Emeritus Professor Whitehead

brilliant, sunny day, warm, temps 25 - full moon

Gorgeous, perfect, still day. We're finally back in Sutton and wow does it feel great!

As you might be able to tell from the title, we returned to find a wonderful letter from McGill University, where Michael was a full professor of Medicine - that he has been awarded the honorific of Professor Emeritus!!!

We are both so moved and thrilled! What a remarkable career he has enjoyed. Teaching, research, his clinical practice, and running the hematology department at the Montreal Children's hospital...helping, or at least trying to help, so many children with cancer.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of him - and how wonderful this recognition is - and how well deserved!

Congratulations, Michael!!

I'm sorry not to have written sooner, but I headed off to New York City early Tuesday morning for publishers meetings, and returned fairly late last night. Shouldn't have been all that late except my flight got in at 5pm into Dorval airport, along with every huge plane in the world...and the customs was packed. It was ridiculous. On top of that, there were only 6 customs agents on duty for almost a thousand people. the line snaked around and around like a very ill-tempered colon. At one stage I thought they must have added lots more agents because the line suddenly seemed to move. Then I realized my metabolism must have slowed down and my body gone into survival/hibernation mode - so that a small shuffle forward felt like a sprint. The customs line lasted way longer than the flight. If I was a visitor to Canada I would never return.

Horrible.

I spent the time composing stern letters to my MP - which I then forgot in the euphoria of being through.

Oh, the power has been restored next door, which is good, since our friend Susan came down with us to stay the long labour day weekend. It's the Brome County Fair weekend, and we're off to see it tomorrow. Visit the animals (Michael has a thing for goats, but don't tell anyone) - we need to eat a famous Derby Burger, made by our neighbors down the dirt road, Charlie Derby - though they have competition at the fair these days from the bison burgers.

There's fresh cooked corn on the cob, and candy floss, and licorice sticks and pipes and fragrant, sweet apples.

Michael had another eye doctor's appointment with mixed results...but some hope! The leak is still there, and his eye pressure has dropped to dangerous levels, but the doc now thinks he can probably operate, close the tear and put in a shunt (which, of course I immediate associate with freight cars but suspect and hope that isn't accurate).

The Doc wants to take it slowly and give the eye a chance to heal on its own, so we'll go back in 2 weeks and the operation is scheduled for october 1st.

We have every hope it will work.

We both want to sincerely thank all of you for your well wishes...both those of you who wrote to us, and those of you who might not have written but who thought of us with kindness. We could feel it. And this comes with my sincerely gratitude.

New York City was wonderful. I'm slowly getting to know it. Feeling more comfortable, though I still get turned around, which is nigh-on impossible since it's a grid system...you actually have to work at getting lost.

I walked from 52nd street where my hotel was, down to 20th for a lunch date, then back up - so lost in my own thoughts and imagination that I overshot it and finally ground to a hot halt at 59th street. 70 blocks of NYC...and adoring every moment. Of course, the weather was glorious.

I'm very, very glad to be getting to know New York, and feel less alienated. Such a shame not to appreciate one of the great cities of the world - and what a relief to feel that happening. Familiarity...and perseverance.

This has been yet another unexpected blessing of my writing career. Without it I would never have kept returning to New York... and would never have grown to really like it.

Well, off to the bedroom....haven't even been upstairs yet. We arrived in the country around 2pm - unloaded the car - then I went over the the guest cottage and Susan and I hopped in the car and drove across the border to the Hannaford in Enosburg, Vermont. She had a shopping list almost as long as the customs line. I, of course, impulse shopped...one of my favorite things. Then we headed home - arriving about 5pm...then I replenished the flowers in vases around the home and cut some to take over to susan...then Michael and Trudy and I walked through the woods to the cottage for dinner.

Susan's a fabulous cook!

And now we're home and I wanted to write you with an update, and to tell you about the Emeritus news, which we're excited about - and the very hopeful news about Michael's eye.

And to thank you, for your support!

Thank you.