The weekend is almost here and I am more than ready for it. The Southern Summer is at times unrelenting but when it is in full swing the English Summer can be almost as unpleasant at times. With no indoor air-conditioning and the little to no breeze outside, it makes for a long day and at times an even longer night. Even with a fan whirring away in our bedroom, sleep is difficult. The blades only seem to push around the non-existent air. You lie there; sleep eluding you, as you still feel bathed in heat. Which means we usually end up lying in the dark like little kids at a slumber party talking the night away because it is just to sweltering to close our eyes.I change the menu this time of year, the less I have to use the stove and oven the better. It makes the house almost unbearable when running. If we could live off of ice-cream that would be alright with me. Our boiler also doesn’t like the heat, as it decided to stop working this week yet again, so in true pioneer fashion we have been boiling kettles of water to clean and sterilize the dishes. As exasperating as it can be you just have to make a game out of it and at least I still have water, I do not have to cart it back from the well to the cabin.
Having to do things in all this heat made me think of one of my favourite Anne Taintor designs, “I dreamed my whole house was clean”. I definitely get a workout cleaning with temperatures in the high 80’s inside the house, never mind outside. I have a card of this picture framed in my cottage and it always makes me smile. I pray for the little kitchen fairies and house elves to come at night, but they must be so busy at other people’s houses they miss mine. That’s ok, I find housework just as therapeutic as gardening or yoga, and it is a way to work out a lot of frustrations, even in all of this sweltering weather.
If you have not heard of Anne Taintor you should check out her designs. She combines the best of retro glam with witty adages.
Click on the image below to go to her website:
