Worrying, much phoning, but at home – home with the crabby cat. My suitcase is ready, though. A strange, tense and anxious time. Today, in response to my polite request – “I need me some baby!” – my daughter came over with her boy. Holding, watching, rocking, I felt so much better. Thank you, squishy baby body. Nothing feels or smells better.

While the baby slept and we folded laundry, Anna and I watched the first episode of “The News Room,” Aaron Sorkin’s new series. I didn’t even know I could access HBO, but she showed me how, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to plunge into the Rogers thickets on my own. It’s vintage Sorkin, with a glorious impassioned speech right off the top about the sad position of America in the world today, to fire us up. Lots of predictable TV stuff, romantic tension, workplace tension, character conflict tension, the music behind beating out the tension in case we don’t get it from the actors. Maybe that’s the joy of “Downton Abbey” – just a bit of delightful romantic tension but not this heart-pounding stuff. Nice to see Sam Waterston back in the saddle.

I’d continue to watch for the intelligence of the dialogue, but apparently the next episodes do not live up to the first. And I don’t know if I’ll ever find it again.

And then we went to Sam’s restaurant, to have slunch, as Anna called it – lunch at 3. We sat for a long time on the nice back patio in the breeze, with a very handsome and skilled waiter plying us with good food and drink, and baby mostly asleep and being much admired by all. This is the life.

Here we are:

 Jolly jumping

 The two sweetest boychicks on the entire planet, one tall and merry and the other not

Glamma and Eli enjoying the patio

Got this email from a dear friend. How kind people are.

Beth, Just checked your blog….no, it is not easy……please know that you are loved by many. Courage. Love, Moi.