Monday, August 12, 2013

Beating the Heat

 How do you beat the heat with no air conditioning? Fans, lots of fans
 And work that doesn't require much movement
 Here is one of this morning's alterations. Even preemie onesies are to long for bitty, but...after chopping off the bottom and hemming, bitty now has two tee shirts to match her pants
 Original shirt and pants. All I had to do was hem the shirt
 Cute little ruffle bottom. Bitty is a chunkey monkey, check out those linebacker shoulders
 The former onesie is now a shirt, easy peasy
This set is from our hand me down box, preemie size.

Are you sick to death of all this Bitty baby sewing yet? Ha  I am about over it myself but it's a great little project that doesn't take much physical action. As a bonus I am way ahead on gift giving as well as using up this box of leftovers (decluttering)!!

I am getting along OK with the downstairs air conditioner out, but I'm not gonna lie, by 5:00 the back of the house is hot as all get out were talking 90 degrees or better. UGH. To beat the heat I am a wild woman about keeping the doors and blinds closed, can't let any more hot air in than is necessary. Oh how I love ceiling fans. I know all the designers jerk the ceiling fans out right off the bat when they are doing a room makeover. I really don't understand their adversion to the fans. I don't think ours look bad and they sure as heck save money on the power bill in the summer and winter. I need to have a box fan running at night, the white noise and age thing you know. during the day I have been moving my much loved box fan to the kitchen. We also had a few table fans in the attic from when our big girls were in college. I have pulled those down to use during this attempt to save money on a new unit until September.

Crock pot cooking, salads, and lots of sweet tea, decaf of course:( are on the menu each day.  Laundry, vacuuming, and baking is done before the sun is up in the mornings when its a bit more cool.  A lukewarm shower and summer nightgown in the early evening helps a lot. Better nobody be coming to the door after 7:00 unless they want to see me in night clothes. All this living in the heat has given me a whole lot more respect for the generations of ladies before us.

They were tough old birds for sure. I can't imagine canning. laundry, baking, cooking over a hot stove and everything else that goes along with running a house before air conditioning. My Grandmother never had air, looking back on all that she did it amazes me. I can't remember ever being uncomfortably hot in the summers. I do remember we sat outside under shade tree's in the evenings playing while she shelled peas or shucked corn, humm maybe she was hot?

She would do piecework for quilt tops in the summer, make clothes for my sister and I. Best of all we got to pick whatever fabric we wanted from the scrap bags for her to make new things for our barbies. We always had a nice size surprise box of barbie things she had made secretly during the summer under the Christmas tree each year. Humm...sounds familiar. Holy Hannah I might be turning into my Grandmother!! Ha I should be so lucky, she was more than I can ever hope to be.

Did any of you have a grandparent that made an impact in your life. Our Grandmother really was bigger than life, oh to grow up to be just like her someday.

3 comments:

  1. Sorry about the ac.
    Yes, I had 2 wonderful grandmothers and a great grandmother that all lived to be almost 100. They all sewed and did lots of handwork too.

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  2. Oh yes, both my grandmothers made an impact on my life. My mother was the best grandmother to all her grands and great grands too! I hope to measure up, but it would be very hard. Loved hearing about yours secretly making Barbie clothes for you. So sweet. If I ever have any granddaughters, I'd love to make doll clothes for them. I've sewn a few things for the 3 grandsons we have.

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