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December 6, 1971

Dearest Dorothy : 

By this time you must think the promised "letter to follow" a myth - hope you did get the postcard. I've made two or three beginnings, interrupted every time! We do think of you - lovingly and OFTEN.

The past summer and fall have been busy and full of unexpected events and concerns. In mid-June Grace died suddenly - a great shock to us, though she had been near death so many times in the last few years. Her life had been miserable: two kidney transplants (the "successful" one lasted about a year), then back on dialysis three times a week until she could be given another transplant. Just about everything that could go wrong with a kidney patient did go wrong for Grace, yet she clung to life, with no prospect but more of the same. a long ordeal ended for her; for us, too, as we were never free from anxiety. 

Our next concern was for the welfare of Grace's little son, who is now, since the end of October, happily established in the home of Grace's cousin Elizabeth, who lives in New York. It took several months of correspondence and planning to work out the transference of guardianship, etc., but all is settled now and going well. Elizabeth is intelligent, devoted, and young enough to cope with a six year old boy (as we are not!). But I don't want to burden you with more details of all this domestic uproar. 

We have been working, in spite of all. Just lately we have both made some serigraphs, with pleasing results. Lorser, especially has made some beauties and is delighted with the medium, which has the pristine quality that just suits him. I think I would like to try lithography, for certain effects that are not appropriate to silkscreen, and may do that after the holidays, as Tamstone has invited me to do some prints. 

We have all but pulled out of the David Stuart Galleries. We like David, and he is honest - no complaints there - but he is such a lazy dealer. His real interests are aborigine art and pornography! So we have worked out an arrangement with him whereby we are free to sell on our own, or through anyone else. No exclusive.

My retrospective at the La Jolla Museum opens this Thursday night. That is one of the things that have been keeping me busy - about 60 items, from 1933 to now, a chore to get ready. I'll send you a catalog. Lorser will have a retrospective show at the new Municipal Art Gallery in the spring. Getting that together will be our next big project. 

I wonder if you have seen the September ART INTERNATIONAL? The