It's Chuppah Hot

As Kateir would say it.
I has been unseasonably, unSeattley, and unbearably hot the past few days. Last night with all the doors open and fans running, we were able to cool it down to 80 degrees. This morning I've managed to get it down two degrees but the sun is getting higher and that might be all we get for today. The kids and I ran out to get more fans and the five stores we tried were all sold out. I finally did find four little personal sized ones and thought that would better than nothing for the kids to use at bed time. But their rooms were still too hot so we all slept in our room and used both box fans there. We slept well, except for when Kateri woke me up to tell me she peed. Fortunately she was on the floor, not the bed. I spend the days trying to beat the sun back, covering every window and door it peeks in through. But as it circles I have to move my defenses. I finally came up with this little set up for the breakfast area- which is actually our dining room, craft table, very important science research lab etc. I thought it was clever because I used straight pins and hammered them into the wall just above the trim, so unless you are 8 feet tall you wouldn't be able to see any holes.

I'm sure there are lots of ways to describe the over all effect of sheets pinned to your windows. But I am going with cool, cotton, fabric draped to form an oasis in a sweltering desert. You Can imagine camels and sheiks with long robes striding across a palm dotted watering hole just on the other side of your tent. If you have any imagination, that is. I'm pretty sure Restoration Hardware would approve. And I hoped, Shane.
He didn't get the oasis feeling at all, but did enjoy the small tempering of the setting sun. Maybe I should have ironed them before I hung them up.

Even with the drapes and fans running, its still hot. I was thinking how great it is to live now with air conditioning and fans. And not back in the day of petticoats and corsets and wondered how anyone survived back. Of course a lot of them didn't. Well, actually none of them. But I think some of them drank Mint Juleps. So since I have a ton of mint I decided to give it a try. I didn't have any Kentucky Bourbon so I suppose the test was not a true test, but as prepared and given the new rationing of liver usage, I would not choose to spend any of it on a Mint Julep. I'd rather have a Whiskey Sour.

The kids got very creative in their water play and Cyril fashioned their own little water fountain. IT was better later, when he attached it to a deck chair so the water spurt was at face level. The kids would walk in circles around the pool, while one of them would stop and then start the water flow. Like musical chairs only colder and wetter and in your face. I thought it was great game. Although I haven't played yet.

But we did find a good use for the sun and made some sun prints which the kids enjoyed.

And the heat has brought on some ripening of tomatoes. So that is nothing to complain about. I'm already planning what I want to do differently next year- aside from installing air conditioning. I want more garden boxes and definitely more SunGold tomatoes. They are so tasty. The kids like them too. My mom did Alpine Strawberries and I think I would add those our regular ones which quite frankly, have been a disappointment. They might be punishing me for letting them stay in their containers for a year. I said I was sorry.

So that's how we've been spending the hot weather. I think it is starting to warm up so I should batten down the hatches and see if I need to construct any more barriers. I'm thinking Shane's office could use some.