I was so excited about being posted to London, I did not realize how difficult it would be to say goodbye to the ones I most love.

Met Chriselle for coffee at Grand Central yesterday and was close to tears when it came time for our last hugs. I know I will miss her soooo much. Met my Book Club at Penfield Beach last night–my very last meeting with them for a whole year–and realized that I was heavy-hearted when saying bye to Trish and Mary-Jo, Amy and Bonnie. Will miss my friends too. Suddenly, now that I have just two more days to go before I say goodbye to my beloved Holly Berry House and Southport, I keep wondering if Llew will remember to water the wedding fern I have nurtured for the past 15 years and if the garden will stay as pristine as it is now…and whether I shall miss having my black pashmina in London (and, therefore, whether I should stuff it into my bulging suitcases)…

Tried to tie up loose ends at NYU yesterday. Filling forms for reimbursement of expenses, filling forms for Aetna Global Medical and Dental Insurance, etc. etc.

Didn’t find the time to scan a bunch of vintage pictures I wanted to put on CD because I had to rush off to meet Mahnaz for lunch at Otto–so terrific to see her again. We had parted company on the Rialto Bridge in Venice in March. Mario Battali never disappoints and the vegetables we ordered (that Eggplant Caponatina was to die for) together with the Penne Putanesca was MMMMmmmm. With the glass of white wine, it was heavenly and took me right back to Firenze! Only trouble was I snoozed on the subway all the way up to the Metropolitan Museum where I renewed my ID card. So with all those last-minute errands slowly getting ticked off my To-Do List, I feel less nervous about our departure

Still have to get my hair trimmed though, so Deborah (that’s my stylist)…here I come.