“In July and August,” the German saying goes, “Only if you must.”  But these weeks have been so busy that I’m even sleeping at night.  First, there are guests.  Second, the event on the 25 is so complicated it feels like a bar mitzvah.  My musician disappeared and probably won’t return.  My substitute musician is abroad.  The invitations are something like Elaine’s Christmas card, except we’ll get it right before they go out.  Please tell everyone you know so I don’t have to shlep all the wine home, and all this work won’t be for naught.

It is not as if there is no news to report.  The papers are full of it.