangle of air.  Air

sunday night speaking of air remembered to look up the Aeropress  which we saw in westberlin cafe.  sure enough a dealer in West Lebanon.  Decided today at the Paneera there to hang out there every wednesday until the snows flie and

then return to concord, on my days off. 

also think I got lost in my ms when I hit the visit to Compton Wynyates because I fell back into the "oh wow" trap of gee I was actually there etc and he is a Lord!  have to get back to the tone-zone of the opening of the tale. 

Tim McFarlane has a great new set of paintings and I want to buy one!  yikes.  have to be careful there.  what if I used "dad's money" to buy one w/o v's approval??  she would be pretty upset.  which means I really should not go ahead with it.  At all.  I can tell I'm "flying on the bean" about it.  hopped on the bean is the urban phrase.  urban dictionary. 

Monday morning revelation  "Called to Copenhagen:  A Contemplative Spiritual Thriller"  I like it. 

browsing a bit more on the freemasonry website and poaching the description of the house and towers--- Compton Wynyates is settled – or, more accurately, centred – in an artificially levelled and terraced bowl below wooded ridges. From the road, through large gates, the house is visible at the end of a long curving drive. It is a large Tudor country house of pink brick, with steep gables, towers, and a forest of extraordinary slender chimneys, each apparently different with their ornate twists and curves; around the house climbing roses creep up much of the brickwork. An ancient wooden door gives access to a large inner courtyard gazed upon by tall windows; a flagstone path crosses through a lawn and garden. From here the basic house design can be seen; it is built around the sides of a square. Very fitting, I thought, for the Pro Grand Master of Freemasonry. But, as I was to discover, there is much more about this house which reveals that the Compton who built it and his immediate descendants were deeply immersed in something very interesting; even, perhaps, an early form of Freemasonry. 
Lord Northampton took me around the outside of his house to show me something curious: a tower stands at the middle of the western face of the house, another stands at the north-east corner and yet another at the south-east corner. We began at the latter: embedded in its Tudor brickwork is a design picked out by much darker bricks. It depicts a key with two bits at the end of its shaft. 
We then looked at the west tower: it too had a key picked out in darker bricks, but this key had three bits at the end of its shaft. And at the north-eastern tower there was yet another key but, due to reconstruction in the past, only the shaft was visible. But it would seem logical that this key’s shaft would have held one bit. Were we seeing connections with masonic ritual? The First Degree being marked by the key in the north-east, where today a candidate is placed in the lodge after initiation; the Second Degree marked by the key with two bits in the south-east, exactly where the candidate is placed after having passed through his Second Degree ceremony; and the Third Degree marked by the key in the west with three bits. But why should this be placed in the west rather than in the east where the Master is placed in the lodge? Well, perhaps, as the opening of the Third Degree states, a mason goes to the west to seek the genuine secrets of a Master Mason. Does our ritual preserve some ancient residue, one which gave rise to this curious feature embedded in the walls of Compton Wynyates? 
Within the house, a first floor drawing room holds an elaborately carved chimney-piece. By the irregular nature of the curious symbolism it is clear that a message is being conveyed but without the key to the symbols and their meaning, its full extent cannot be established. But this panelling is known to have come from Canonbury House, Islington, the remaining tower of which now houses much symbolic carved panelling and is the site of the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre. 

1 march 2007 article by Michael Baigent -- 

interesting details about Lord N. 

The Pro Grand Master in conversation with Michael Baigent

"Freemasonry is a system of becoming; becoming something better than you are now". Lord Northampton spoke with great enthusiasm. "And above all, Freemasonry is a system which teaches us to be openhearted".

In his late twenties Lord Northampton used to have interesting philosophical conversations over a pub lunch with his forestry consultant, Bro. Charles Bloor, at Castle Ashby, and it was through the latter’s influence that he was initiated into Ceres Lodge, No. 6977, Northampton, in 1976. And what has been the result? 
"Freemasonry has affected my life in many ways but principally it has given me a standard to try and live up to in my every day dealings with others. It has taught me much about human relationships and has developed psychological changes in my character, which have made me more tolerant and compassionate". 
"I have had tremendous support from my wife, Pamela, over the last thirteen years. She is as committed as I am to the principles of Freemasonry and the potential it has to help men gain self-confidence and discover more of their true nature." 

-----

so it is quite possible that his interest in my visit might well have been to see if I were interested in freemasonry---my letter might seem to have hinted at that---at least it might have hinted that I was a seeker of some sort --- and Lord N's whole program seems to have become to be as generous and open even mystical as possible within his life and his commitments to freemasonry.  really quite admirable in its ways.  what could one do with one's status as a peer and lord?  what should one do?  in one's late 20s in such a situation who would not be searching.  He was not I guess at all the playboy of Ibiza I probably assumed. 

