ENPages
11
April 11th, 1985
Rose at 5:30; cereal, Commercial; regular breakfast when Mary came. Played Act II, Don Giovanni. Continued with Gilchrist stories. After lunch, drove to Lipsey’s, got cod filets for dinner; put a bottle of Macon Villages in icebox.
Played Cosifan Tuttle; last half of Act II while walking two miles. Wrote to Louis Rubin declining to contribute to collection on “Teachers.” Alas for miss Hawkins. Cooked the fish; Gwyn added fresh asparagus; also had a baguette from La Patisserie.
12
April 12th, 1985
Library; got two books on Chantiers Cathedral for study preparation to going there around May day. Mozart’s Magic Flute- excellent tae, with Haefliger, Maria Stader, Fischer Diekau, Rita Strich, Walter Frauck, and Lisa Otto. After lunch, played the Requiem: which winds up Mozart- 47 cassettes, including 144 compositions, plus five operas. A great experience.
In late afternoon, walked down to Morningside to see Tunkie. Found him improved. Played Scott Applin, going and coming.
13
April 13th, 1985
Began a slow re-reading of The West and Cheat Gone, preparatory to Paris, where Hugs is reading it now. Encountered Eleanor Giobbi on my walk; wet her back here, and she talked old times with Gwyn. In late morning, drove to post-office and mailed our 1984 state and federal tax forms and disks. For dinner; filets, bake potato, and Beaujolais.
14
April 14th, 1985
Hard rain all morning. At noon, drove out to Lucy Fisher’s for a barbeque lunch on porch. Sun reappeared about an hour later. Continued Proust; 100+ pages into it.
15
April 15th, 1985
Figured Mary’s earning during our trip: $966.48- my share (half) is $483.24. Travel agency; considered staying at JFK Hilton or Sheraton, but looked at folders and decided against it. Called Pully at Algonquin; got tentative reservation for Saturday night- he’ll phone if it’s impossible. Agreed to serve for fifth time as judge in the annual barbeque contest on May 18th. Walked two miles; played Beethoven’s op. 20 septet. Cut courtyard grass. Contracted for yard tenders to cut the rest on Wednesday morning, three days before we leave.
Finished first half of Sweet Cheat, the chapter on “Grief and Oblivion”- a truly XXXXXXX performance, one of my favorite stretches of Proust. I plan to save the rest for the eight-hour plane- ride on Air France.