The weather has shifted the last few days from the heat of last week to cooler days and nights, but that will probably change as August still has a way to go before it gives way to September. Last night was perfect for sleeping at 70° despite two big dogs who don’t respect personal space beside me on the bed.

The morning is quiet and still. It is also quite lovely with a breeze and dappled sunlight shining on the leaves of the oak trees. It is only 73°. I’m in the den, my everything room. It is dark here. The sun moves around the house from front to back. The den is in the back.

Today I need to vacuum the tumbleweeds from the hall and living room. They jump and whirl in the air when I walk by them. They are composed of Henry fur. When I scratch him, white fur piles on his back. I’d brush him, but he is Henry who has a quirky personality, and I know he’d find brushing a personal offense.

When I was a kid, summer seemed endless. I was up and out early. I didn’t want to waste any part of the day. I’d be at the playground for most of the day or exploring on my bike. I remember one ride had me ending up on a main road two towns over. It was a new spot, but I had a sense of where I needed to go to get home. The obstacle was the traffic. I had to move my bike across two lanes of cars so I grabbed the handlebars and ran. I was greeted by not so friendly horns. I think I held my breath until I reached the sidewalk on the other side. When I got home, my mother asked about my day. I didn’t tell her about the traffic and the horns. I told her I had just ridden around which was enough of the truth.

My mother taught me how to tie my sneakers. I remember she was sitting on the living room chair, and I was kneeling beside the arm of the chair. She held the sneaker and slowly showed me how to manipulate the laces to make the bow. I watched a couple of times then she had me try. My first few attempts were unsuccessful. I couldn’t get the looping around and through to make the second part of the bow. I got frustrated and wanted to send my sneaker airborne, but my mother patiently showed me again even slower than before. I finally got it, but I had created the loosest bow known to the civilized world. After a while I did get better at tighter bows. My sneakers eventually stayed on my feet.

My dance card has a concert tonight from 7-9 on Main Street in Hyannis and another tomorrow from 6:30-7:30 in Sandwich. The weather should be perfect.

I am behind my time this morning. Nala was crying so I got up, went downstairs and let her out. I decided I was still tired so I went back to bed. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I took my time, finished all the puzzles in the paper, made a pot of coffee and read my e-mail. This is the only day of the week I have an empty dance card so the sloth in me is strong.

The weather is a delight. It rained early this morning, in the wee hours. Last night was perfect for sleeping. Right now it is 78°, breezy and alternatively sunny and cloudy. It might rain.

My mother would have been 99 today. I thought of her as soon as I woke up. She was amazing. She was thoughtful and she was funny. I can’t recall the exact number of Boggle games we played, but I swear it had to be in the thousands. We’d sit at her kitchen table for hours. She gave our lives her special touch. I still miss her every day.

I have this gift. When I close my eyes, I can see places, routes, even the number of stop lights. One trip I loved was to East Boston to visit my grandparents. There was so much to see, so much I still remember. Part of the trip was on Route 1 through Saugus. My head swiveled from side to side so I wouldn’t miss a thing. Just before we got on the highway, there was a private pond for fishing. I remember the trespass warnings on the gate. A store right at the exit sold wedding gowns. I always checked the store window. Another store sold German sausages. It sold other things, but I only remember the sign for the sausages. A giant dinosaur stood at the miniature golf course. Adventure Car Hop, the restaurant Woo Woo Ginsberg on WMEX on his Night Train Show touted, was at the rotary. I always wanted for us to stop but we never did. The St. Anthony of Padua church was the biggest church I had ever seen. Its back faced the road. I remember oil tankers tied up at piers. The smell of the oil permeated the air. The last thing was the hill. A project with brick buildings was below that hill. On top of it was where the giant statue of Madonna Queen of the Universe Shrine stood. My grandparent’s house was just a few streets beyond that hill. I remember cars filled the parking spaces along the roadsides. My father used to drop us off then he’d hunt for a place to park.

So many other routes stick in my memory drawers. One vibrant memory is the walk from my school in Bolga to town. I see it perfectly. That is the most wonderful gift of memory.