Sometimes puttering during the week has serious aspects. I worked with John Schwarz at CVCA for ten years. He died last week from cancer at the age of eighty-five, and his calling hours were on Tuesday. It was a sad occasion with some happy aspects. I will miss John, of course, but it was good to see former students who showed up to pay their respects. John was a brilliant man, and we talked pretty often. The greatest advice he ever gave me was to tell me that my body must age, but that I did not have to get old. John disliked old people, and he never became one, always creating and reading and living.

On Wednesday, Zach and Londa came over, and we had supper together while watching a BBC show called The Power of Art, this episode being on the life and art of Rothko. Zach is a Rothko fan, so I wanted him to see it. Unfortunately, Mer was at the hospital with her dad, who had an urgent but non-life-threatening medical issue, so she missed the evening, not getting home until almost 10:00. I had Mer’s assurance that I could stay home, and I had a good time with Zach and Londa.

On Thursday, we headed down to North Canton to visit with Aunt Mary. She took us to a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant called Mama Guzzardi’s. The food was great, and it was a cozy place inside. We did not get to visit long after supper, but I enjoyed the time we did get to spend together. These are the ways to live a life.