Lord Northampton is a man of great generosity of spirit, with an expansive vision. He cares deeply about Freemasonry and, as many who have met him during his frequent visits to Lodges can attest, he knows that the strength and future of the Craft resides in every individual Freemason. We are fortunate to have him in such an important position in the Order. His influence will be far-reaching and beneficial to new generations of Freemasons who are, even now, entering the Craft in order to learn of that mystery which lies at its heart.

actually fits my tale remarkably well, even to the detail that freemasons address one another as Brother.  I didn't know that.  Hmmm. 

silvery day cool took a walk downtown Va had a troubled night of sleep, some sort of pain in her leg and hip, maybe just from nerve pressure from the car seat?  Called the subaru garage

and John didn't really know if the passenger seat rises vertically or not. 

notice from google that the startup disk has no space.  what do I do??  have to google that. 

night  thank goodness this somehow re-appeared. 

LATE SEPTEMBER 2013 

JUST re-started the mac and lost my august and september journals. 

! 

on the other hand the Proof of the Chromenos book arrived and it was a shock to see it. 

INSTALLIng macscan to see if some malware got onto the computer. 

wonder if it will crash just in time to get a new airbook?  one can only hope. 

So why did I get totally stymied by the compton wynyates section of my memoir/story?  The house is just too fascinating in its own right.  And maybe I need the spiral much earlier in the story as motif.  It starts with the spinning in the swimming pool. 

Copenhagen Corkscrew

Copenhagen Spiral

I'' pay for volume 2 to be perfect with create space

next volume  should I go with Volume 2 or do collected essays.  ?  vol 2 seems ready to go----

I sent out feelers for lunch with some of the guys last week but none have answered---all to busy for sure---start up of classes.  And who wants to lunch with me anyway?  But with Greg in two weeks. 

in fact what if I emphasized the dissatisfaction after having visited the dream house but flatly going to what I visited thereafter in pretty fast non-emotive treatment.  I found the house near wisahocken park that Eleanor had built in 1929, a scaled-down and simplified version of EP, looking a bit more Norman and a bit more modern and suburban with a few touches of the castle and antique but which contained the missing ballroom.  Linen-fold 16th century walls and fireplace from a hunting lodge of Charles II or was is James II.  Better check.  Here the sensation was overwhelming--what interested me, what I felt was the volume of the room.  I was wholly familiar with the size and shape and heft of the air contained itself, with the space of light the lightness of the space and as I walked into and around the room, looking at it in its heighth and width depth and airiness I felt that sens of being home or of being held within the comfortable and the chosen.  Around me the room swirled, making me the center, a moving center, of the spiral which turned slowly on the axis of the walking person.

Tuesday night

Leb tomorrow to pick up the Aeor coffee pump, whoo hoo.  Good swim this morning and rest of the day errands.  Va got a massage and that gave me an idea.  Decided I can go ahead with Vocation piece after all.  Doesn't have to follow any formulas, even to get published in Believer or some such. 

still looking for a decent title, for each project.  Now thursday late afternoon.  Gorgeous full moon last night or tonight?  Va slept much better last night.  Sciatica worries seems abated.  Going to get to Dr Lloyd after all down in Penacook.  Should I consider changing down there to someone??

writing up questions for Dawn Hare on Tues, money.

putting Chromenos Papers vol 2 up on the blogspot too

really wired on caffeine thanks to trying the new Aeropress

Sunday afternoon 

Nice but short visit with Dave and Emma.  They were all tired from a gig last night and a gig for brunch today out in Belleville.  We started a French movie last night called Change of Plans---a dinner party group, now a year later.  Mid-way through.  Takes lots of pausing to make clear who is who and what exactly is going on among all the couples. 

here is the note to Fr C Robert Nugent, author of A House Lives and Dies: The Story of Anselm Hall--which I penned last night.  I'm going to cut it severely before I send it to him.

Dear Bob

I just double-checked and perhaps you are five years older?  Because of my over-active Amazon one-punch finger I now have two copies of your House book from 1974 and in double-checking I discovered that in one the photo of the tapestry has been clipped out but there is a hand-written note from Mrs Bernard Margolies, Elkins Park, 1981, to someone who had been interested in the tapestry.  

For years now I've wanted to thank you for having published this little book on the house.  I once had the La Salle alumni magazine put a little notice in asking brothers and former brothers who had lived there how important the house had stayed in their memories and no one replied.  I don't know exactly when I found out about your book but I do recall first seeing a copy  through an inter-library loan at the college here in NH.    

