Somehow I feel different on very hot days. Does everybody? Exhilarated when I am standing, early in the morning, looking out at a world that is only just waking up, when the air is still and it is barely light. But then, as it gets lighter, as dogs and their walkers go past, as workers pass in their cars - some to hot stuffy offices, some to building sites, farms, the outdoor types who could take their shirts off except that standing out and working in this heat would lead to intense sunburn, a feeling of lethargy begins to creep in.
My strategy yesterday of opening all North-facing windows wide and closing all South-facing ones and drawing the blinds, had to be 'put on hold' as I was out to lunch in the pretty village of Carperby in the Dales - to the village hall where a group of ladies provide lunches once a month for villagers. I am lucky that my dear friends T and S have friends there and so they are invited and have also managed to get the invitation extended to me too.
Once a lover of clothes, always a lover of clothes. Well for me at least. I know some folk don't agree and sink into an 'anything that relaxes me and makes me feel at ease' mode, but I am not like that. It immediately made me think of something I have not thought of for years. My neighbours in Wolverhampton were a dear couple and we got very friendly with them. Both had been Heads of Department in the local Grammar School and had married late. Now elderly G went into hospital and was given the sad news that he had only a short time to live. He chose to be taken home again "to die". E, his wife, asked if we would go round and help him into the house when the ambulance arrived. And this we did.
G stepped out of the ambulance - unaided - in pyjamas and dressing gown - hair neatly combed, smart slippers, immaculate as always. We walked with him until he was inside when E suggested we all have a cup of tea. G insisted on putting on his usual suit for such occasions (complete with his old school tie) and his usual well-polished shoes before returning to the sitting room for his cup of tea. When E said to him that he needn't have bothered to get dressed he replied , "Think of the standards darling". My thoughts exactly - hope I can keep it up.
And so it was that I sallied forth in my new 'Sea Salt' 100% Organic Cotton top - loose, deep blue and covered in white peonies. I bought it in March on a dismal wet day (on line of course) and there has not been an occasion when the weather was right until yesterday for me to wear it. So wear it I did. Felt good in all senses - cool, light, cheerful - and refusing to either dress or behave as though I am in my dotage!
Lovely meal (with sherry - we drank to several people in the village who had sadly died over the Summer Break), especially the huge helping of plum and apple crumble (fruits picked from somebody's trees in the village), lovely conversation - so much so that lost in political discussion with a chap from the village I didn't realise that almost everyone had gone and friends S and T were patiently waiting, along with Priscilla. I must be more aware of others in future.
(Didn't have any tea - in fact nothing until bedtime when I succumbed to a two-finger Kit Kat with my bedtime drink.)
Lovely day. Off to open North facing windows now.
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22 comments:
Here on Sheppey, we have had cool E. breezes coming in off the nearby sea and so the front half of my bungalow, that faces that way, has remained cool all day and night. The back half, where my conservatory is, faces south west and is baking hot from early morning until the early evening.
Nothing wrong with is always wanting to be smartly dressed, no point buying the clothes otherwise. Apart from having to wear suits when I was a manager in the local docks, I have always tended to be a tad casual or scruffy in my dress sense.
I don't have the same wardrbe of clothes now as I used to have when I worked in offices and had to dress smartly (never tailored though as I found them quite restricting). Unless I am going somewhere (a rare occurence) I tend to 'slum' it at home, but always make an effort when going out. Most of my days are spent in the conservatory which is at the back of the bungalow and the sun is on that side for most of the day which gets a bit too much after a while.
I do the same with the windows and it works well most of the time. I even leave one sliding door open all night in the middle of the city and have always felt safe. My dog barks at every animal sound outside and we have plenty, skunk ,racoon etc. I am up to bathroom several times a night, so am pretty aware of whats going on. There is almost no traffic and I see the same cars at the same time going past. I guess night shift workers. I can keep the house cool enough unless the humidity is really high along with the temperature..then I will put on the heat pump to the cool setting. That gets the humidity out and I can then tolerate it. This summer I have only had to to that for about four days, saving a lot on power bills. I love clothes too but very rarely go anywhere but the grocery store and the bank so for me it’s jeans and tee shirts but always neet and clean.. I am old and will dress and eat what I like, even dessert for dinner, or dinner for breakfast if I feel like it. When my husband was in awful health, heart failure, he was most comfortable in his pajamas with star wars logo on them. He even wore them on his many trips to the hospital and always got a laugh from the doctors and nurses. He just didn’t have the energy to get dressed. I think your new top sounds lovely and am glad you had the chance to wear it. Gigi
I am glad you had a fun day out and wore your new top. It sounds beautiful. I have several lovely linen tops. I had finally decided to part with three that I ordered and never worn as they are too tight so, after a great deal of back-and-forth mental agonizing, I finally relented to consigning them. Since they are beautiful and new I had no doubt the consignment store would be thrilled. However, they came back home with me when the young woman working in the store rejected them as "too senior" Jackie
I'm glad you enjoyed your day of dressing up and visiting!
