Sustainable Relief

We live in an area (very northern New England) where few people have air conditioning. We all tend to tell the same anecdote - that we only need two weeks a year of heat relief, we are that far north! But we are also blessed with old homes that, like mine, have enormously thick plaster walls. I love everything about my home - the gardens, the bowed slate roof, the dormered windows on the top floor, the nooks and crannies that every old house has… delightful! But we are especially appreciative on this sultry summer day as the sun blasts down and the heat rises. The walls that resist a nail when hanging a picture, also serve as protection from the heat. Our ancestors had no choice in the matter of weather protection: no electricity, no fancy double glazed windows, no insulation other than the plaster. But it still works, all these many years later! And, of course, the renovated windows and the added insulation.

We are luxuriating in the lower level of our house that has been converted into a charming family room, and the temperature is equal to a very good air conditioned room. Without the guilt of electricity. We also use fans to great advantage, even on the outside porch. It draws one into a slower pace of life to hear the whir of the fan and feel its gentle touch on the skin.

I awoke early to run to our little grocery COOP and got everything I need for gazpacho, and a lovely piece of fish for the grill. An essential for us is good iced tea: half English breakfast, half Paris (a heavenly blend of vanilla and subtle spice).

We direct our days according to the dictates of nature. This day, steamy, hot and sticky, calls for quiet. My husband is deep into a good book and a lazy lay on the couch, and I will soon share his endeavors with my latest good read: John Banville’s Drowned. There is something wonderful about letting nature direct our actions - too hot for much productivity, so find a cool spot and sip that tea.