Thankful Thursday | Because I’ve been heat crabby

New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Normally my Thankful Thursday posts are sort of random, but today I have a theme: summer/hot weather.

I’m doing this because we have had a very long, mostly-uninterrupted string of hot, humid days with little relief in sight.

And this is harder for me than a string of cold days; a long heat wave is way more likely to make me crabby than a long cold spell.

So, I figured I needed to make a list of the good things about my current summer situation.

1. Hot weather is very good for swimming, and my parents have a pool!

A summer with no swimming weather would actually be pretty sad.

And we are so, so blessed that my parents have a pool that they share with us; we can go swimming with no worries about crowds at public pools.

2. There is a LOT of sunshine right now

Yes, it’s pretty hot sunshine, but it’s still bright and cheerful.

3. The days are long

There aren’t many dark hours now except the ones when I’m sleeping. And that’s a happy thing for my light-loving self.

4. I have air-conditioning

I would be less-than-delightful to live with if I’d been born before the invention of A/C.

At least, if I lived in the Mid-Atlantic (or anywhere hotter) during the summer.

5. Cold showers feel really good

After exercising in the summer, I take a shower that’s probably 95% cold water and 5% hot. The cold water feels so, so, so good.

Bonus: cold showers are less expensive than hot ones.

6. My bedroom is on the lower level of the house

This makes for cold sleeping in the winter, but it is very excellent for summer nights.

7. Watermelon is plentiful

This is a thing that is true in July and not in January.

8. There’s less laundry to do

Clothes are smaller (it takes a lot of shorts and tank tops to make a load of laundry!) and we wear fewer layers.

9. Flip-flops (and bare feet)

I really do hate shoes, so I like how shoe-and-sock-less summer can be.

This photos was taken before the heat of summer. Trust me, I haven’t been anywhere near leggings for weeks now!

10. The world is very green right now

The dry air of the desert sounds appealing to me right about now, but I know if I lived in the desert, I would actually miss all the green here.

I don’t love all the moisture, but I do love the green it produces.

11. I love summer thunderstorms

The all-day drizzle/clouds thing that happens in the winter? Not a fan.

But a dramatic summer thunderstorm? I love that!

This storm was so heavy, it almost looked like it was snowing.

12. Peaches come in summer

You can buy peaches in the winter, but I think they are so disappointing and mealy that they are not even worth buying.

Summertime peaches are the only kind for me!

13. Heat does not last forever

A great thing about living in the Mid-Atlantic area is that no season goes on indefinitely.

You get a big dose of summer, and then fall comes (whew!)

You get a medium-sized winter, and then spring arrives (whew!)

So I never get too, too weary of one kind of weather.

What are you thankful for today?

(Your list doesn’t have to be summer-themed; make a list of whatever will help you most!)