Today a dear friend from Harmony is arriving to spend the night, and I have made no plans because the temperature is supposed to hit 90 degrees and who knows if we'll be able to crawl away from the fan? Usually the two of us like to hike and birdwatch together, but that won't be at all fun today. So I've decided not to pre-plan dinner. This way our outings can involve spending time in an air-conditioned market, passing the time and staying cool as we figure out what to cook.

First thing this morning, before the real heat kicks in, I've got to mow grass. (I may not make it to my exercise class; I only have so much stamina for sweating, and shoving a reel mower through weeds will likely require most of it.) Then I'll do some houseguest housework and finish up the chapter I'm editing and maybe cast an eye over the chapbook class plan. Yesterday I wrote out the entire first session in excruciating detail--something I don't usually do, but I want to make sure that everything flows easily, both as a general approach and in specific ways such as activity variation and time management. The second two sessions should be easier to plan, once I make sure this first one is functional.

Take care of yourselves in this heat, friends. I myself will be drinking ice tea nonstop, and I recommend Twinings Lady Grey tea for your homemade batch--lightly flowery, not bitter: Soak 1 teabag in 1 quart of boiling water. Let sit till cool. Divide tea between 3 quart-sized mason jars. Fill the rest of each jar with cold water. Refrigerate and/or immediately pour over ice.