Week #12 - All Things Cool

Have I told you how much I HATE the heat? I do, like A LOT! I would rather be frozen solid than be hot and sweaty (except for when I'm exercising). The feeling of sweat rolling down my back as I am standing in the shade is just so not appealing to me. I loathe the summer time around here, especially September. That has to be the worst month of the whole year. In the rest of the country, September is a sign that fall is coming and with that it will bring cooler temps. Not the case here in the Valley of the Sun. It doesn't really start to cool off until oh, mid-October.

Why is it that I live in a state that averages 100+ degrees ALL SUMMER LONG? Plus, the high heat brings out all kinds of creepy crawlies that I despise, like roaches, scorpions, crickets, cicadas. (That is almost the first question to Heavenly Father when I see him again; "What's with the scorpions and mosquitoes? Are they really necessary?") I miss the seasons, the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, fall. Here it's just jeans and shorts seasons- nothing really in between. Sometimes I don't know why I live here either.

Oh, there is the small and simple fact that my family lives here and, really minus the summer time heat, September, and the creepy crawlies, I do absolutely love it here! I think it is the perfect place to raise a family.

My whole heat v. cold reasoning is this: there are only so many layers one can take off before there are well, no more layers to take off. Jumping in the swimming pool will in fact cool you off, BUT as soon as you get out you start air drying and will be dry and hot and sweaty in a matter of minutes. Not too mention when the pool water gets too warm, it's really not very refreshing and is too warm for swimming. When it's cooler outside, the layers can just be added to keep warm. Blankets, jackets, mittens, gloves, hats, fires, snuggling with the ones you love. It all adds to the heat and the warmth.

This past week gave me the chance to remember just what is inevitable in just a matter of a few short weeks.....the dreaded summer heat. Temperatures reached almost 100 degrees. I about melted and then died.

This week made me incredibly grateful for all things cool - like ice cream, popsicles, ice water, a cold Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper, but especially the A/C. There are some who have been here for decades and have learned to live without A/C - like my grandmother. That lady is one strong lady. She has lived here for too many decades to count now, raised 4 children here, still lives in the same house as having raised those children all without A/C. She just has a swamp cooler. I don't know how she does it. I could never survive in conditions like that - trust me.

I took her advice though. Why suffer when you can do something about it. I turned on my A/C this past week. I loved the feeling of cool air on my skin. I won't love the electric bill when I see it. But, it will leave me with the feelings of gratitude and gratefulness for all things cool.

Now, excuse me while I go and turn down the thermostat to make it even colder in my house and find my Diet Coke to sip.