Notes from Steve

I ran the mile donut run last Saturday morning with a bunch of friends. Every quarter mile, we were supposed to eat a donut hole … it was fun-ish. Then we got on our bikes and rode for 31 miles. We called it our geriatric triathlon. (The water part of the triathlon was my shower after I got home.)  

I ordered this candle the other day. It supposedly smells like a tomato plant - which I used to think stunk. But, as time goes by, I go back to the smells I remember. I can remember the smell of my grandma's house in Wayne, Nebraska. I loved that smell (I think it is the smell of a moldy basement). And Earl May gardening center? I loved that scent (I think it's either weed killer or fertilizer.) Gasoline? Felt markers? Yes, all poison. Sigh. I'm learning to appreciate smells that are closely aligned to nature now. Like tomato plants, fresh-cut grass, and certain trees (I think geraniums stink, though).*

This is summer to me. Whimsy and warm and goofy and event-filled. The fireflies are in abundance in the backyard, the sun is shining, and for the most part - people are happy. This is my favorite part of the year. I hope you're enjoying the season.  

*There is this tree - the American Sycamore - and to me it has a really nice scent. So, I looked it up, and supposedly, not everyone can smell it. That's too bad because it's a nice scent.