This is the kind of morning to appreciate living in Minnesota. It’s sunny, comfortable, and it makes me smile inside. I picked a bouquet of iris, and I’m sitting with my coffee planning the day.

My tennis player is doing that, playing tennis. A granddaughter left at 4 a.m. for Washington, D.C. on a school trip. The east coast is not having a good weather day, but most of the planned activities for the kids will be indoors. Having spent many days in the nation’s capital lobbying for education, I have many good memories of that city. If only politicians were making positive, productive decisions instead of undermining one another. . . if only.

I just made a plan for another granddaughter to spend the night here tonight. She’ll go to work with me in the morning, and we’ll enjoy the afternoon as we wait for her mom to pick her up after her work day ends. Having children and grandchildren in the area is such a blessing.

June. The children are out of school, and there are happy little voices in our neighborhood. Tomorrow is my last official work day until mid-August. I have the best of all retirements with a part-time job I enjoy that gives me a summer break. Life is good.