Tale of a Hot Summer Day

It is so hot that the load of laundry I hang up to dry is almost dry by the time I finish hanging it up…

Natalie and I have planned a simple outing to the Original Farmers Market, where Natalie loves the mole sauce at La Lotería. But before we leave, I stub my toe. Natalie asks me if I need a ginger candy, because whenever she stubs her toe a ginger candy helps. Then she asks if I’m remembering to breathe, because sometimes she forgets to breathe when she stubs her toe.

Staring down at my feet, I think of the statue of Venus’ feet we just saw and how beautiful they are… I bet Venus never stubbed her toe.

We drive east to Fairfax and Third where the Original Farmers Market is.  When we get out of the car, we realize how much hotter it is over here — 10 degrees hotter to be precise. We have lunch at a shaded table, but it’s getting hotter by the minute, and Natalie feels a bit overheated. I suggest she walk over to the French shop, which I know has air-conditioning, and I’ll meet her there in a few minutes after I’ve cleared our trays. When I find her in the French shop, she looks a bit flushed and I ask if she needs a ginger candy. She’s already had one.

I find the coolest spot in the shop and and then we stand there, pretending to look at the things on display. There are some interesting things to look at, including this tea steeping spoon that is too complicated for me to figure out, but not too complicated for Natalie. But it’s still quite hot. Here’s Natalie still looking a little flushed. Thinking about hot tea probably didn’t help. When Natalie saw this photo, she said, “Gosh, I look pallid!”

However, we’ve been standing there for so long that I’ve found three small trays we’ve decided are perfect for backyard picnics. And then we decide we really should be in our backyard, where we know there will be a breeze.

Driving home, we run into tons of traffic. Tons of traffic!

Although Natalie feels under the weather due to being overheated, she says concentrating on Mary Oliver helps. Fortunately, Mary Oliver is with us in the car. If you haven’t read Mary Oliver’s poems, we urge you to do so. You will find at least one that you will love, even if you don’t think you like poetry.

We finally get home, where a ginger candy, a cool cloth infused with rose scented witch hazel, a glass of water, a ceiling fan, and a book are allowing Natalie to cool down. The funny thing is: we still had fun. Just like Natalie says: the sea of life is best travelled in good company.