Summer is coming!

We've had our windows open and the AC off every day except one since we arrived back home. The nights have been refreshingly cool for August and the daytime temperatures very moderate. But a big heat wave is coming this week. We closed up the windows this morning and are ready for temperatures hitting 100F / 38C (with nearly 100% humidity) by Thursday. Oof! I am very glad to have AC for times like this. We keep our house around 78-80 F / 26-27 C when it's too hot to have the windows open.

I walked 2.5 miles home from church this morning (I usually don't attend in the States but I wanted to say hello to everyone). It was HOT walking home. And in this town, it's very unusual to walk places, especially towards the outskirts of town. I feel like a specimen on display at an archaeological site. "On our right, observe a middle-aged human female perambulating without any motorized assistance. A strange sight for sure, not often spotted in the wild..."

After lunch, Eric went off to play Ultimate Frisbee while the rest of us relaxed. Zari had a documentary to watch for school ("I Am Not Your Negro" about James Baldwin--chosen by her). It's so powerful and she was very moved by it.

I made dinner (country tomato bisque) and was super excited to see a message from my cousin's daughter, the one who stayed with us in France for 3 months during the pandemic. "Hey, I happen to be driving from Boston out West and will be passing right through your town this evening. Can we stop and say hi?" She is newly married so we got to meet her husband, feed them dinner, and catch up before they had to get on the road again.

The kids were so excited to see their cousin again. What an unexpected treat. And...I happened to have enough lemon cheesecake left for the whole family--this was her favorite dessert from when she was staying with us in France.

I'm taking a very quick trip to Iowa City to give Grand Rounds at UIHC as well as teach a short breech course immediately after. I'm very excited to return by to my PhD alma mater! I'll definitely drive by the house we lived in on Summit Street (and renovated, of course!). This was pre-children so we could do our PhD work during the day and then renovate long into the night. I'm still amazed at all that we did on that house. I'll have to hunt down some pictures!