JR’s Chair

I don’t know who has heard and who hasn’t, but Jean Simpson had a heart attack last week. Mary and I heard about it via email from Dottie Diorio prior to leaving Nanda and Rickie’s fine reunion. Dottie wrote that Jean had had a massive coronary and was not able to receive visitors. In spite of this dire warning, we drove to Huntingdon to attempt a visit with her. We were happy to discover that she was in much better shape than originally reported and was recovering well. Apparently the heart attack was coupled with a simultaneous bout with the flu, which complicated the diagnosis. In fact, she’s sharp and chipper, and will move to a nursing home as soon as a slot opens up. An interesting coincidence occurred during our visit. Jean announced that she had long intended to give me the Windsor chair that J.R. Simpson used at his desk for many years, and suddenly, with me there, she could do so. The chair had been in her house in Alexandria for many years, and if we wanted it we could drive over there and pick it up. Which we did. Here’s a picture of it next to the desk which Lois Simpson gave me many years ago, which she said was J.R.’s writing desk. So now, by a genuine stroke of serendipity, I am the current custodian of these priceless heirlooms. Thank you, Jean! P.S. I just put the chair with the desk, which is in Will's music studio, for a quick photo. I'll move them to a more appropriate setting, where perchance a passing muse will tarry to assist me in pondering life's unpredictible twists and turns.