I am nearing the Ohio – Indiana state lines.

Thus far, it is been an easy and enjoyable drive. A beautiful sunlit sky, a little hazy, makes for a pleasant view. Most of the interstate is walled with tall, healthy cornstalks, or slightly rolling fields of soybeans. This is my favorite time of the year to drive through the countryside.

Afternoon, I will meet my mother, and two family friends, Nancy Sumner and Mark Rogers, for lunch. Nancy is retiring and moving to Chicago.

I have not been to my hometown in nearly 2 years. There’s always a degree of sentiment for the community in which I grew up, and for the people with whom I was raised.