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Monthly Archives: June 2016


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Avoid Melting – Eight Ways to Keep Cool and Avoid Premature Meltdown

Friends, it’s 138 degrees outside and I’m slowing turning into a large puddle of goo.

Okay, so the above sentence is an example of hyperbole (don’t you just love that word?), which is a literary device that ten year olds are supposed to know and use correctly, but I digress.

It’s hot out there. Yes, I live in the desert Southwest, and it’s June. Yes, I knew this was coming, and Yes, I’m more or less okay with it.

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Here are a few ways to melt less:

  1. Wear the right clothing. In my case that means a knit cotton sundress or a loose t-shirt and elastic-waist shorts. Nothing is tight, nothing chafes, and the fabric breathes. Yes! Sexy? Debatable. Practical? You bet!
  2. Baby powder is your friend. I know, I know…if you use it in parts unknown you might have bad things happen to your bits and pieces. Well, my suggestion is DON’T do that. Use it where your parts rub together. Yes, that means along the bra line, ladies. Trust me, it helps.
  3. Wet washcloths. This one is from my childhood. No matter how sticky and warm I feel at night, a rub down with a wet washcloth always seems to help. Not drying thoroughly helps too. Evaporation cools you off, at least a little, and you won’t feel so grubby either.
  4. Fans, fans, fans. We’ve been keeping our air conditioning set to a higher temperature to save a little money, so we’ve been especially enjoying the fans. Ceiling fans are great for circulating the air, but floor fans are good too. Especially if you’ve just used tip number 3.
  5. Water. Water in the body, water on the body, water surrounding the body. Drink it, bathe in it, swim in it, use it! Water is your friend.
  6. Shade. If you must go outside seek shade. If you must leave your car in a parking lot, seek shade. Shade is so important that if you don’t have it you might need to create your own. Shade tents, long-sleeved shirts, and even umbrellas can save you from the sun’s wrath.
  7. Relax. This is not the weather for marathon training, at least not outside. The less energy you expend, the cooler you’ll stay.
  8. Take a cue from the kids. Eat a popsicle. Jump in a swimming pool. Run through the sprinkler. Munch on some watermelon, if you like that sort of thing (I do not). Relax and watch a movie. In other words, have a great time without over-doing it.

And don’t forget about your pets. DO NOT leave them out in extreme heat, even with shade and water they can meet a terrible fate. That goes double for the car. No living thing should be left in a car when the temperatures are well above one hundred degrees. I know you’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating…LEAVE NOBODY IN THE CAR in this heat.

If you take my advice you should be able to survive the explosion of your outdoor thermometer with no problem. Good luck, and keep cool!


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Shake That Introvert Up

images.jpegThat’s my message to myself today. You see, it’s Comicon time again, and my sweetheart has purchased the full event pass for me. Why? Because there are authors at Comicon who generously offer their insights on writing and frankly, it’s really fun.

Now Comicon wouldn’t have been my first thought if someone had asked me where to go for writing support and instruction, but a few years back the sweetheart found out that there are real live authors there, and some of them are authors I’ve met through my various writing projects around town. Cool. So we went.

I was blown away! Not just by the author events, which were terrific, but by the whole thing. Costumes, people of all sorts (yes, ALL sorts, it was glorious!), and an energy that is infectious. I loved it. I still love it. But…

I have to confess, Comicon wears me out. And no, I don’t stay all day, or sleep in a hotel next to the Convention Center, or participate in CosPlay, or any of that. I just show up, go to my sessions, wander the vendors (miles of vendors), and go home again. But MAN, it drains me.

I’m self-aware enough to know that it’s because deep down I’m an introvert. Being anywhere with a lot of people for an extended period of time wears me out. It doesn’t mean I don’t like going places. I do. I just need to recharge after I’ve been there for a while. Some of my favorite memories have occurred at large family gatherings, quilting retreats, and scrapbooking conventions. Each of them, though, takes a toll.

It may sound silly if you’re not an introvert, but I have to psych myself up for these types of events. Yes, I’m looking forward to it, but really, I love being at home in the peace and quiet. Still, I’m going to check my parking map (he arranged that too, what a great guy), grab my lanyard, and head downtown. I’ve got this! Comicon, here I come!

 


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June Resolutions

i-love-summer.jpgWho says resolutions have to be made solely in January? I think June is as good a time as any, and for a teacher it’s an excellent time to make resolutions. At least if you’re a teacher in an area where school is out for summer.

Here are my June resolutions, in a nutshell:

  1. Read a little
  2. Write a little
  3. Work a little
  4. Move a little
  5. Clean up a little
  6. Create a little

Those sound pretty good, don’t they? And not too difficult to follow. At least I don’t think so. I’ve been working toward these resolutions for a while now, and oddly I’m finding the last one the most challenging. By using the term “create” I’m allowing myself a great deal of flexibility.

What does it really mean to create? I suppose it means to make something where there was previously nothing. I can create a meal or a menu. I can create a lesson or a teaching unit. I can create a doodle or a painting. I can create a quilt design or a whole quilt. I can create Pinterest boards and newsletters and reading comprehension exercises. I can create systems for checking out books and tracking homework assignments. Maybe creating isn’t as hard as I thought. I just need to allow myself the space in which to do it.

My goal is to do each of those items every day in June, with the exception of “work a little.” That one is for Monday through Friday. In fact, it’s more of a challenge NOT to “work a little” sometimes.

So where do I stand today, June first?

1.Read a little – check

I’ve been Reading Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread strictly for pleasure. She is masterful at painting the picture of old Baltimore, and she’s very skilled at character development. I spent quite a bit of time reading this morning, and I’m looking forward to going back to this book.

2. Write a little – check

Well, here I am. I also recently entered a writing contest, and I’m presenting to my writing group next Monday. I have some work to do, but it’s getting done.

3. Work a little – check

I’ve been working on preparations for the summer writing program I’m teaching. I’m excited about working with these young writers and learning with them and from them.

4. Move a little – check

A morning walk in the park across the street with the dog was just what we both needed to get our day off to a good start.

5. Clean up a little – check

The kitchen is tidy, most of the laundry is done, and overall the house is not a mess. The recycling has been taken out and I hosed out the container that lives in the kitchen. Over time little drips of this and that get in there and it gets sticky, but today I tackled it, and it’s clean as a whistle.

6. Create a little – maybe

Ok, I created a gmail account for the summer writing program and two of the five mailing lists that I need for the newsletters. Does that count? Does a blog post? I don’t think so. I think that’s double-dipping. I feel like I have to create something else! Oh, I’ve got it! I’m creating a delicious dinner tonight. We’re having tortellini with spinach and artichokes in a light cream sauce. Yum!

Yes! I can officially say that day one is a success. Only 29 more to go. What are your June resolutions?