Tuesday, June 29, 2021

We Are Keeping Cool Like in the Olden Days




We are having a two week vacation at the Manse, now converted to the  Lake House, a vacation cabin where we are keeping cool the old fashioned way.

 Paper fans are a welcome quiet method of cooling you personally. In the olden days people would try to sit between women who used fans, to get the maximum coolness. This one is made from some of the endless supply of construction paper, two of them together. We are going all out with the different style fans, from the instructions in an old book.

One of the grandchildren has made these cute "tags" on laurel leaves, with wild chamomile, buttercups and other wildflowers. They are such a delightfully creative addition to the table settings. He picks huge leaves to use for fans.

One of the girls is reading an old copy of Beautiful Girlhood and practicing penmanship from an old penmanship instruction book.


We venture outside in shady areas, and add
cold fizz to fresh fruit drinks.



The stock tank, which we use as a swimming pool  is the lake, and the floaties are giant lily pads.  We wait until the pool is completely shaded before we jump in.

Inside during the highest temperatures we read old books left in the cabin. That is the way it is in lake cabins, isn't it?  Old magazines, maps, books become interesting again.

I hope you are all finding old fashioned ways to keep cool.

We ran water underneath the garden bridge so the younger children could pretend it was a bridge over a creek.


This is a DIY and self serve vacation. They have to get their own cots out and make their own beds, and fold it all up the next day. We do have bedrooms but need 4 more rooms to accommodate everyone.  A few of them actually like sleeping here with the door open and the screen door allowing more cool night  breezes in.  We allow residents to forage around the kitchen for their own food needs, and a huge salad is kept in the fridge for everyone. Other than that, everyone is on their own for occupation and recreation, and so far, have made very good use of the time.
Before the guests had time to fold up all the cots and bedding, someone dropped by. When we all excused the mess, she said she liked the way the blankets and sheets all matched the decor.

Other than these things, we try to be quiet, move slowly, sit, and not converse about stressful things. It eliminates added degrees of heat, we think.

When I invited Texas and Florida to colonize Oregon with their families, ranching and businesses, churches and culture, I didn’t expect to first get 115 F. Temperature. Maybe the heat is supposed to put us in the frame of mind to be part of those two great states.


 

10 comments:

Rose said...

Oh Lydia, your Lake House sounds perfect. This is so funny, because we have done many of the same things here in Texas, with no air conditioning;)
I have been playing channels on You tube with wave sounds and hooking up my speakers to it so when we're in our stock tank, we are really at the Beach!
Enjoy your time and try to stay cool and refreshed!
🌺🌴

Lydia said...

Mrs. O, you must be from the same can-do era as we are.

Lynn said...

I am using a fabric fan covered with jewels from Dollar Tree...I have air conditioning, but use the fan out on the patio where I sometimes go to read...on the ground floor of my apartment building.

Lydia said...

Lynn we’ve been interest in fans because they are still used yet the design is so ancient. Fans are mentioned in the Bible, and in a passage about Jesus too.

Janine said...

Enjoyed this update. Sounds lovely! Im thankful no heat wave yet in so cal, but I've got my fans as well.

Martha said...

Oh, I so love this, your old style blog. I enjoy reading and looking at the photos. Even with the heat I would love to be there doing all the simple old-fashioned activities. I just love your way of living life.

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

When I was a teenager, we had a summer that was around 110-115 for a few weeks. We would go down to our basement shower, rinse off while our clothes were on, and walk around in damp clothes in an effort to stay cool. We didn't have air conditioning that summer. Miserable!

Two summers ago, we moved into a house with central air. Talk about luxury. Of course, it's a luxury that must be paid for when we use it!

God bless, enjoy your family!
Laura Lane
Harvest Lane Cottage
Southern Missouri

Lydia said...

Similar to here, where we do not dry off after washing hair, face, or having a shower. We don our clothing right away and say cool as the clothing dries.

Janet W. said...

Some years ago we made Cool Collars to stay comfortable in the high temps of Southern California.
Cut a three inch wide strip of fabric approximately 48 inches long. Fold in half inside out and stitch up two long sides making a 24 inch tube. Leave opening at unfolded end. Turn right side out. Purchase some soil hydrating crystals at garden center of Wal-Mart and place 3 tablespoons of crystals in the tube. Stitch shut the opening. Stitch ties made of ribbon or bias tape to each end of the tube. Soak tube in water several hours until crystals have turned to jelly. Wrap and tie around your neck to stay cool and comfortable. Cool Collars are reusable many times the can be dried and stored for the next year.
Janet W.

Lydia said...

Mrs O, that’s so good that you can do that at home.