Hot child in the city......

Gabe catching a nice suntan.

I got a newsletter online yesterday from Blair and Dina Bonin.
They are some people we know who are Louisiana "natives" who live with their six children in Belgium. That is rough huh? HA!
I know how you feel but these people are missionaries and GOOD ones too, so I am sure it's not as "comfortable"for them as it would be for most people. Especially with SIX small children. However, I know when you think of missionaries, a person always tends to think of them being in "Africa" or some other hot, sweaty place in this world.
Hang on, just wait until you hear this story.

I wrote them ( The Bonin's) back yesterday afternoon just to "touch base".....missionaries DO need to hear from "home" and also they need "encouragement" you know, they have hard jobs. Missions work isn't always as "glamorous" as we seem to think it is or it's portrayed to be by movies or church even. There are many, many heartaches and hardships involved.
Okay enough of that.

Anyway, in my e-mail to them I told them how "hot" it was getting here and basically they can be thankful they are in Belgium instead of Baton Rouge.

This morning I check my e-mail to find that I've gotten a nice e-mail back from Dina, the wife, and she tells me that "it's getting hot there as well and they don't have air conditioning."
While reading the e-mail I am thinking to myself of course, that "I would much rather BRAVE the 'hot summers' of Belgium than I would here in Baton Rouge." Plus most all Europeans DO NOT have air conditioning. That's just the way it is......
I think because it doesn't get AS HOT in Europe.
Otherwise, they would have them, right????

Also, let's not forget what Belgium DOES have instead of air conditioners.
Belgium has, hands down some of the GREATEST chocolate made in all the world!

I've been to Brussels so I can attest to that FACT, and they have Belgium waffles, the real ones, and lovely hand made lace. OHHHHH......and the scenery....and the houses are like little fairy tale, "Gingerbread houses" every where and
oh yeah,....for breakfast we had chocolate filled croissants at a little restaurant in the town square. YUM!!!!
How bad can it be to live in Belgium as compared to South Louisiana???
I'd like to try it one summer.
In fact, when I went there it was JUNE and I have a cherished photo of me and my oldest son Gabe who was 16 at the time on my dresser to look at every day.
We were wearing jackets and FREEZING!!!
Huummmmm...........
Must be the "global warming" that is heating it up in Belgium so early this year.
HA!

Okay then, so for all of you that "think" it's hot where your at....I DARE you.....TRY living in "South Louisiana"......ugh!
I think I want to do that "Snow bird" thing that old people do. Did I say old? Sorry if that offends any of you......yes, I know I am progressing, nicely, myself to the "old" realm. Please don't remind me....I used to live by the "your as old as you feel" thing well...since I've been ill and now I'm "altered" a bit..that theme isn't working any longer. HA! My body is feeling ALOT older than my mind and inside feelings are. Bummer.

Anyway back to my ranting about the hot weather.
I mean really, we have been very fortunate here in Baton Rouge because we had so much rain and cool weather for what seemed like the entire month of May. My "pool group" (that would be "water related not barroom.") could not even meet but once for the whole month because it was either "too cold" or raining" Imagine that! So that cool front saved us from the extreme heat hitting us like it normally does by May. Alas, now the heat has remembered where we live.

There are a few benefits of the heat.
One is cooling off in the pool, IF you can find a pool to get in. Many people here in town have them, we sadly aren't one of them, although that is on my shopping list for our next home. However, I just happen to have a lovely friend who renders the use of her wonderful pool to several of us to use for "water aerobics" three days a week.

Secondly, and this is going to sound VERY vain......suntans.
HA! HA! I know, I know that is ridiculous. I've always held to the opinion that..."I would MUCH rather see "tan fat" than "plain white fat"....that's a good point right? As a result of the sun and the heat we are all getting nice tans.

Doesn't this make you want to RUN down to Louisiana. I mean besides the crazy politics and corrupt politicians we seem to cultivate, we have this "peppery" weather as one of our local TV forecaster's Pat Shingleton calls it. I like that description, because our normal summer days are like a recipe of "hot cayenne pepper and black pepper, mixed with STEAM." UGH!

This is why I would want to do the snow bird thing. Go north in the summer, stay south in the winter.

After living in Louisiana, for umpteen years now I can NOT do those cold winters up north, even though I AM from the glorious Midwest. It's fine in the summertime. Not as humid, yet it does still get pretty hot at times. I could still live there in the summer and come home say......in November, say maybe after Thanksgiving. Then come back south until about the end of May, first of June.....when it gets "peppery."
That would work......basically, six months, here, six months there. Wherever "there" would be." HA!

I just need a home up north now. We will have to work on that 2nd home issue, or else we could just go to Belgium for the summers.
Now there's a thought I like.