Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ennui

ahn-wee' -  lassitude, listlessness, languor, weariness

I am stricken by all of the above, and I blame in on what seems to be interminable HEAT! When the heat index is 120, I don't want to do anything except wear loose clothing, set the air conditioner thermostat to "meat cooler," sit in my chair, look out the window and sip cold, sweet tea!  Even that wears me out so much that I have to take an afternoon nap!

I wish I had a big bowl of this:



I have seriously neglected writing to this blog, and appreciate those who have missed me.  At present, I'm not doing anything that's worth writing about. It had been so long since I posted that my sister called to be sure I was still drawing the requisite number of breaths.

I make myself go outside to tend the bird baths and water the plants, which are suffering mightily from the heat. Even an otherwise welcome breeze does nothing except dry them out even more.  A hanging basket watered in the morning requires another soaking by mid-afternoon.

Ah, well!  I will be remembering these days more fondly when the icicles are hanging by the wall!

I shouldn't complain -- really, I should not!  If I stop to think for even a minute about the men and women in our military who are assigned to the Middle East, I remember that they are walking around in flak jackets, helmets, and carrying heavy loads in temperatures that make an Arkansas summer pale by comparison.  God Bless you all, my dears, and keep you safe!  I am ashamed of myself! 

More, later, but not too much later.

12 comments:

bittenbyknittin said...

Heat index of 120?!? Now I feel like a wuss! When it reaches 100 around here, I become a prisoner of my AC. Our siege of heat and humidity has finally broken, although we might not be done with August yet. Keep cool! Or as cool as you can.

Carolina said...

"my sister called to be sure I was still drawing the requisite number of breaths"

LOL

And I'm longing for a bit more heat and a bit less rain over here. But then I see all the extreme weatherconditions in other parts of the world and realize I shouldn't complain.

Keep breathing ;-)

Arkansas Patti said...

Don't feel badly, I have been hiding inside also. Usually 10AM is come back inside again and pull up a couch.
However, wasn't yesterday wonderful? I'm not far from you and it was 59 in the early AM. Needed an over shirt. At least for a brief time, the heat is bearable.
Funny how 90 degrees nowdays looks good.
Wonderful point about our soldiers.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Pat, It was so good to hear from you... I thought you had fallen off of the face of the earth... ha ha ... Seriously, I've missed you.

We have had the hottest and driest summer I can remember since moving to the Cumberland Plateau. It has been horrible.

Since May, I struggled with pain in my left knee. In June--I had knee surgery ---and am finally getting back to normal (whatever that is)...

George too me on a wonderful birthday trip recently. If you have time, you should check out my recent blogs. Go to my sidebar and scroll down to labels. Click on Birthday 2010---and you can see where we went.... I'll post more about that trip tomorrow ---and on and on.... ha

Have a great week--and stay COOL.
Hugs,
Betsy

Kate said...

Whew! I'd almost forgotten what it's like to be too warm. Your excellent description has reminded me. Here we've stopped needing fires every night, but still plenty of coolth to come before our winter's over... despite what the daffs in the garden are proclaiming.

NitWit1 said...

My blogging seems more difficult but when your social life revolves around your medical problems, who wants to continually write or hear about that?

My july electric bill doubled KWH/day used from last year. My bp went out the top ofthe tubes until I realized all the construction we've had done was in July and the air compressor powered guns were in full force. Plus we did have a discharge drain stopped up on the AC.


It was more upsetting since it was the first full month after solar shades were installed.

I have to admit the house "seems" cooler and may push the thermostat setting up one degree to see if tolerable to us. My housekeeper would like it about 72 dg . It is set on 77 deg.

Anonymous said...

You are not alone dear Stamper. I can only think it is the 'weather' that is the cause of a dearth of posts at the moment. There are those taking a holiday, others released from exam sweats flaked out in front of the telly, others, like me, with nothing to say...or, also like me have their computors gradually dieing on them.

At least this is what I tell myself when comments are down to single figures. Hehe!

nanny said...

It really is depressing! I love summer but to have everything dead is not for me. The water barely keeps plants alive! that hot wind is deadly....

rhymeswithplague said...

In our high school back in the Dark Ages we had a "Speech teacher" whose job it was to cast and direct all of the plays and also to teach Speech I, II, and III. He believed in enlarging our vocabularies, and our class assignments included learning to pronounce words the way he wanted to hear them (get instead of git, running instead of runnin', program instead of progrum, that sort of thing) and presenting impromptu, extemporaneous, and prepared speeches using new vocabulary words he gave us. In the very first week of Speech I, the list always included prevaricate, procrastinate, and ennui, things (not thangs) most tenth-graders had never heard of.

Thank you for reminding me today of Mr. Robert L. Anderson.

Patty said...

That looks really, really yummy. And you know how us humans are, we are never satisfied with what we have. When it's too hot, we complain, when it's too cold we complain, if it rains too much, we complain and if we don't get any rain, we complain again.
I'm thankful for what I have. Thankful I have a home to get in out of the weather and thankful I have the heat or cooling to use and thankful (so far) to be able to pay for it. And I know you are to. I haven't been getting around reading blogs like I do in the winter months. Have way more to do in the warm months. But hopefully will catch up again this winter. My computer is on the fritz, so using Abe's Mac, but it is completely different than my HP. Take care.

Hilary said...

Totally understandable and you're certainly not alone. Let your fingers fly in the cooler months ahead. For now, just try to keep cool. We'll all be here when your next post hits the blogosphere.

Countrygirl said...

Hey Pat! Glad you are well - even thru the heat wave! We had 99 Friday and 60 on Sunday!

I've missed you!!!