Flowers Again

I went to the optometrist Friday morning, which enabled me to observe flowers. The cherry blossoms which were beginning to open a few days earlier were in full bloom, and there were also other flowers on trees (magnolia, perhaps), on forsythia bushes, and elsewhere. I made particular note of one cherry tree in the little patch of woods on my street. There was only a stub left of the tree trunk, with one branch emerging from it, and then a second branch shooting off at roughly a right angle from the first branch, and then splitting into several branchlets with cherry blossoms on them.

It is touching that such a damaged tree can still put forth flowers, and make its contribution to the beauty of spring.

I have also continued my flower appreciation Saturday and today.

The Red Queen’s Race

Early last week, I finished an Office Action on my oldest amendment. Later in the week, a new amendment appeared, so I’m back to having four cases on my Amended docket.

I also worked on searching my oldest Regular New application, and began writing an Office Action, although I didn’t finish it. More work to be done this coming week.

Letters Written by My Grandfather

My uncle Norman, my father’s youngest brother, sent an email to my siblings and myself a couple of days ago, telling us about letters written by my paternal grandfather, Nathan Rosen (1902-1999), and including transcripts of the letters. My grandfather wrote these letters to Norman in his old age, although not quite in his last few years, and his handwriting made them difficult to read, but Norman has now gone through them, and made an effort to decipher them, although there are occasional lacunae.

Anyway, my grandfather wrote about his childhood in Lithuania, when it was part of the Tsar’s empire, and about coming to America as a teenager, via a ship that departed from Arkhangelsk. Some of the information matches things that I remember him telling me when he was alive; other parts are new to me. Anyway, I was glad to receive the letters, and learn more about family history, and an old man’s experiences when he was a child.