Today will be hot, 76° being the expected high. The air is thick, but there is a wind strong enough to toss the tall branches of the oak trees and to cool the house. Rain is likely tonight.

Yesterday the traffic was heavy and lined up at the lights. Even the hardware store had no parking spaces. I got what I needed there and then moved on to groceries. I skipped flowers and went home.

Last night I saw my first fireflies. I was delighted. I saw one in the front yard and three or four in the back. I picked one and followed its light as it flitted around the yard. They are my favorite summer visitors.

I could be busy today but I am choosing to be a sloth. The dust balls can get bigger and fly into the air. The winter clothes will stay in the closet one more day, and the paw prints on the kitchen floor will still mark the way. As Scarlett said, “After all, tomorrow is another day.”

I used to be strong, but I also used to be young. I remember hauling 50 pounds of cat litter upstairs. Now I drag dog food bags into the house from the car and move heavy cartons end over end to get them inside. Jars take forever to open, a couple sit unopened in the cabinet. I hate pulling those tabs off of milk and cream. The squeeze and twist off caps of aspirin bottles were made for younger fingers. I’ve used church keys and old bottle openers to hack at bottles and cans. They have become important tools in my arsenal.

I have questions. Who decided bread should be toasted in the morning? Why does Tarzan not have a beard? He didn’t ever shave. Why are the green oranges in Ghana still called oranges? Greenies? Why are some days partly sunny and other days partly cloudy? Cinderella’s shoe fell off. Was it a bad fit or a plan? When I was a kid, I used to wonder if God could make something so heavy even he could not pick it up.

The world is full of conundrums.