Off topic but relevant: how are you coping with the heat wave?

~~popsicles~~ just ate 2

haha they're so yummy. ive grown up with heat. but I don't like it so much any more.
I pretty much keep the same schedule of activities. maybe go real early to grocery store to avoid groceries in the heat/car.

I hate trying to keep my potted plants watered. and I miss my hot cups of tea, that I enjoy in winter time.

the thing I dislike is I don't wear shorts any more. I wear jeans, but I wish someone made a pair of light weight jeans. (I try to pick the lightest weight I can find)

I'm enjoying my newly upgraded central air, I had to dip deep into savings for it but I'm glad I did.... the new tires and prescription glasses can wait. It is not just the heat though, despite a good soaking rain a while ago (hmm, when was that?) it is very dry, I've been forced to water or all my plants will perish.

(edit)To include elder care into my comment: there are several facilities in the area that have older A/C units that are struggling to keep up, outdoor activities like the Canada Day barbecue at mom's NH have been cancelled and staff are pushing fluids.

Oh this darn heat, unseasonably high temps. Way back before air conditioning was developed, Senators and Congressmen here in D.C. would take the train and head for the hills in the summer, literally, to guest houses where it was a tad bit cooler. If one saw the clothing of the 1800's makes you wonder why people didn't drop from the heat when they walked out the door. Hoop skirts, anyone?

For myself, I do keep the drapes and curtains closed. Thank goodness the curtains are white light weight cotton so it doesn't feel like a cave.

Stopped the soda drinking and went to just water now. Not very hungry. Last night we had cereal for supper. Nothing else appealed.

A few years ago I did upgrade my central air as the original unit was on its last legs. I got a 16 SEER type [think of SEER like mpg for a car] of A/C which cost a bit more but has been worth the extra cost. Cools the house very quickly, and doesn't run constantly. It's set at 71 degrees. My parents had a much lower SEER, and it struggled to keep the house cool even set at 85 :P

Don't get me started on clothing, especially bras in this heat !!!

Tacy, I've read elsewhere that pines are dying off b/c of a specific type of pine bark beetle or borer, but don't remember where it was, out west I think more in a wilderness area. Someone had posted a photo of a whole stand of pines decimated by the beetles or borers. This was in a wilderness area.

But that doesn't mean that it hasn't spread to Michigan. People are so mobile these days; who knows what hitches a ride home after a car sits in a wilderness parking lot while someone is hiking or camping.

I love pines; they're so graceful, and they add so much to an area.

In craft magazines I've seen place mats and other crafty items made of pine needles; I tried it once but it takes some practice. I understand Native Americans are experts at this.

I envy you - I'd love to eat a box of ice cream sandwiches (or especially Klondike bars) but I'd look like a blimp in a few days!


Wally, would cotton cargo pants be better than jeans? I avoid them b/c denim is so heavy, especially in summer. I've found that seersucker is lightweight and cool. In fact when it's cooler I'm going to dig out my stash or seersucker and make some cool scrub outfits to wear outside. I like the scrubs b/c they're easy to make - no buttons, no zippers.


CW, we're supposed to get a good storm or more in the next day or so. I noticed it was so dry yesterday when I was outside; I could feel my sinuses protesting this morning. Rain, rain, don't stay away!


FF, I too wonder how people were able to wear so much confined clothing in hot weather at a time when there was no such thing as A/C. Women especially wore miserably long sleeved gowns, or like Scarlett O'Hara, hoops and petticoats...I wonder how often they passed out from the heat? But then they didn't get up to catch a train or subway and go to work every day. And Scarlett had slaves to fan her and keep her cool.

I need to upgrade my A/C; it'll be wonderful when I can cool the house down just by turning it on.


I recall years ago when A/C was just being integrated into homes, and many people considered it a luxury. But not only does it cool, it removes moisture, and prevents mold from forming (more than it already does in wet areas). I think it's a "better invention than sliced bread".

Maine is unseasonably hot. We have central air which is great. But, not used to the humidity at all.

cargo pants would be great!
but I hate my legs :( I used to have cute legs. now they're just white with varicose veins and sometimes I don't shave everyday! TMI (im female, wallys my cat) im just too self conscience! I'll wear whatever I want at home, but not out in public :)

Water. Water is the answer. For me anyway. Getting wet as frequently as possible in summer is what spared me from having to leave this desert region of Canada.