Sounds good Pat! - Pam
Ah, I well remember "cross ventilation" on days when it was hot and curtains closed against the blazing sun after being open earlier. A pastor once referred to "the sanctuary of shade" and I say Amen to that! Have you ever noticed how much cooler it is in the woods?
So glad you got to go to the village lunch with your friends and - best of all - got to wear your lovely, new blouse!!! "Remember the standards" indeed!
Hugs!
If those self-set standards keep one going and happy, I'm all for it!
As I have said many times before when we have been discussing clothes on your blog, I love dresses and have way too many of them. Once again, this summer I have not gotten round to wear each and every one of them, as it was either not the right weather or not the time and place.
My choice of clothes depends a lot on the weather, as I am nearly always out on foot or public transport (which amounts pretty much to the same) and of course the occasion - work at the office is totally different from hiking in the Black Forest.
You and Mum would be great for comparing notes on your respective wardrobes!
The lunch with your friends sounds lovely.
Librarian - does you mum speak English and does she have a blog? These questions immediately spring to mind. I don't altogethr take note of fashions (although the sites I buy clothes from obviously do (Sea Salt, The White Stuff, David Neiper, Country Collection, Lakeland Leather).
Jackire - what a reply! There must be so many ladies who would love them.
Gigi = what a difference a dog makes. Wish I still had mine.
Derek - each to his own as we have often said before.
Thanks - scorching here today.
Oh dear. I'm afraid that I've gone too long with no standards that if I take them up now, people will see me as pretentious. They'll have to settle for clean and neat.
I am glad you enjoyed your meal out with friends. I do like to look neat and tidy when I go out, I have several favourite summer skirts and it's been warm enough to wear them recently (too hot) I did suggest to my husband that maybe some of his tee shirts had seen 'better days' other than to wear gardening.
I open my large bedroom window at night and have the bathroom window open so our Lhasa Apso can lay on the bathroom floor if he gets too hot, fortunately he does not bark at sounds outside. I shall be glad when it's gets a bit cooler.
I agree with you entirely, this sizzling hot weather is tiring and oppressive. Hopefully, closing windows facing South and opening North facing windows provides some relief for you. Your new cotton top sounds lovely and perfect for a hot and sunny day outing with friends. Like you, I enjoy my wardrobe and dress for myself to please myself. That said, if others choose to dress for comfort that's perfectly fine by me. By the way, the plum and apple crumble sounds delicious and brought fond memories of British freshly baked crumble that I have enjoyed.
Your blog makes us aware of life's small pleasures, like a two-fingered kit kat.
Kit kats are probably different now, but I used to think that the chocolate of two-fingered ones was slightly less creamy than that of four-fingered ones, and that they had a slightly different taste. Of course, I was ridiculed until they tested me with two identical side-pieces. They did is three time. Right every time. I preferred the two-fingered ones.
Tasker- I often have four fingers but they are made up of 2 x 2 fingers!
Thanks eveeryone. How we dress is entirely up to us - thank goodness we are not all the same.
PS I draw the line at mini
skirts on over 70 ladies (and I would like to say shorts on over 80 men but its not for me to say.)
Sounds like a lovely outing and shirt. Glad you got a chance to show it off.
I love early mornings in hot weather before the heat builds. In Italy I am often outside in my nightwear as soon as it’s light. Friends staying do the same, we drink Yorkshire tea together and enjoy the cool before breakfast, It’s the same in Yorkshire during the hot spell, balcony doors open letting out the heat, kettle on. It’s not often I appreciate early mornings, only when it’s hot.
What a lovely day!
We have three temperature zones in the house - 17°C in my sewing room in the basement, 22° on the first floor with the kitchen and living room , and 26° in the sunny bedroom on the second floor. We also have lots of shadow in the garden and on our terrace. This is wonderful when it is hot, not so much in spring and autumn when you want as much sunshine as possible.
Like librarian I love dresses and I am very happy that over the last years, there are more and more dresses in the shops. I remember our son´s graduation about fifteen years ago when it was so difficult to buy a dress that I asked a friend to sew one for me!
Hilde in Germany
Pat, my Mum does not have her own blog, but she sometimes writes guest posts on mine. She speaks, reads and writes English, too.
My mother was always immaculately dressed with matching accessories, blow-dried hair, beautiful jewellery and full make-up, every day. I prefer comfort. On the plus side, when I do dress up people are always amazed by the transformation!
I am glad you got to wear your 'best' to go out. Being a bit of a scruff I can when the occasion deserves dress up and look smart. But I think as time goes on people dress more comfortably now.
So pleased you had such a lovely day yesterday. I enjoyed your story about that dear gentleman coming home from hospital and insisting on putting a suit on for his visitors.
I also like an excuse to wear my 'glad rags'. When I was young I couldn't afford to dress smartly apart from work clothes, now I can give in to temptation! I haven't the energy to go shopping in person but rely on tried and tested online companies.
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