77

Very briefly noted: double lucky: Eleanor Severin Houck, the youngest of the 12 grandchildren of Melchior Arnold and Bertha Waelti Zwicky (hence the youngest of my cousin cohort), is 77 tomorrow Eleanor’s older siblings, Wilma and Ted, served as stand-in older siblings for me when I was a child. In particular, despite the fact that Ted and I had almost no interests in common, he was a good man and a thoughtful and supportive brother-equivalent. Then, eventually, Eleanor came along, and we became adult friends; for years now, still back in the Pennsylvania Dutch farm country, she has borne the burden of being related to someone as outlandish as I am, with grace, good will, concern, and a healthy sense of humor. She also, significantly, keeps track of the family news. I am pleased to be related to her, though still surprised at 77. On the other hand, the 9-year difference in our ages that was so enormous when we were kids is just a wrinkle now.