Give me a break!

We finally had a bit of rain in the early morning (4:30 am) and the temperatures dropped into the 70's. When I stepped out to check the plants for water (there wasn't that much rain), I saw my peppers had set fruit today. Yes, between dawn and 10 AM, they decided to grow while the conditions were favorable.

This Tospy-Turvy planter is watered daily, and still it wilts. It has just been too hot. This week I placed the patio umbrella over the potted plants to shade them from direct sun. Wilt. With no control over the temperatures, I do what I can and let go. That's a farming/gardening lesson, anyway.

Today, summer feels stifling, like when I was a child. I grew up hating summer vacations. It meant long hot days at home with my mother and a continually growing list of chores. We rose early in the mornings to beat the heat and then spent the remainder of the day sitting still. I learned early to read, write and think. No, we did not watch the boob-tube. We had a complete set of Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedias. I digress...

I almost booked a flight to San Francisco. I haven't received a start day for the last job offer. I haven't gotten an interview where I thought I had the hook-up. And no reply to my text. Only form replies acknowledging my other applications wait in my inbox. Travel seems the easy and exciting answer. That is what I love to do. Drinking my coffee and journalling, I am startled.

I want a massage but think it is too expensive. I'm out of tequila and saving my last shots of Glen Livet for National Scotch Day (July 27, 2012). I hold on to every dollar I get (after charitable giving), and am incredibly frugal with every nickle. Yet, I easily rationalize the airfare, transport, and food/yoga/fun in the city. This is bigger than priorities. It speaks to what I believe is important. What feeds my heart and soul. What I truly want in my life - to travel, write, and drink beer. (I'm out of beer.)

It has been a RUDE summer. Too hot to work outside. Too dry to grow efficiently. Too much, just too much.

If I had been employed I would have been inside for eight plus hours of the heat. I would have had less time and energy to devote to worrying about my garden. However, I may have been willing to water more since I would have had a steady income.

Today I realized all the years I dreamed of being home in the summer to tend my garden have come true. This was not what I expected. Time, yes. But that's all.

Still, I am thankful for my time to be in my space. I love being at home. And even though the paint sits in the corner and the mulch stayed in the bag, I know that fall will be here as well. I pray I am working, but between shifts I will pull weeds, dig hostas, till the garden, roll the compost. The forecast has us just below triple digits so I will do what I can. Just like the peppers.

When it's too hot to move, we will quietly wilt in the shade. Hydrated and exhausted reading a good book and pondering life (which I must confess, is part of my dream).

For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.

From my favorite book - Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

What are you reading this summer?

Tomorrow, National Scotch Day, my new writing project, and *he-he* what I did buy.

Family Fun Fest

It's hot again. Back up to 106 degrees. After daycare, I showered DA, fed her a yogurt and juice and we headed back out. Even at 6 PM we were still sweltering in the triple digits. I might have passed on the evening out, but my friend drove in to dance and how can I miss that?

It was an evening of cultural experiences. The gypsy dancers performed to their band. There were booths which were probably RenFest folks. I thought they were pagan from the distance, but closer decided, maybe not. The library brought the mobile bookshelf and invited kids inside - where it was cool. They offered plastic bags and trinkets. I was drawn to peek, but since I neither need nor want more stuff, I passed. DA wasn't attracted. Thank goodness. The radio station offered wooden rulers. Really?

There was a magician show, face painting, and animal balloons. The volleyball team was sitting around talking to themselves and a group brought lots of hula hoops. You would think someone, some group, would have brought WATER. We had police and a fire truck. Control and rescue? Maybe presence and education. We watched and wandered, eventually leaving the festivities for the spray park.

The cooling station was heavily populated with young people from nine months to five years old and broken! The pump was out (we surmised) as there was just a pool of water in the middle. The children were like little duckling splashing in a puddle. For those who knew the difference it was a source of angst. Adults and older children asked questions, twisted the knob that is supposed to turn on the fountains and complained. The youngest just got wet. (A lesson in being with what is.) Just before 7, we festivities for the closing dance and to say good-bye.

DA and the fan dance

As the evening wore on the crowd thickened. This group took the "stage" next and we saw more costumed dancers waiting at the side. It would have been nice to hang out for the rest of the show. Between the heat and the lateness of the evening we headed home. Leaving we watched the next dance begin.

This morning we had a slight rain. Someone said the temperatures fell to 72. It was 79 when I checked and the forecast is another triple digit day.

Ah...Summer!

Staying cool in the triple digits

Frozen Margarits

We are in a heat wave. Today we were at 105 and someone posted on FB yesterday that it was 108 degrees. I live without a/c for frugal reasons, etc. I water my plants early, if I am up or in the evening as the sun passes to the western sky.

In the meantime there I am, with my dog, toughing it out. I think we have done okay, so far.

• I open the windows at night and use a fan to draw in the cooler air. Even at 75 we are better off that the 87 degrees I may be going to sleep with.
• In the mornings I close the drapes against the heat. I have insulated drapes on most of the eastern windows and because I used to work at night, they are blocked against light as well. I almost opened them up to let the sunshine in. These days I appreciate the dark.
• I drink plenty of water. I mean plenty, as in over a gallon a day. I have several 32 ounce bottles that I keep in the freezer. When I make my coffee I take the first one out and drink cool or room temperature water until it defrosts. 
• I have a spray bottle with a blend of witch hazel, peppermint, and rosemary. You can choose any spritz you like. When I make it anew I add lavender and sage. They are light refreshing scents that can be sprayed all over your body.
• I wear the most comfortable clothes available. My workout clothes are dry wicking and pull the sweat away from my body. I also like sarongs or loose dresses. I don't own shorts, but exposing skin so that the breeze hit the sweat will cool you down.
• Create breezes. I have fans positioned around where I work or sleep. When I get really hot, I spritz and sit in front of the fan for immediate relief. 
• Go outside. yes, I know it is hot. However, a short walk outside will offer perspective. When I come back in I can really tell the difference. 
• Clean your skin. Oils and moisturizers are nice, but I think clean skin is cooler. If you feel you must apply a moisturizer, do so in the shower. Step into a wrap and let your body air dry. The product will remain doing its job while you finish preparations to dress.

• And the best tip - take your time. If it is hot and you are dressing without a/c, a relaxed attitude is best. Any anxiety or stress will cause you to sweat, defeating the purpose of everything else.

I'm off. I bought a ticket to a party tonight. The weather channel says it is still 99 degrees. I'm not going naked, so let me find the least I can wear and still have fun.

Have a great weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

How are you keeping cool?

That's Max. Chillin'.