Doing what I can in the heat

The heat wiped me out last night, especially after spending two hours in the kitchen cooking supper (potato/leek soup and zucchini pancakes) while trying not to drip sweat into the food.  I didn't, in case you were wondering.

I got a load of clothes folded and put away and another dried in the dryer.  Early I went out and cleared some weeds in the garden, picked a tomato and a huge zucchini.  I need to hoe badly but it's too hot right now.  Zach mowed part of the yard before it got too hot.  He just woke up and will go out and mow the back yard a short while.  We're looking at record temps today and it's already in the 80s with the heat index, so he can finish up the faery garden tomorrow.

I thought about putting the window a/c in but the only place it will fit is the southern window in the living room (well. my bedroom but what's the use of that?) and I don't think that's a good place for it with the sun beating down on it mercilessly.  So I've shut all the windows except the northern window that has the window fan and the southern window in the living room that also has a window fan only this one is pulling the air out of the house.  That way I have an airflow through the living room and my bedroom.  I plan on spending the afternoon in my bedroom today anyway.

The curtains and blinds are closed as well, to keep the heat out. It usually works pretty well as long as we don't plan any heavy cleaning activities.  I'm thinking macaroni and cheese for supper tonight.  Spending little time in the kitchen and using only the toaster oven will minimize the heat added to the mix.  And a salad to go along with it...with home-grown tomatoes.  Plus, I'm trying to cook more vegetarian meals both because it's good for us and to stretch the meat budget a bit. 

I plan in working on pencil drawing today.  I keep wanting to but just keep putting it off.  Since it's too hot to knit on anything until evening and too hot to do any cleaning beyond just picking up and straightening things, I'm going to try to get back to where I used to be with my drawing.  I hate that I put it away for long stretches because I lose what skills I have and have to go back and re-train my hand-eye skills.  Hopefully this time I won't get discouraged and keep up with it.  Then I plan on getting my paints out and working on them.  I haven't done oils in over 25 years so I'm essentially a beginner at it. 

I didn't make coffee this morning (I have a little 4 cup pot) because it's just too hot.  I drink decaf anyway so it's largely symbolic for me.  I got used to drinking coffee in the morning but it's not a hard and fast habit.  Sometimes I like tea and sometimes nothing.  But usually I do start the coffee out of habit.

Well, I need to let Professor in and straighten up the kitchen before it's unbearably hot in there.

TTFN