Frequent showers. Before I started staying with mom, I used to start stripping the second I closed my door behind me, beelining straight for the shower. It wasn't even about washing. It was just about getting wet, head to toe. Fortunately, mom has central air, so nobody has to witness me strip.

Swimming.  Any time, any lake.

Lawn sprinklers. 

Plain old garden hose.

Spray bottle. Even though it seems like a minor trick, try spraying yourself with that cooling mist and sitting in front of a fan. Delicious. One elderly lady I know brings a spray bottle to Canada Day festivities every year, and sprays everyone on the dance floor. People practically line up for this.

Sluicing water on my skin straight from the tap, if necessary. Wet clothes will dry quickly...but they feel so good when they're still wet.  I've also been known to dump the contents of a water bottle over my head.

Also.....I lose all sense of body shame when the super hot weather comes. Unshorn legs and flabby arms be damned. I wear strappy tank tops and thin cotton sarongs all summer. I am not built for this style, but who cares, lol.  (Never been able to give up the bra though.  I wear cotton styles in the summer.) 

I'm not too proud to carry an umbrella around in the summer, either.

One thing I've never managed to circumvent, though, is how stupid my brain becomes in the heat. It's like a fog rolling over my ability to think.

I think hoop skirts were probably ok in summer, as long as they didn't wear crinolines? Wasn't the cage of the hoop skirt meant to replace crinolines? It sounds like it would be like a giant umbrella protecting your legs from the sun!

Edit: just found this gem while searching Google for what women wore under hoop skirts: https://www.racked.com/2017/12/7/16717206/cage-crinoline-feminism-class

I will tell all my neighbours to stop complaining.

Today I have learned:

1. This unusually pleasant weather we are having is NOT a heatwave, don't be silly.
2. How to spell Poughkeepsie.

Wally, to heck with public opinion about hairy legs, wear the shorts, or go with a nice sarong like Dori! Some days I wish I had one of those cute, colourful sports bras cause when I'm out for some exercise stripping off my shirt seems like a wonderful idea.

Although the days are hot in the low lands of Northeast Tennessee (95 yesterday), the evenings are still cool (68) so there is some relief and the heat doesn't impair your sleep. It's 6-10 degrees cooler in the nearby mountain areas - they had more snow last winter but they're not cooking now. I'm blessed with good central air, but I still close the drapes or blinds on the sun side. The light filtering blinds allow a fair amount of light in while reducing the heat effect. We're accustomed to some hot days in the mid to upper 90s each summer. Sometimes we get them in July and sometimes not until August. Most summer days will reach at least mid to upper 80s.

During this heat, Mom waters her outdoor flowers and takes her daily walk in the morning instead of her usual mid-day. We both wear long shorts or dresses because they are so much cooler. Cotton bras and Capri pants are fantastic too! I have a spray bottle that I fill with ice water and use to mist our clothes while we sit in the shade watching the kids (this also works well with an inside fan, evaporation cools). Sometimes I dance through the kids' water sprinkler too!

Popsicles, ice cream, and lighter food - salads with all the fresh garden vegetables and some chicken, salmon or eggs for protein - help in the heat. Mom still has to have hot morning coffee...

Becky, my thoughts of escaping to Maine for some nice chilly weather are being dashed by realism. I never would have thought Maine would be so humid, but I suspect this dome of hot weather is to blame. Still, Maine has always seemed like a beautiful and fascinating state, certainly one to visit.

I picture Maine with rugged coasts guarded by lighthouses, massive waves thrashing huge boulders at the base of the coast, cool breezes, and of course magnificent scenery.

Are you a lighthouse fan? Michigan has dozens of them; one of my retirement goals was to visit as many as I could, photo them and incorporate them in a series of lighthouse quilts and needlework.



Wally, as I've aged I've drastically decreased my concern about who to be concerned about when I go out. If I were working or going for a job or professional meeting or visit, or even for a medical appointment, I would dress differently, but I still never wear makeup any more (after reading about the chemicals in them, and especially the lead in lipstick).

I was just thinking that I even used to go grocery shopping after work, in suits and heels! NEVER again!) For whatever reasons, I just didn't feel that shopping in pants or sweats was professional. Good thing I got my priorities straight now!

I think for me the issue is why would I care about people I don't know judging my appearance? It's none of their business, nor do they have any input or affect on my life.

So, get those cargo pants and forget about your legs! Your comfort is more important.


Dorianne, I never thought about spritzing; good idea. When I work outside I put a wet towel around my neck, and sometimes on my face and neck. It's an instant cooler. And the hose helps as well.

