I was all set to chauffeur my grandson to an away baseball game today, but, thank goodness, it was cancelled. It is really, really hot today, and I'm so glad the organizers had the sense to keep the boys from playing in such awful weather.

There was a game yesterday, which was equally hot. It was in the main field, where there are bleachers and a roof, so it wasn't so bad for the fans. At least we could sit in the shade. And there was a breeze. But the boys were running around in the hot sun, and you could tell it was getting to them. Luckily, my grandson was not in the lineup, so he didn't have to play. He is still nursing an injury from making a diving catch in the outfield.

But speaking of diving catch -- in the year-end awards ceremony he won the the "Golden Glove" award for outstanding fielding! It was well-deserved. He will go after anything. He gives his all.

And, speaking of the awards ceremony, we had a little excitement that evening. The ceremony was cut short when the tornado sirens went off, and a violent storm popped up out of nowhere. We were ordered away from the metal bleachers. I ran to my car as the wind picked up, almost hard enough to carry me away. I drove home in the sudden darkness, flashes of lightning going off constantly. Many cars were on the side of the road, but I was so close to home, I went for it. But I was awfully glad to get there safely. And everyone else got home safely, too. It was just a very strange, sudden storm. It passed quickly, with very little damage in the area.

Okay, as for money things -- I spent $2 yesterday taking Gatorade to my grandson, and I've done a couple of loads of laundry. I also bought a birthday gift for DIL. With my Amazon credits, it was only $31, so I'll need to find something else. Variables are at 50%.

I picked up my free lunches at the senior center yesterday. There was a sign posted, requesting a $12 weekly donation (although in the small print, they said they wouldn't turn anybody away).  I did not sign up for the next two weeks, as I usually do. I'm a little confused, actually. Everyone who is eligible for this program has a pretty low income, and my interest was certainly to save money. I think I can take that $12 and make much better use of it for the way I cook and eat. Of course, I am a pretty resourceful cook, very accustomed to repurposing food and never throwing anything away. Many people are not.

When I thought about it, I decided that this program is probably more suited to people who do not cook much, for one reason or another, and need the help.

Anyway, I'm going to take a hiatus and see how it goes. I don't really want to pay the $12 donation, but I am uncomfortable not paying it. I still want to keep my grocery budget under $100, which I think I can do, even in these trying times.

And besides that, it's been an awful lot of mashed potatoes! Really.