Hot and Cold

I know I am one of millions going through this—but I have been finding the heat of this summer nearly unmanageable. Historically Colorado has not had much need for air-conditioned houses. The cool mountain nights tend to make things more bearable. But by noon, more times than I can count, it’s been up to 89 degrees In Our House.

Between the relentless heat and my hot flashes, I swear my brain feels like it is swelling inside my head and I can’t get anything done. It’s been too hot (and bee-full) to work in my garden. It’s too hot to cook, vacuum, clean, paint, refinish, plaster or any or the countless things that need doing around the house. It’s too hot to work in my oven-like studio. It’s too hot to walk with the poodle. I can be patient with everyonceinawhile heat. But I have snapped. And when I snap I am grumpy and dangerous. Don treads carefully around me avoiding my growling bite and my baleful gaze from behind my steamed-up glasses.

Finally, wise man that he is, Don suggested that we go get a small air conditioner for my studio.

O blissful respite!!! I am still not walking the poodle, cooking or gardening—but I am now getting projects done in my studio! Just having one room cool enough to BE in is enough to get me back to sane. Well…you know…sane enough.

I had to have some oral surgery done last week, and still have a swollen chipmunk cheek. Don sings songs to me in an Alvin and the Chipmunks voice. Oh, he’s SUCH a comedian.

The doc ordered me not to move for several days, so I camped out on the couch, watched movies and made my own “land of counterpane”. Between icing my face and sleeping, I got some costume sketches done for “Once Upon a Mattress” our fall musical, made & repaired some jewelry pieces, and rolled balls of clay in prep for my holiday Itti-Bitties season.

I had fun making this. It’s a photo of my great, great grandmother, hanging from a string of pearls given to my mother. The opal ring I wear has been handed down from generation to generation and also belonged to this grandmother. Wearable family history…kinda cool.

There is more to talk about, but I’m distracted because my face hurts.

I’m off for ice. I’ll be back another time.

:)xo

Adagio

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August 27, 2007

That is made of gorgeous. And I would bring you ice cream, if I was closer! *hugs*

That is so lovely…we are having very hot weather over here is australia…very unseasonal..we should be just moving into spring but the temps yesterday and today have been in hight 80’s..my little bulbs dont know what to do.

August 27, 2007

That’s lovely wearable history. I’m sorry to hear about the achy face and the heat! None of that here at the coast but I’m off to the mountains in a day and it’s in the upper 90’s there. I bet your poodle would love a nice soak with the hose!

August 27, 2007

Poor you! Hope that face of yours feels better soon and the heat breaks a little. It’s cooler here, but it currently reeks of manure, so I’m not sure you’d enjoy it any more. You’re always welcome, though! 🙂

Cat
August 27, 2007

yay for ac.

The necklace is lovely! The AC for your studio sounds like a lifesaver. My daughter-in-law, who was until recently pregnant, complained a lot about the weather there this year — and she’s not a complainer by nature, either. I do hope your pain subsides soon and that you heal quickly. Much aloha,

August 27, 2007

Hopeyou are cool and pain free by now. I love family treasures. You accomplished a lot so stay comfortable. rah rahs for AC. Cheers!

August 28, 2007

I’m so glad you have the A/C! Constant heat is so detrimental to…well, everything. Hope your face feels better soon. I love the family art. xxoo,

August 28, 2007

Hot here too…and dry! We’ve not had rain since the end of June. Midday is over 100 degrees with the heat index. Late in the evening I will throw the water hose around on the flower beds. Lovely work on the necklace. I know what you mean about wearable family history. When Mom died, I received her jewelry and that of my own grandmother’s.

August 28, 2007

Beautiful photo. Sorry about the heat and the oral surgery. NOT a good combination! Hooray for a/c!

Hmm.. I tried to leave a note that contained one of those unpermitted words — though it wasn’t on purpose, really! Let me try it again. I never even thought of air conditioning until my sweetie arrived on the scene – what a difference cool makes! Hope Don is singing like Frank instead of Alvin really soon! (Can you tell where the forbidden word might have been?)

Shi
August 28, 2007

It sure has been hot this summer for sure…never fun when you have to suffer the hot flashes and the night sweats which I found worse.

