These are the days that I like to stay inside my little (air-conditioned) house, watch great movies and patiently wait for first cold-front of the fall. I have never been one to embrace, or even like, the intense Texas heat. Actually, I get a little cranky and a bit ill if I get too hot. I'm that middle-age woman tucked under the umbrella to keep my skin from becoming well-done on the walk into Walmart. You can even find me flapping a fan to keep the breeze moving. Yes, people look, but I'm at the age where I don't care.
When we were in France and/or Austria, I periodically stopped; stood still; closed my eyes and concentrated on the cool breeze against my skin. I wanted to lock in that memory to recall upon when I got home to the heat. Europeans would ask me about the heat in Texas. Apparently it is known to them to be uncomfortable at the least, and deadly at the most. I'd like to take a moment to show appreciation to the person who invented air conditioning....
When I was a child, I spent a lot of time outside in the sun - indirectly, of course. It was hard to escape its overbearing presence while playing. People would think I was Mexican because my skin was so dark. It only made sense - dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin. My tolerance for the sun quickly got less and less as I got older. I didn't grow up with air conditioning. I didn't know it then, but A/Cs were mainly for the rich, well, at least richer than us. We lived on a homestead with plenty of shade and cool breezes. The temperature was at least 20 degrees cooler in the yard than in the house sometimes! One of my favorite things to do was to climb into the fig tree where little or no sunlight could touch me. I would eat figs until my tongue burned. When mama would call, I knew it was time for dinner. Play time was over and time to get down to the routine of getting ready for bed. That always meant a nice cool bath or a quick rinse from the water hose (fun!).
We are going to experience extreme heat this weekend. Temperatures that will make us feel like we are in 106-109 degrees - ouch! I guess you know what I'll be doing. The movies have been selected; my favorite chair is waiting and cool drinks are readily available. I'm looking forward to a Audrey Hepburn or Jane Austen movie marathon. I hope everyone will heed the heat warning and stay safe and cool. Preferably in the air conditioning, drinking icy, cold libations and letting the dog days of summer get by.
Ta!
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