I lived in the house between Sept 1963 and June of 1965.  I had graduated from La Salle High School in Cumberland, MD where Brother Jeremy had been our principle for four years.  The Director of Anselm Hall when I was there was Brother John ?  David Ryan took over just after I left I think, '65 or '66?  Brother Didymus John was the Provincial and he and his secretary lived in the Butler's house.  

For years I dreamt about the house.  I had left via a mild "breakdown"--today we might call it an anxiety attack.  Brother John put me in Eugenia Memorial for two spells of about ten days in November and March of '64-65.  David Peter/ Ryan came to Cumberland to help me decide to leave.  I finished college at U MD and did graduate work in English at Univ of Chicago where my wife also got her doctorate.  We were lucky to find jobs in 1972 in New Hampshire.  

In '76 I took my wife to Philadelphia to see the house on our way down to Washington and Cumberland.  I had no idea it had been torn down and it was a very crushing moment to drive up the entrance drive and see it flattened and empty.  I regret not having picked up a few pieces of the chimney bricks still on the ground.  

I eventually filled a file folder with info about Compton Wynyates, photo copies. Finally we were on a long sabbatical trip in Spain when I wrote to the owner and asked if I could see the house.  I went in October of 1988 and Spencer Compton was really gracious in giving me a few hours to look all around the house.  

I've written about all of this in bits and pieces over the years and now in retirement, as former English teachers must be wont to do, I'm trying again to pull it all into a shape.  

I'm in touch with only two former brothers from those days,  Greg Bryer over in Portland, ME and Jim Atwell (Brother Andrew) who taught us Gregorian chant at Ammendale the year Vatican council was beginning.  

I was glad to find a copy of your book through google searching, even two, and decided to buy them at last.  

On another trip to Philly I looked up the later house of Mrs Dixon that Temple U had used as a conference center for a while.  There was the chapel room from Ronale M.  Now described in real estate sale descriptions as linen-fold paneling that had come from a 1650 hunting lodge of James II.  

Also visited the site a good while ago too and could recognize trees and bits of the walkways.  

here is the copy I sent just now.  We finished watching the french movie--Change of Code --  very delightful---

Dear Bob

For years now I've wanted to thank you for having published this little book on the house.  You really do a great job of putting the house into context and gathering together so much information about it and about the original in England.  I'm especially glad too that you put in so many photos, especially of details like the chimneys and carvings.

I lived in the house from Sept 1963 to  June of 1965.  I had graduated from La Salle High School in Cumberland, MD where Brother Jeremy had been our principle for four years.  The Director of Anselm Hall when I was there was Brother John ?  David Ryan took over just after I left I think, '65 or '66?  Brother Didymus John was the Provincial and he and his secretary lived in the Butler's house.  I was glad the developer spared the Butler's House.  

For years I dreamt about the house.  I had left via a mild "breakdown"--today we might call it an anxiety attack.  Brother John put me in Eugenia Memorial for two spells of about ten days in November and March of '64-65.  David Peter/ Ryan came to Cumberland to help me decide to leave the order.    I finished college at U MD and did graduate work in English at Univ of Chicago where my wife also got her doctorate.  We were lucky to find jobs in 1972 in New Hampshire.  

In '76 I took my wife to Philadelphia to see the house.  I had no idea it had been torn down and it was a very crushing moment to drive up the entrance drive and see it flattened and empty.  I regret not having picked up a few pieces of the chimney bricks still on the ground.  Nor did I know then about the deaths of Jeremy and David.  Years later I found out about your book and learned about that then, a copy on interlibrary loan.  

I eventually filled a file folder with info about Compton Wynyates and Anselm Hall.  I put a note in the LaSalle magazine asking anyone who had lived there to send me recollections.  I thought I would try to write something about the house.  No one did.  Only later did I discover your book.   

Finally we were on a long sabbatical trip in Spain when I wrote to the owner of Compton Wynyates and asked if I could see the house.  I went in October of 1988 and Spencer Compton was really gracious in giving me a few hours to look all around the house on my own.  This was satisfying in some ways but I realized the house still in my

memory is Anselm Hall.  It was incredibly beautiful and perhaps the most beautiful place I had ever seen (a boy from Cumberland and all that) and all the more so to live there.  John Lukacs taught us Western Civ and I read Jane Austen there. 

I'm in touch with only two former brothers from those days,  Greg Bryrer over in Portland, ME and Jim Atwell (Brother Andrew) who taught us Gregorian chant at Ammendale the year Vatican council was beginning.  And Gerry Molyneaux at La Salle.  