August 28, 2007

Thanks so much for visiting me.. and so sorry for that painful face! Bless Don for that air conditioner and his singing (grin)..(Think I still love those little singing chipmunks…they used to entertain my kids).. The picture is SO special! Know what? I’d love to see that opal ring you mentioned. Opal is almost my favorite stone and there’s so many different ones it’s amazing. And an heirloom to boot.. Happy cooler days to you, and hugs

August 28, 2007

…I must say…thank goodness for our A/C. We couldn’t live without it! Sweet Don for getting you the little one but you know he benefited too! 🙂 You’re so productive even when you’re supposed to be resting! Hope the mouth is better today than it was yesterday! I guess you survived all that rain too. I remember seeing your city on GMA and hoped that you were safe. We sure could use some of that rain!

August 29, 2007

I’m glad you have your cool space so you can continue to create your cool projects!

Oh honey, I’m sorry about the surgery, and the heat, and the general miserable conditions at this moment of your life (moments for soon fall will be here) but you do have my empathy, darrrrrrrrlink! LYMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

August 31, 2007

Know what you mean, there was no way to cool down so I too had to pay for an A/C unit. I’m looking forward to someday having my own house where I can drill long tubular underground tunnels to run air through with a small fan to cool air instead of an a/c. Sorry you had to have surgery! Hope it feels better soon. It’s very nice to see you again. 🙂 (Hug)

I’m a little late in noting here, and hopefully it’s cooled off for you by now, but I sure can relate to how you feel about the heat, we deal with the same thing here in Seattle…. most of us don’t have air conditioning because it’s almost never needed but when we do get those heat waves, it’s miserable inside, really — can’t clean house or do anything productive without dripping in sweat. A fewyears ago we had such a bad heat wave that it was still hot inside in the middle of the night and I said, that’s it…. thank God for the new portable air conditioners that just have a hose that attaches to one window (I live in a townhouse and wouldn’t have been allowed to have an air conditioner hanging out my front-view bedroom window). Anyway I got one of the portable AC units for my bedroom and have never regretted it! RYN, you’re right, we do come out better for what we’ve gone through…. plus just getting older and maybe a little wiser, helps!

September 1, 2007

Hot flashes are the pits. Mine come around 3 or 4 am. They say the sooner you try cooling yourself, the shorter the duration. We have central a/c and these days it runs on ice. Husband says not a word about the high electric bill. I think because he wants to live! HA! I’ve taken to keeping a damp rolled up hand towel in the freezer. When a hot flash comes over me, I drape it across the back of myneck and shoulders. Helps tremendously. I’m not taking hormone replacements…would rather avoid if I can…but sometimes I think I might be trading one suffering for another.

September 2, 2007

I have been reading and lurking about for months, this entry made me laugh. Air conditioning is a way of life down here, we turn it on about May 1st, and it stays on until Halloween!!!! Your family reunion and the wedding and all the summer stuff is wonderful. I’m off to NC in a couple of weeks for a reunion of my Mom’s family.

September 3, 2007

Glad you are enjoying your coolness. My friend roadtrips out to CO every summer, and I always think of you when she goes.

Aw thanks for your note. very encouraging. are you saying I have a charming laugh? what a kind thing to say. I know you msged recently asking how I am, too. I’m hanging in there. seems like emotional rollercoaster lately – perhaps due to all the beginnings (school) and endings (job) going on. ah I can share a couple in-jokes. In Milton lecture our prof was talking about a poem with an octet of lines and a sextet of lines. well after a few times of her saying sextet, I whispered to Ben, “that’s my favorite kind of tet.” he’s still repeating that line a week later. 😉 and anton (now 18), ben and i were talking to hannah, a girl who wears, shall we say, breast revealing, plunging necklines every time I see her. she’s certainly playing up her best asset, but it’s enough to turn even me into a gibbering ninny. as anton, ben and i walked off one day after talking to her, all i could do was to say, ‘boobs. boobs. wow, did you notice? boobs.’ the boys demurely said, ‘well we are really glad you said it because we cant say it out loud.’ hehehe.

September 10, 2007

Hmm, coinkydinks abound! i have an opal ring that was handed down to me… makes me wonder if opals were the cool gem of the 1910’s?? 20’s??? i should research it a bit. nice to meet you, former dickinsonian!

September 12, 2007

How did the human race survive without AC? Good for you going through the change without drugs. When black cohosh quit helping me, I couldn’t deal with it and got my ob/gyn to give me an hrt patch. It’s great, but I wonder what will happen when I go off it.

October 5, 2007

Wow, you’ve been having hot flashes for several years, now! You know what I think it is? It’s that you’re so FLAMING SKINNY that the estrogen (which is stored in FAT, of course!) is leaving you a lot more abruptly. Who KNEW that being fat would ever confer an advantage? But I’ll wager that’s it! *Blowing our WAY MORE than adequate supply of cool air your way!* And speaking of cool… what afabulously cool necklace! 🙂