Southern HEAT

Trickling down my back, feeling like miniature rivers, the water pools around my waist, dampening my flimsy clothing.

HEAT - the scourge of Summer in the South. It arrives without fanfare, seems suddenly to envelope one's day quietly, welling up from the cool, misty dawn.

By high noon, it envelopes one's senses, slows one's pace and breathing.

By late afternoon it sears bare arms and legs even when lolling, useless and damp, in the shade of the porch.

I am melting.........bring me a river, a pond, a pool, the ocean......ice, water, water, water.

Cool, clear crystals against water-colored wood - vintage sconce at SuzAnna's Antiques.

Summertime continues

UMMER IS STILL WITH US......

......but I'm really waiting for Fall. Are you, like me, ready for a change in the weather? How I long for a cool morning - waking up feeling rested and full of energy to start the day. The cooler weather will inspire me to get going on new art, decorating and sewing projects. Then perhaps, when I awake to that first morning with a slight chill in the air, I'll take a roller and brush to a few walls........when I get all that painting paraphernalia down from the attic!

Plan to paint a lovely old sewing machine table to use by the bed in place of this fabric draped round table - think I have finally found the right color. I'm so enjoying my chalky grey blue bedroom walls - with the unrelentless heat of this Summer in the South, this color is definitely calming.

These dried roses have stayed looking quite pretty, however I would love to try making the fabulous "coffee filter" roses being shown by Crystal at Fariebees and Cindy at Romantic Home. Perhaps the onset of Fall, cooler days, and a few found hours will inspire me.

Summertime, and the living is NOT easy

Oops, hang on, just have to wipe my brow and push the a/c down a couple more notches.............that's much better.

I always drink my coffee hot and black............except on days when the temperature hits triple digits..........then it's long, tall iced coffee, with a touch of heavy cream so it coats and sticks on the ice cubes for a minute before swirling into the dark java below. Today the heat index was 107 degrees, tomorrow will be worse, perhaps 111 degrees. I'm fortunate I don't have to leave the house, I can stay here in air conditioned comfort, fanning my lounging self on the love seat, sipping more iced coffee, frosty lemonade, chilled water - looking at cool October back issues of magazines, humming "September Song", dreaming of pumpkins, falling leaves, my much loved shearling vests, a chill in the evening air, the bracing early mornings with dew on the grass. Roll on Fall say I - my favorite time of year.

Today, after two steamy hours of hand watering to keep the garden going, I looked around the house for cool things to put me in a frigid mood.

My pretty beaded bowl.

The quaint birdhouse with a crystal perch - sorry birds, you'll have to make a housecall to get into this one.

Crystals dangling from the front porch chandelier.

A shimmering mica star on the cool blue bedroom wall.


My sterling necklaces and bracelets - too hot to wear but cool looking just hanging around.

The gorgeous Italian bath crystals in the frosted bottles ~ though I must say a cold shower is better in this heat.

Mid-afternoon snack - after ice, lemons are the coolest - and a mix of these two is even better.

I rarely drink beer - just like the first cold sip - but this English beer mug straight from the freezer looks, and feels, so cold.


And this evening..............after a bowl of chilled cucumber Gazpacho, what could be more refreshing than a glass of this fabulous Italian LIMONCELLO liqueur, served over ice in Edinburgh crystal after 15 minutes in the freezer. Mamma mia, Italians certainly know to squeeze their lemons!


Hope you are staying cool. Just think, in a couple of months and we can gripe about the cold. Of course we should be grateful for every day, no matter what the weather. It's certainly a subject we always seem to have plenty to say about.