Some days, things just seem to go right. It helps when your day starts with reading something like this on Facebook, written by my former student Fang Sheng, about Loose Woman:
I’ve just finished your book, Beth. I find it funny, witty, touching, authentic, honest, relatable, masterful and more. My inspiration. Thank you. I’m going to read it again.

I wrote back to ask if he’d move into my house and say this to me 12 times a day, but he’s now in China. Thank you, Fang.

My grandsons spent part of July in a free Blue Jays day camp with lots of sports, one of three camps across the city. At the end 30 children from the hundreds were chosen for a photoshoot for the Blue Jays charity. #2 grandson Ben was one. His photograph may appear at Jays games or on TV. He was paid $150. He’s seven! Best of all the kids played a game and Ben hit a spectacular home run. Sports are his thing. (The small figure in blue is Ben.)

I suggested to Anna that she send word of this to the Club Foot Clinic at SickKids which did such a superb job on Ben’s right foot that now he is a champion runner, fleet as the wind. Thank you as ever, Tommy Douglas.

Grandson #1, on the other hand, though also a very sporty guy, is happy to cuddle the pussycats.

And I to cuddle grandson # 3, the hairy one. Here he is with me and with his adoring human. Happy companions.

So we’re good, for once. Anna flies tomorrow to Winnipeg for a family wedding. Sam has all kinds of things on the go. School starts next week. It’s much cooler in the city, though apparently hot weather will return.

Trevor, my house guest from Denmark, wanted to take me to dinner as thanks. We went to nearby Kingyo, a store and restaurant full of Japanese goods, Japan in Cabbagetown. We ordered and brought food home, raw or nearly raw fish mostly. Glad to discover something so exotic – Tokyo a few blocks from here.

Trevor told me about his and Bente’s travels, dogsledding in Greenland, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. His tales made me realize that I may never do these things. It is unlikely that I will ever scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. And you know, I’m okay with that. Boring my life may be. But that’s okay.

Speaking of boring, Midlife Solo inches along. There may be a cover image or not, who knows. The mysteries of life. Those who’ve read it have said nice things, though perhaps not as effusive as Fang Sheng. I think I’ll print his words in big letters to hang above my desk. No, maybe have a t-shirt made. A hat. Would his lovely words fit on a hat?