Keeping Calm, Cool and Collected......

Have you ever seen the book of questions?

It is an awesome book that ask hard and profound questions that are supposed to make you think, spur good conversation and basically make you question your ethics.

The other day, my sister read one of the questions to me out loud.

"If you could live for one year in any time period, when would it be."

I immediately responded, "well, it would have to be a period when air conditioning was around".

We both cracked up laughing because that has been my obsession this year.

How did people live without air conditioning?

Of course I realize I am being shallow and not environmentally conscious with my love of ac.

But as with most modern conveniences, I can't imagine life without it.

Admittedly, this year has been odd for weather......super arctic winter followed by super heat summer. (did I mention it is 105 in Northern VA today?)

Follow that up with my reading mostly biographies this summer and it spurned my wonderment at living in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th even 20th century without cool air.

Poor Sally Hemmings. She had to be a slave and give birth to Thomas Jefferson's kids.....all the while living in Monticello with no ac and having to dress in corsets and wool.

It is flippin hot. Even when they were in Paris for two years, the one summer was the warmest on record. It had to be ripe.

You know that TJ was not smelling good with his wigs and wool ensembles either.

Poor Abigail Adams. She had to put up with raising all her kids with a war raging at the front door while John was in Philadelphia. The poor lady didn't even have pins to pin her dress up! I know.....at least John and his funky wig was in Philadelphia - but still.

Poor Frida Kahlo. She had no AC when she miscarried her baby in DETROIT in JULY. And she had to come home to Diego Rivera. All funky with sweat and covered in paint. Yes she was a tortured soul, lots of tragedy in her life, yada yada......but I am just guessing that a bit of ac would have at least given the poor woman some pleasure.

I don't know how the millions of people on the planet do it still.

I have great appreciation for those who must go without and much gratitude that I am not one of them.

If you need to find me this weekend, I will be sitting in a cool dark room with a good book.