Brrrrrrrrr

Got you thinking, didn't I?  It's going to be 96 today, 35.5 ºC, which is plenty hot for northern New Jersey.  So what's a girl to do at those temps?  Errands.  Yep, I have to do them.  And then hunker down in my nice air-conditioned house and veg out.

Don't need to bake bread because I did that yesterday.  I just might make frozen yogurt for dessert.  Supper?  We can go out. 

How about this for some instant coolness?  The fabric is called Magic Garden, and I got it a bit back on sale from Fabric.com.  I don't know what I'll make from it, but Storm at Sea might be calling me. 

So how about a couple of air conditioning stories for you?  First one is a library story, and it happened over and over.

     Once upon a time, it was hot in my edgy little town in NJ.  Very hot.  The library had the AC going full blast.  (cold enough so that I had to take little walks outside to warm up).  The place was buzzing with activity,  programs in the Children's Room, folks hanging out in the general reading area, and even the Reference Room was crowded.  Why?  Silly question.  Air conditioning!  

     So, this nice, innocent Ref librarian would say good-bye to folks as they were leaving and she wished them much coolness and comfort at home.  And they would say:  "It's hot at my house.  I don't have any AC."  "oh, that's too bad." said the librarian.  "Well, I don't believe in air conditioning!  Never have, never will!   I come to the library to get cool."  


     Well, if the person doesn't believe in air conditioning, then why is she/he coming to the freezing library?  That, my friends, is the question.  To get cool, or not to get cool.  And if you don't believe in AC in a very hot summer day, do you not also believe in heat on a cold winter day?  Another question for the ages.


Here's a Mommie AC story.


    The Mommie also didn't believe in air conditioning, only in her case, it was pure cheapness.  I know this because she would ask me over and over how much our central air bill was.  She did have a window unit but wouldn't install it because then she'd use it, and have to pay a little bit more in her electric bill.


     One time, when the Hubz and I were returning from Cape Cod, we stopped in to visit her.  It was about 100 deg outside, and I swear it was the same inside.  She did have a fan moving, but even her wood furniture was very warm to the touch.  She was about 85 years old at the time, not a youngster.  So we ranted and raved about how hot it was, and it was dangerous for an elderly lady, and not healthy, yada, yada, yada.  


     "Oh, don't worry about me.  I'm drinking sips of water all day long, and I have the shades down."


     "Are you nuts? It's 150 deg in the shade in this house!   Your furniture is hot to the touch.  Let Mr. Hubz install your window unit in the den, and then you can hang out there."


     "No, don't do that.  It'll block the window view (which she had covered because her shades were down).  And then I'll have to close the door and I won't like that feeling."


     Arrgh.  More ranting and screaming on my part.  I'll tell L (my sister) on you.  


     Says my sister:  "Mommy, I won't come to visit in this heat.  If anything happens to you, you are on your own, and you'll have to get to the hospital all by yourself, and I'm not visiting you there, either."


     This conversation happened every year until she could no longer live alone (at 92).  Did she ever put that unit in?  Hah!  Did she ever get heat exhaustion?  Hah!  Did I ever win the air conditioning battle?  HAH!  You've got to be kidding.


   So, now she is moved into her independent living apartment, where there is indeed air conditioning.  And I visited her shortly after she moved in, and remarked how nice and comfy her apt was.


     "Yes, it really is.  I have air conditioning, you know."


     Sigh.  

Me, I like air conditioning in summer and heat in winter.  Call me a weather wimp, but so it goes. 

I'm so good, I can hardly stand myself.

I haven't bought a single piece of fabric this week.  Not to worry though, or feel sorry for me, I have a bit of fabric and some books in the mail.  I have to make room in the fabric tub before I can buy any more.

Look at this combo that I got a few weeks ago for a certain ballerina in the family.  Isn't it darling?  I'm thinking a sweet little 2 fabric dress with the little flowers as the bodice, and the ballet shoes as the skirt, and maybe a jacket out of the ballet slippers, too.

There there is this fabric combination.  A little top out of the solid, and a jumper from the floral, and wouldn't it be fun to do a bit of embroidery over the flowers?  Maybe a bit of blanket stitching around one of the inner circles.  Or French knots.  I haven't stitched in maybe 10 years, and the urge is growing.

Knitting news:  Just to prove that I'm knitting something other than mystery shawls, here's what I just started this afternoon.  It's going to be the Mitered Cardigan from Knit one, knit all.  At this rate, it'll be finished sometime in the next year or two.  The yarn is Rowan's Felted Tweed, and I'm loving the woolliness of it.  I've wanted to knit something in it for a long time, and then I saw this sweater, and I love anything by Elizabeth Zimmermann, so the time is right.

And you know I cannot resist some lace, so here's a play bit of knitting.  It might turn into a shawl or it might get frogged.  I don't know.  I can't tell yet if I like the pattern, even stretching out the sample.  It's fun; what do I care.

Mommie news:  I went to the doc yesterday with a UTI, and talked to him about my mom and how very frail she was.  He asked if she was eating, and I said yes.  Her aide cuts up her food, or anyone wandering by also cuts up the food, and then she eats.  I actually got weepy with him, and believe me, I rarely cry.  I guess I'm i the letting-go process.

scrapperjen  and Scrabblequeen- Weepy is helpful for me.  What I love is the connection between her and her great-granddaughter.  It's just charming to see.  Thanks for all your words of support; they help so much.