reunited and it feels so good

Hooowhee -- it has been a long time since I've had a chance to write in the ole' blog.  We have been having fun with family!  First my parents came to visit and we had a great time divided pretty evenly between chilling and activity.  We went on walks, visited the Lincoln museum in Springfield (just as good the second time around!), swam, talked, languished in the heat...  Overall it was a wonderful visit and I wish so much that I could see them more often than once a year!  


The afternoon they left was followed by the arrival of 12 members of Matthew's family.  We had a very full house on one of the hottest days of the year and I was terribly worried about whether anyone could possibly get comfortable in our un-air conditoned house.  I think it was okay (crossed fingers).  The next morning we went to a steamy (humid, not sensual) rendition of As You Like It at the Illinois Shakespeare festival and marveled at the cast romping around in full costume and make-up without seeming to break a sweat.  Then lunch and the long trek to Nauvoo for three days.  It was also hot and busy there, but went by too quickly.  I was a little tense hoping everything would run smoothly, but kept telling myself to relax and just enjoy being together.  It was so fun seeing the cousins playing so easily together and I wish so much that we could see them more often than once every who knows how often!  We need to work on that.


So now we are back to just us getting the house back in order and enjoying the cooler weather that none of our guests had the pleasure of experiencing -- it's almost like God doesn't want more people moving to Illinois.

summer lovin'

It has been hot.  How hot is it?  Well, I will tell you.  One day last week I had to change my clothes three times in one afternoon because I had the audacity to vacuum my house.  I know!  I will try to restrain myself in the future.  It is just so humid, and the vacuum is like carting around a personal mini heater/oven, but it must be done on occasion so I gave in and just did it.  I was literally dripping.  Then I took a shower, but trying to use the hair dryer was a complete farce.  My hair got more and more damp until I finally had the good sense to blow the cool air.  It felt nicer, yet didn't do as well with the drying.  My carefully chosen outfits and perfect hair-dos weren't the only casualties -- the walls must have been absorbing quite a bit of moisture as well because the pictures that I so lovingly placed going up my staircase started to simply fall off the walls.  I would hear a crash and run to see yet another frame laying dented and debased in the front hallway with nary a stomping child in sight to blame for the destruction.  Velcro doesn't like humidity apparently.


Do you know what else doesn't like humidity?  Potatoes.  I always forget that.  Growing up in a dry climate, we always left our potatoes in the pantry and since I obviously can't do anything new and innovative, I tend to put mine in the pantry as well.  Besides, for some reason our refrigerator always seems to have excessive amounts of things that more indisputably require coolness -- like yogurt.  Who has room for a hulking bag of potatoes in there for heaven's sake?  Well, when potatoes don't like something they let you know.  And when they let you know it doesn't smell very nice.  And when they don't smell very nice your whole house doesn't smell very nice.  I thought it was just un-air-conditioned funky old house smell so I guess that it is good that there was a tangible reason.  It's been taken care of.  And there are some new diffusers diffusing.  The new smell o' the day is Charles' leftover camping stuff that someone brought over yesterday -- still sopping wet.  He got home Saturday.  Yes, that is an unforgettable scent.


On a more refreshing note, it is a mere 80˚ today and as dry as a... high council speaker.  Sorry I couldn't think of anything more dry.