Your comment on an umbrella brought to mind Georges Seurat's famous painting (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte). of people on a shore. Women are wearing long dresses, hats, and carrying umbrellas.

That's a good suggestion. I should do that even when just walking around outside. These hot days are so intense...I often wonder if the sun screen is really providing much protection at all.

I think there definitely is an effect from heat on thinking capabilities. Mine seem to slow down and just think "snow, ice, cooling weather, freezing weather....repeat again and again", and of course RELIEF. Visualizing mountain ranges and glaciers seems to help, as do photos, which is one reason why I clip photos of flowers and scenery and apply them to notebooks for a quick refresher when I'm reviewing my massive to do list and finding excuses not to do anything until it's cooler.

Hoop skirts -- how great it is that clothing styles have changed and we've become more liberated in our choice of clothes for hot weather! I remember washing and starching the crinolines we wore when I was in high school, and letting them dry on the back lawn.....little lmountains of wire and gauze (?) (what were they made of? I can't remember.)

I had a Lady and the Tramp skirt that I made and always wore them with that skirt.
Hoops did separate the significant underclothing that women wore decades ago, so maybe that was their function, to keep the outer clothing away from the body.

The article you found was interesting, almost fascinating. I never thought that hoops would have served to keep men away from a woman's body, although somehow or another I don't think that would have stopped an aggressive man or an interested woman.

That article brought to mind a correlation I learned of in my Macro Economics class, included in the text perhaps as a comic relief to macro theory. It proposed that there were correlations between the length of women's skirts and state of the economy.



CW, better be careful about stripping down - never know when a drone is wandering around somewhere!

Technically it is legal here to go topless GA but I haven't read of anyone pushing the edges of that envelope recently, if this heat keeps up who knows? (Not me! LOL)

When I worked cooking over a hot stove my body got very efficient in the sweat department, while I was out this morning I found out it still is.🌡️🌡️

CW, I suppose acclimation is part of tolerating heat; I don't remember being as bothered by heat in the past as I am now, as I used to cook during the summer. But age makes a difference too, as all the heat advisories and warnings stress.

I would never go topless either. There are too many nosy neighbors in my area. I'd pour water over my head to cool down, but that's the most extreme measure I'd take.

What I really want is a summer kitchen.


Techie, I'm guessing that the Smokies provide a lot of barrier to heat waves, as well as a beautiful respite spot just for escapes when the lowlands are too hot. I'm surprised that Michigan is now just as hot as Tennessee, but with hotter evenings and nights. Yet we're supposed to be a cold weather state. Perhaps I need to move to the Arctic to get cool??

My gardening friends are losing some of their crops to the heat; watering them can only help so much. I've been thinking of making tents to cover some of the crops though.

Climate change is going to affect so many choices people have made over the years, especially where we choose to live. I used to think I wanted to live along a seashore, but not now. Hurricanes are too intense and too devastating.

Your mention of blinds is appropriate: I've noticed they seem to be replacing drapes in some homes. And they were prominent in rehab centers. When I moved into my house I made the curtains/drapes for all the windows. Decades later, some of them are falling apart, so when JoAnn Fabrics had a sale, I bought 3 bolts each of bleached muslin and a broadcloth named Symphony. I've preshrunk a few bolts (30 yards of fabric is fun to stuff into a washing machine!), but need to get going on the rest and make some new curtains, now that my caregiving activities are over.

Still, I'm wondering about installing blinds now; they do have a contemporary look, and I'm partial to a log cabin atmosphere. First thought is that I might paint floral sprays on them.

And cleaning - aren't they a nuisance to clean, all those slats?

Sounds like you and your mother are both avid walkers; I used to walk a lot, "BC" (Before Caregiving). I plan to start again, mornings only, although some of the areas in the neighborhood are heavily treed so the sun isn't as much of a problem there.

I love fresh salads, especially just picked lettuce from the garden.

Tacy, thanks for that very helpful information. I think it must have been a wonderful experience to be able to gain knowledge and wisdom from a Native American who was a medicine man. I'm guessing they had a lot of useful advice to share.

I'm also guessing they grew a lot of their own food and herbs too?

I used to have a pine in my yard, but the needles were only about 6 inches long. I don't recall if I soaked them in water, but do recall that I had trouble turning the needles.

My evergreens need to be replenished, so I'll research pine needles and find some that do have long needles.

I was completely unaware that salt should be used to remove impurities. I've copied your post and am saving it in my Evergreen files.