On another trip to Philly I looked up the later house of Mrs Dixon that Temple U had used as a conference center for a while.  There was the chapel room from Ronale M, now described in real estate sale descriptions as linen-fold paneling that had come from a 1650 hunting lodge of James II.  

I was glad to find a copy of your book through google searching, even two, and decided to buy them at last.  I bought two by mistake but just found that in one copy someone

had cut out the photo of the tapestry in the entrance hall.  So the second copy has it.  

So, from this long ago, a deep thank you for this book you so presciently put together way back then.   

all best wishes,

------

end of series finales tonight--Breaking Bad and Dexter.  How about "Rubble" as my title?  no

new glasses. 

Monday  Sept 23

nice reply from Nugent---

Dear bob

Thanks for your email and kind remarks.

Every year or two I get an email from someone who is looking for a copy of the book but I can never help them. I am embarrassed by the number of typos and mistakes in the book including figures. I did it alone with no proof eager to help so it has to stand as it is. I have been in the 

UK many times but have never had a chance to visit the original. I think the lager original front doors are on display at LaSalle college.

All the best,

Bob

Robert Nugent

------

what a fool I was to expect anything different, anything more

Nicholas gives me some wording that I can use here about the whole experience of re-thinking about Elkins Park and Compton Wynyates---on his blog he talks about being now in Athens and re-tracing steps he took when he was sixteen and first saw Athens.  Lucky boy to have been there at 16!

There is something deeply reassuring in knowing that dreams speak and symbols translate you (if seen aright) into your better possibility.

I ambled paths that I had not stepped for over thirty years and dialogued with my sixteen year old self. I was struck by how much is the same - the same yearning for experience of transcendence, the same willingness to be caught up in enthusing wonder, the same sense of a present past and of questions that are responded to not in being answered but in being deepened.

You find a vulnerability to the world that allows it to step forth and speak and that requires you to answer not in the confining certainty of words but in deed. I found the world afresh and it was beautiful.  ncolloff.blogspot.com/2013/09

Lucky ---  well I was just as lucky to have been working in the store at 16 too.  Tuesday--gorgeous--great swim this morning.  Email from Cecile saying they had bought all that they need so we're taking everything back.  Meeting with Dawn at Chase Mt Alto at 3:30

How about The Mysteries of Elkins Park ?  Nice play on Chabon's Pittsburgh for those who might remember.  Otherwise a meaningless title---might suggest a detective novel?  Not mysteries plural. 

meeting with Dawn went fine at Mt Alto.  She stayed to get a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie.  Can't blame her.  All looks fine. 

Already Thursday evening.  Yesterday I met Greg at Krista's and got him to talk a lot.  He called this morning with the name of the author and book I could not conjure up--Edmund Gosse's Father and Son, which Paul Theroux praised a while back.  I have a copy somewhere.  Today we walked at docks, got the mamogram, walked in Canaan and watched tv.  Every possible tv show premiered tonight.  Somehow I feel very far behind on everything.  Oh, last evening we went to Opera class.  Robert the Normand and Hamlet.  I'm not so keen on it.  Bad video watching of ok operas. 

Feels like it is time to order plane tickets for late February-March for going to Spain.  Or begin to look at the whole thing. 

Keep it simple I'm now telling myself.  Go to airFrance/Delta and buy what is available.  Bang.  Forget all the searching for a better price the best price.  Rack up the flyer miles and see if that does a dang bit of good in any way. 

Not that likely. 

Easier said than done, however.  Just looked around.  Whoa expensive.  Too soon I'd say. 

TOMORROW Dave's 35th birthday.  What a great son he is. 

Today we spent over in Sandwich.  Beautiful day but the trees not that sparkley.  Need more frost which we haven't had yet.

Tomorrow might drive all the way up Berlin to find 'em. 

Monday evening September 30

Last day of this month.  Beautiful and even kinda hot in mid-day.  We walked down and back for lunch at the Bistro with Ken and Carole.  We'll see them again on Weds with the larger group.  Gloria dropped off a bib for Virginia to try out--something she can take on and off herself is the idea.  We had a brief chat with the on-screen family on Sunday.  They had just told their parents and Ann-Cha about the new baby.  Emma was darling and excited about showing us her family of Hello Kitties.  Tried to call them today but didn't connect.  Did send Daver the money to get his new iPhone.  We had a great drive up to Berlin and around down through Lancaster on Saturday.  Avoided all the crowds and saw great foliage.  Otherwise everything else feels quiet and calm.  Still looking for the photo album, Mamacita's.  Checked every closet one more time and have begun to take apart the attic.  Good to clear out a lot of junk. 

Tuesday October 1st Yikes