Good-bye.

It is mercilessly, remorselessly, wickedly hot here--the weeds have consumed the garden, and only the peppers struggle on with any fight left in them. The asphalt asphixiates, the community pool is nothing but a tepid bathtub. The mall is packed, but my bank account is empty... And time moves as slowly as the lines on the thermometer decline.

It's the time of year where I once again wonder why, if they had a driver's license and $20 to get across the state line, anyone would choose to live here.

For this reason, I'm taking my own advice. This very afternoon I'm gonna pack the bare essentials, whatever I can fit in my overnighter, and toys for the girl, and tomorrow morning we're bustin' out of this dried-up, fried-out, wind-blown nightmare of a town--and I'm drivin' to...Kansas.

Ok. I'm going to visit my mommy. And if she's really nice, she'll take us to the mall and get T some new shoes for school, and then if she's really, really nice, she'll entertain my girl by paying our way to the zoo.

When I get back, I'll begin a series on books--CBA books, ABA books--books I read two years ago but I still think about regularly, books I read this summer and have already forgotten. With the kids back in school, and perhaps a few hours on your hands between now and the holiday mash, it's a good time to think about books again. In fact, you might find yourself reading something you never thought you'd love--all on the basis of my brilliant recommendation.

Until my return, you might enjoy a word or two from these folks:

Claudia Mair Burney is a loser. (That's my positive word for you today, Mair!) Her first book, Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man is out now, and Mair is again rethinking her life. Stop on by her blog to see what's going on--or rather what's comin' off!

Dave Long once again provides space for debate. This time it's on "Why Evangelicals Can't Write" or something like that. It's a good discussion and worth a bit of your time if you're invested in this argument or ever threw a CBA book across the room in annoyance. (Truthfully, back in college, we once burned a boxload of terrible ABA romance books, so the CBA has in no way monopolized this dreck.) Warning: a degree in religion/theology and/or English might be useful here--it turned into one of those discussions.

And eye-candy for quilters. No, not your grannie's kind of quilting! This is someone's Flickr file from the finest quilt show on the planet: The Houston International Quilt Show. I'm stunned by the variety and inventiveness of what's shown here. Truly, truly amazing! I have a friend who's mother used to edit a quilting mag back in Australia, and she's had the privilege to go to the quilt show several years ago with her mom. When we first started quilting together, she raved about the show to me. Now I know why. Sheesh!

That's all, folks. I'm off to a much-needed nap where I will dream of driving down Ward Parkway with a latte from Dean and Deluca, on a cool, overcast fall morning...

Ciao.