Were any of their family members basket weavers? I've seen some stunning Native American baskets with such intricate designs.

These folks have SO much knowledge to share, especially about caring for our Mother Earth. If only people would listen....

Thanks for much for sharing this!

GardenArtist, I got rid of all of my mini-blinds, they were a bear to keep dust and bug dropping free, plus I always had a fear that a blind that was pulled half-way up would slip and land on one of the cats.

I love using just plain white curtains, kinda of a Nantucket beach house feel. The curtains are on white rings so opening and closing them is so easy. Our newest cat, Rosie, finds the curtains easy to open, she can take her teeth and pull on the edges :P

I use to get all my curtains from Country Curtains, just loved their catalog. Sadly the company closed up last year :( They had THE best selection of easy to care for curtains. Remember the ruffled plain light beige curtains from the 1970's and 1980's? Even the tie-backs had ruffles.  So colonial looking, but wasn't easy to iron those ruffles.

Well, FF, you just said the magic words: dust and bug free, and Nantucket. I love that seaside style of decorating, an ivory or pale beige with turquoise/blue - it's cooling just thinking of the sea.

I hadn't thought of slipping them onto rings; I've always made the top hem wide enough to accommodate curtain rods with some spare space. Are there bands that slip over the rings to tie them to the rods, something like shower curtain rings?

I'll have to do some research and see how they're made. One of the issues I'll be dealing with is that I need to be able to open and close them easily, but I don't want the metal hook contraptions to open and close b/c they're too much of a nuisance to sew in.

Maybe Rosie can give me some tips on opening them?? Does she decorate them with her claws as well?

Have you ever seen some of the nautical catalogues? I can't remember the names now but they're packed with sea themed items, and usually well made.

When Mom and Dad wintered in Texas, they visited one of the areas famous for washed up shells. Dad gathered them and brought back a grapefruit sized bag full of shells. I've been planning to wash them and put them in a large clear bowl or vase and add some turquoise and green glass. I also want to make wreaths but haven't yet figured out how to attach them w/o drilling small holes, and I don't want to chance breaking or cracking them.

I do remember those ruffled curtains; I think I've seen them in a Collections catalogue, and in some of the kitchens of contributors to Taste of Home magazines. Vermont Country Store might have them as well. But, as you mention, ironing is an issue. The curtains I made back in 1979 are iron free. They were of real corduroy, not the Chinese stuff that feels like cardboard.

Wally...just read your post. I don't wear shorts any more either. Have you considered wearing scrubs like the doctors and nurses wear. I wear them year round now and they are so much more comfortable than jeans in the heat, easy to clean (just like jeans ...toss them in the washer) and are inexpensive unlike most jeans. And they look good.


If you think you might be interested the site I found and buy all of mine from is allheart.com. They carry both men's and women's and are reasonable on their prices and are always having sales. We wear the Cherokee and Cherokee Workwear. Just a tip though if you buy the scrub pants be sure to get the one with the elastic. We wear the cargo style that have both the elastic and tie. Hope that helps.

Hi Everyone... sounds like the heat wave is just about everywhere. We had a "cold" front come through so we went from 107 on Tuesday to mid to upper 90's yesterday and through the end of the week. (with heat index the 107 was about 110+...ugh). And wouldn't you know our a/c went out yesterday and we were over 82 here in the house. Even fans didn't help. But sure drank a lot of water.

Luckily I was able to get someone out (cleared my little bit of savings) but we now have cool air. With both of our health issues cannot be in the heat for extended periods. I used to work out in the heat many, many years ago and never bothered me but now with my CHF and other issues cannot tolerate like I did. Oh the trials and tribulations of getting older (smile). Kind of like when you roll out of bed in the morning and find a new "ouch". ugh.... Good ole Texas heat and I know some areas were even hotter (we live in North Texas)

Wonderful decorating ideas y'all. Will definitely have to look into some of them. Y'all have a great day!

I've had this song in my head ever since I read this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE2fnYpwrng

Tacy, you really were fortunate to have such valuable and centered neighbors. They had so much to offer.

I've thought about the gender specific observations, especially as they apply culturally, and to families with long histories of those kinds of gender divisions. It made me think about the gender differences in American society (although we're really a conglomerate of people with varied national backgrounds) as we've segued into our own culture, the American culture, and one which for decades was male dominated.

