Hot Saturday in the Midwest

It continues hot and humid here. Brian and Gerald both arrived here the same time tonight--and both were red-faced from the heat.

Brian, Trent, and Bree came down last night to their camper and got up this morning to cut some volunteer corn out of their fields--character development for the kids. Samuel and Trent had talked on phone, so Brian brought the kids down to our place right after lunch. He went back to do some mowing. The kids played all afternoon in the air-conditioned house, and I hung out here too.

Gerald and Gerry had left Williamson County at 6 a.m. to get to Evansville to watch Geri Ann's Southern Express team play their last tournament of the year. That is why Gerald got sunburned even tho he sought shade at the ball park. How fifth graders can play in this heat is amazing to me. There is no doubt this summer play makes them tough. I always think if the nation gets conquered by thugs or if we have a revolution and we have to march miles in extreme weather conditions to a prison somewhere, the girls on summer softball teams will be in shape to survive such treatment. Except for such an extreme emergency, I am not sure how smart this survival training is. But I definitely admire the girls' toughness. They are indeed in a league of their own.

Jeannie called me this morning on her cell phone from the Freeport coffee house--hoping I could hear Leslie singing there. I could occasionally hear her voice, but not really her singing. But I liked being a part of her audience tho from too great a distance. She leaves tomorrow for Mexico with her youth group.

At the Marion mall yesterday, I was happily surprised when I ran into a writing friend and her husband. I had just heard the night before that she and her recently retired husband were going to Colorado to a home they have there. I was so upset they were leaving us, and to accidently find them at the mall and get to have a wonderful visit was so good. She asssures me they will be back and forth and we should see her again in a couple of months.