Pool etiquette for beginners: sometimes I think we all need reminding about etiquette. We sometimes forget that our actions do affect others and we take for granted that others do things the way we do. Lets take pool etiquette for example. If we don't have a pool and we want to take a dip, we call a friend or relative to see if we can use their pool. Usually no problem until we forget our etiquette. Usually a slip of the etiquette mode is tolerated for 1 or 2 times, after that, you need reminding that you should treat someone Else's pool like it is theirs and not yours. Here are a few simple etiquette rules to live by: If you didn't bring a towel (shame on you) then don't take one home with you. If you use the pool towels, then please hang them up on the clothes line provided, throwing them on the floor or furniture is not good etiquette and causes the pool owner to have to clean up after you (Shame, Shame). If you use floaters or other floatation devices, then put them back in storage where they probably were because sometimes the wind blows them on the ground or they stop up the filter intake. Again the pool owner has to clean up and put things up properly. Never bring more than 1 guest with you, but only after permission has been given. Always try to get young kids to go to the bathroom before getting into the pool, there's nothing like warm water to get the body to react and little kids sometimes cannot hold it. Remember that after the refreshing dip, you are still wet and sitting on furniture or dripping water in the house is another etiquette buster. Just like when you go camping, always leave the campsites (pool) cleaner than how you found it. Just good etiquette..

HOT! I'm not talking about anyone or anything in particular. I'm talking about the weather. Our temps this week are all triple digits: hitting 100 and 101 degrees F. It feels like a baking oven when you go outside and outside activities are kept to a minimal at least until the sun starts going down. The only salvation for the irrepressible heat is that the humidity is only 35%. East Texas used to be that hot with 95% humidity. Instant sweltering moment. We saw a weather report stating that in July 1939 (2 months before birth of Ayla) that the weather was 107 degreese F. Back then there was no AC, barely a fan and a sparse way of life compared to ours now. I bet Grammy was smiling the whole time carrying Ayla.
Broken finger story: I did break my Rt. middle finger about 6 weeks ago and it has caused me some difficult moments. 1st. I took the brace off to early and re broke it . again I wore the brace for 2 weeks and took it off and re broke it a 3rd time. I will wear it for 6 weeks now. Let me tell you, Driving a vehicle with a broken middle finger will get you all kinds of reactions from people you meet if you use that particular hand to steer with. You get everything from waves to stares to the proverbial 1 finger salute. On a recent trip to a bigger town with the 2 grand kids, I took a drink of soda and accidentally showed my finger to a passing motorist. He took exception to the 1 finger salute and became angry, instant road rage. He tried to stop and turn around to get us but traffic was too great and I was going down the street in the opposite direction. Z asked me what I would do if he caught up with us? I thought about it and realizing my age, health and wisdom, I said I would RAM him, push him down the road for several blocks and then leave. I said, I had more insurance than him and grammy would bail me out of jail. He never did catch us and so none of the contingency plans were needed. Remember if someone salutes you on the road, they might have a broken middle finger--- or not..