July 7 and 8: SF: Japanese Garden, Schubert Bakery, De Young Museum; departure

Dear Friends and Relatives,

I am writing you a day late.  I am sitting here at Gate 9 of Terminal A of the San Jose Airport on July 8, waiting for the plane and its departure right before noon.  Dallas has had police shootings as of last night, and 11 police officers have been shot, five of whom were killed.  It is indeed a sad day, and I grieve.  Meanwhile, Congress continues to stall over gun control, and this nation becomes more and more mired in an untenable atmosphere of fear and aggression.  It is indeed a sad situation.  

As of yesterday afternoon, I had a second reason not to write.  We had spent a great, quiet morning at Maureen's place, and then around noon we went downtown to go to the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park.  It is such a quiet, peaceful venue, and Maureen and I wandered through it leisurely, enjoying the plantings, the bridges, sculptures, small ponds scattered around, the koi fish, and the songs of the birds.  Then we went to Clement Street and the Schubert Bakery, where Maureen had bought a Swedish Princess cake for my birthday last year and which I so enjoyed, due mainly to its heavy concentration of marzipan.  I had a piece of it with coffee, and thought of it as a replacement for lunch.  After about the third bite, I felt as if I had had enough, and should have listened to my gut feeling about it--but did not.  After another 45 minutes in a bookstore across the street from the bakery, we departed for the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.  On the way I got nauseated and dizzy, and I am sure it was because I must have given myself a sugar high instead of eating sensibly.  I made it through a photography exhibit and a view of Sumatran sailcloths at the museum, but then asked Maureen to take me home.  Traffic was horrific, and I thought we would never make it back!  But we eventually did, and I immediately lay down, drank some water, took some tums, and became quiet.  Eventually, good Maureen made me some chicken noodle soup, and I tolerated some crackers and water as well.  In about 30 minutes I rallied enough to pack, and later in the evening I showed Maureen my Portugal and Spain photos.  Went to bed earlier than normal, and am feeling not totally cured, but better than yesterday.  I simply feel I need a few days of normal diet to set me straight again.  

Meanwhile, I had a marvelous time in SF and would like to thank Maureen from the bottom of my heart for making my visit so special.  On to the next adventure, as I leave for Indianapolis from July 15-17.  As ever, Sylvia

Sylvia M. Venable, PhD

Instructor, German

St. John's Episcopal School

Dallas, Texas