OK, loyal readers, about the best thing one can do in this heat is sit in a cool corner and read. A book would be nice, but if all else fails, reading this corner in a corner would be a close second.

The summer solstice was explained to me by son number one. This is the day our sunlight is the longest. That was a cheap explanation by me, but it is the first day of summer, basically, and the sun sets really late.

I remember from George Ellis’ science class in fourth grade that the first day of spring, fall, winter and summer is always on the 20th or 21st. So, when June 21st came around, and it brought hot and hotter, I knew it was summer. Of course I knew that a few weeks ago when we went straight from winter to summer. A cool breezefanned us for a couple weeks so we could have spring, and here we are, wanting to swim with no pool in which to swim.

Just a note for the people who love to sing, or hear singing: There is a sunset vespers concertwith Joe Pearles at the Gentry Seventh-day Adventist church at 7:30 p.m. on July 10. If you have never heard Joe sing, you need to come and hear this Christian singer and give yourself a treat.

Happy Birthday to my husband George who finally caught up with me. Oh well, next month I will move on by him and become “old” again, so this same-age thing won’t last too long.

Happy Birthday to Wes Fitzpatrick, Klaudia Staples, June Mahoney, Carl Krueger, Larry Rahm, James Paige, Bob Weaver, Larry Huls, Forrest Davis, Gary Murphy, Bradley Hansen, Ryan Dennis, Tom Alsip, Bobby and Norma Stricker, Marilyn Asher and Mardi Robeson.I also want to say, “Happy Birthday,” to Dorothy Albers Moon, who has moved to Nebraska. She is 90 years young this month.

Happy Anniversary to Mike and Brenda Kaye Coones and also to Robert and Shawn Swanson. Robert and Ruby Eaton also celebrated an anniversary,their 50th. Congratulations to all involved parties.

Sorry to hear that one of my favorite people, Jimmy Dean, died this last month. OK, so he isn’t a local boy, but he has been welcomed into a lot of people’s homes just by their eating his breakfast sausage. If you haven’t heard his song, “Frilly Shirt,” you should. Or perhaps where he sings to his sleeping daughter telling her how he will miss her as she grows older ... He is well known for “Big Bad John,” but some of those other songs were looked over, as was the song “PT-109” about Jack Kennedy andhis war escapades. Jimmy, you made us proud.

My brother’s children are visiting from California, and we are glad to see them. They have grown so fast, or so it seems because they are more grown up everytime we see them. Welcome to Arkansas for the summer, Harmony and Jordan.

Please remember to drink fluids. Our body is about 80 percent water. And with this heat, it seems to dry it out really quickly if we don’t drink enough needed water. Sometimes people get dehydrated without realizing it, so keep a glass of water close by.

Community, Pages 6 on 06/30/2010