We’ve had two really good days at Chautauqua, ones that remind us why we like coming here. I have the impression that Kate feels this even more than I. On the other hand, tonight I observed a behavior that I have seen before and that is a desire to simply relax and not attempt to do everything. That occurred this evening when we were at dinner here at the Kevin Hotel. She suggested that she thought I might be thinking the same thing that she was thinking. She didn’t say what it was, but I thought (correctly it turns out) that she did not want to go to the evening performance in the amphitheater but simply relax at the hotel. After dinner she asked if we couldn’t go out on the porch off our room and have a glass of wine. I said that would be fine, and I meant it. As it turns out, I had already decided that we would skip all or part of the evening performance. I thought that she did not know what the program was because we had not discussed it, but I now recall that our afternoon speaker, Justice Anthony Kennedy, had said that he was here for his granddaughter’ dance performance this evening. This notwithstanding I thought it was unusual that she just wanted to stay in tonight. This is something we have rarely done in all the previous times we have been here.
The reason I even mention it is that I observe that Kate more frequently wants to retreat from social engagement than in the past. Of course, this could be something else. On the other hand, when I observe things like this, I always think of the possibility that it is related to Alzheimer’s. Perhaps this is another good reason that I think she is correct in not wanting others to know of her diagnosis. If they knew, they might be looking at everything as a function of Alzheimer’s.
One thing I do know is that she has handled herself well socially. Tonight at dinner she was able to engage in conversation with those at the table with no difficulty at all. She was especially cordial to two Japanese guests that arrived today from Tokyo. We have also spent time with a couple from Tom. They have also introduced us to some of their friends, and Kate has handled the situations normally.
