My daughter-in-law finally made it home from her four-month stay in England and I was anxious to be able to spend some time with her. It just so happened that her parents came to town the week after she got home (I think they were anxious to see her too) so she planned a “girls” trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden, a place she has very rapidly learned to love.

For the last several months (and for two more months to come), the Garden is hosting an exhibition of Dale Chihuly glass art throughout the Gardens. We were lucky that the day was perfect, sunshine and warm, but not too warm.

It’s cooking hot here in Missouri again this week with temps rising to almost record levels of over 100°.  Our city hosted it’s annual Festival of the Little Hills and luckily, Saturday was only 95, but the humidity was wild.

It’s also the first day of school for most schools in our area. All three of my school-age grandchildren start back today with “firsts” for all of them…first day of first grade, first day of middle school and first day of Senior year. What a year this will be!