My kids are both in the same town this week and had dinner with their partners over at my sister's house. They called via Messenger video during dessert. I commented on the bowl of vivid red in the middle of the dining table - it looked like sliced beets. My son's partner tipped it toward the camera to give me a better view of the potpourri and out tipped some of the water. It was laughter and a scramble to wipe up, then decide to pick up plates and slide the cloth off and dry the wood under it. My sister doesn't have kids, but now she has had the official event christening - there's rarely a meal with all of them here when something doesn't get spilled on the tablecloth. The novelty is always in what method of delivery (and if it stains or not.) And those can be the durable stories people laugh at later.

Here at home I took a glance up at my office bookshelves this morning and realized I already had a copy of the book that I recently purchased. This seems to be the year of redundant volumes. They're good books so will become gifts.

It's 97% humidity this morning after storms last night, so though it isn't overly warm it's still very sticky. This is the time of year when the heat pump to runs to dry the air.