Well, it’s been a minute! You might say that COVID and romance have taken a toll on my routine. A few quick words on what’s going on.
The Van Cortlandt House.
1) I got to spend a few days earlier this month in New York with Carl, during which we got to enjoy beautiful weather, Good Home Cooking, Winslow Homer at the Met, and a couple house museums. Coincidentally, the trip was right about the time of our five-month anniversary, and we had a nice dinner at his club to celebrate.
At the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
2) Unfortunately, we think the evening of our dinner was the time he got exposed to the coronavirus. We were supposed to be going up to Maine this weekend to celebrate his birthday — he’s a Maine native — but instead he’s at home, and I’m now going out of town for an “antisocial” weekend at a friend’s, where I hope to accomplish some writing.
Anniversary dinner.
2a) Since Carl’s diagnosis, I’ve been mailing a Lovely Note every day — principally to lift his spirits, but also to test how often the mail at the corner mailbox gets picked up.
2b) I ordered a cake in a presentation box to be delivered for his birthday, but it arrived yesterday. He still loved it.
House of the Seven Gables vibes in the derelict garden of the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
3) All this travel and daily communication is wonderful, and I love it. The other side of the coin is that my writing routine of Sundays and Wednesdays has gotten seriously disrupted, and I haven’t quite found an equilibrium yet. I will definitely not make 100 columns this year.
4) June 17 is not only Carl’s birthday, but also the 50th anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire. The two years I worked there in college (long after the fire) were overall a wonderful experience, and that building, its Boston history, and my time there remain very special.
5) My a/v wallpaper the last few days has been Macao with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell, with Gloria Grahame in a small but notable supporting role. When her “boss” says “Diamonds would only cheapen you,” her comeback couldn’t be better: “Yeah . . . but what a way to be cheap.” The action-oriented soundtrack kept me from sound sleep last night, rumbling around in my head.
One of the many wonderful Winslow Homer paintings.