Ah, summertime! Peaches, heat waves, ...& canvassers. A while back (before the heat wave, actually) the doorbell rang. Through the window I saw a pimply-faced white boy. Opening the door, I demanded, “Are you a canvasser?”

He sort of stumbled, “Uh, I don’t know what that word means, ma’am…” & then began to explain that he was part of some program to the general effect of keeping kids in school.

“Sorry, we never give money at the door…” I interrupted, & then pointing at him, added, “& canvassing is what you’re doing.”

He seemed mortified at this & mumbled assorted apologies as he turned to leave.

Think maybe I have it in me to become one of those terrifying old schoolmarms?

I can be sweet when I want to, though. Pondering what to bring to a sweltering yard party on one of those triple-digit days, I flashed: popsicles! We filled a cooler with fudgesicles, orange creamsicles, & all-fruit bars, & everyone loved it! I get to feel smug about this one, okay? Considering it was my only sign of any brain function at all during an entire week of skull-melting temperatures. You gotta take what you can get sometimes.