I'd have to really dig through the cobwebs in my mind to think back on the issues of equal pay, gender specific roles, and more, but I thought that perhaps it was because of the strong cultural bonds some less assimilated cultures have (even when they live in other cultures), that those community supports, and recognition of the value of both sexes' contributions helps them feel more respected, more valued. Or perhaps it's an issue of monetary compensation.

My thoughts are becoming tangled up and I'm not able to articulate what I'm thinking, so I'll finish this later.

Dorianne, you've reminded me of old times, those of the Supremes, Temptations and all those other bands/groups of yesteryear. I love those old PBS presentations of those dynamic times - so much was happening on the entertainment scene.

And Heatwaves...yeah, too many of them this year!

Imagine the heat wave here in the Caribbean where we are. A/C is on 24/7 and the swimming pool is like an oasis. Lot of hydration drinks, we had rain yesterday in the am hours and hope we get more rain these coming days. Outdoor activities only done early in the morning and late afternoon. The wave ends this weekend, according to reports.

Assistedvillas, that must really be tough. I like to think of Caribbean islands as balmy, somewhat pleasantly windy, and shady from multitudes of palms. Your a/c bill must be enormous.

Just ran across this; it's not just us!!

Harvard study finds that during heat waves, people can’t think straight

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/07/10/harvard-study-finds-that-during-heat-waves-people-can-think-straight/WIVBzXPuiB0vVfm6DkVBcJ/story.html

Dorianne, I've been thinking about the study and mental clarity, and suddenly it all made sense as to why heat affects brain function.

I also began thinking of the loss of mental clarity experienced at altitude, especially higher altitudes like those in the Himalayan range.

Heat waves and mountain climbing both in moderate and frigid temperatures affect breathing, thinness of air being a factor in the height issues. Hot air is often accompanied by high humidity, which like thinner air affects breathing.

And inadequate respiration affects mental clarity. It all seems so much common sense now. So Harvard was on the right track!

We are open plan so we have portable fans EVERYWHERE.

The curtains are closed on whichever side the sun is, until it passes.
In the room I am, mostly, in. I have a fan aimed at the window (it is supposed to cool the air before it comes in lol) and a bowl of ice in front of the fan.
Underwear goes in fridge - in a bag of course.
Run wrists under cold water.

I have no energy.
If I have ANYTHING with and milk product in, it curdles in my tummy. So it is plenty of water (cannot put lemon in at the moment as tummy is fragile)
Eating is light, little and often. Nothing I really fancy - its too hot to eat but I have to. So it is toast (no butter - jam is ok) Mashed banana, diced melon, diced plums, seedless grapes, water biscuits (crackers), I do egg-fried rice and fishcakes for hubby.

Singing in my head - were having a heatwave (has to be in my head as I sound like a fog horn lol)
Flying ants hatched out, so wild birds are loving it. Have a large bird bath, so they can get water. Drives our dogs crackers. :)

My brain wakes up when it gets cooler.

We have been having heat pump issues for 8 weeks now.. they got one running but the other is fan only. They are coming this week to replace both heat pumps (KaChing) . We are hanging on with the upstairs freezing and the lower open plan level … OK.. I can't wait until they are done!

GA - I think it also has to do with dehydration and your muscles soaking up all the glucose so your brain gets less (which would also make sense if you were climbing mountains). It's probably a combination of lots of things like that. Definitely agree shortage of oxygen must play a factor - even here where it's dry desert, it feels "weightier" to breathe in the summer heat (and "sharper" to breathe in the freezing cold).

It's so hot here, I shirked my errand-running duties and paid full price ($7.10!!!) to go to the pool yesterday. (Ok, it's an Olympic pool. But $7.10!!!!)

Getting full-body wet is still the best way to cope, for me.

What I HATE - what we all hate - about summer heat and our tinderbox dryness is the WILDFIRES. We have one burning near town right now, started Thursday (I watched it grow MASSIVE within a couple of hours). It's REALLY close to best guy friend's house. Yikes. But he's not been evacuated. Yet.

Apparently this one was started by a welder cutting metal outdoors.

Part of me hopes for rain, part of me doesn't because it inevitably brings lightning with it this time of year....

In the southern part of the Midwest here, so it is hotter than blazes and feels like a sauna outside (100+ degree heat index lately). Mainly staying in the A/C as much as possible and staying hydrated. Our last electric bill was a sticker shock.

I will say, that when it gets down to 20 degrees here, I will really be missing this weather, as I don't tolerate the cold well at all. I always end up getting sick with colds and flu in the winter.