There have been so many postings recently that I really must add my contribution. Here is some news since my last posting in April.

I've been very happy to read the many postings and also e-mails to me. Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear from a former student or TA. This means a lot to me, of course.

I was at York for just a couple of hours last week and was astonished to run into two students: Julie Rolavs, a TA, and Rachelle Mendoza, a student, both from my last year teaching (now more than a year ago!). Julie graduated this spring and is staying on at York for another year in a new program, in preparation for medicine the year after. (You may remember a posting by her last fall.) In fact she was collecting information about medical schools in the computer lab when she overheard my voice. Rachelle and I didn't talk for more than a minute--she's too busy--but I hope she and Julie will post something on the TA forum when they have time.

On a very sad note, I noticed that York's flag was at half-mast when I was there. I just looked up "Y-file" on the York web-site and found that Suzana Kazakova, a York student, had died on July 7. Suzana tried with great courage to do the stats course about five years ago but she was just too sick to get very far. She was so sick that I even faxed quizzes to her and she faxed the completed quizzes back. A very tragic story. I don't know if any readers of this forum remember Suzana.

My biography continues to progress. I've completed drafts of the two chapters about my mother's scientific work in her last 20 years. I've sent these chapters to some dozen of her former colleagues and other scientists. I've received great encouragement and very useful feedback which will help me improve what I have written, including many suggestions for other people who can help me.

Two weeks ago I was in Ottawa to look at hundreds of family letters. I'm getting ready to write chapters about more personal (rather than scientific) aspects of my mother's story and these letters will be very useful. Some of these letters are in German but most are in English. I'm still not ready to tackle the pre-war letters which are mainly in German.

I completed the third term of the German course successfully. I'll be continuing it after Labour Day. I'm still working on German during the summer, including a weekly visit with a German couple whom I have got to know and who are very knowledgeable about German history and culture. They also seem to like helping me with my primitive German.

Louise had an angiogram about a month ago and is waiting for an appointment with the surgeon who may repair or replace her mitral valve. The surgeon has an international reputation for mitral surgery so Louise is very confident and hopeful. However, it may be some time before she gets an initial appointment, let alone a surgery date.

Again, it's been great to hear from so many of you and learn of your activities and successes.

Paul

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2003