Its hot.

Its also July.

So, will everyone quit the complaining?  I waited ALL winter for this kind of weather, and I L-O-V-E it!  Honestly, if it was hovering close to 85 degrees every day you’d never hear a negative peep outta me. I’m a summer girl trapped in the northern hemisphere, and its likely only a matter of time until I call the Equator home.

With all that said, it should come as no surprise that I am not a big fan of air conditioning.  During the past two months, I don’t think we’ve turned our AC on more than half a dozen times, and each time was just for a very quick cool down.  It seems silly to spend all winter pining for the warmth of summer, only to keep our homes and offices so chilly that a sweater is required.

Unless you’re pregnant, ill or a senior citizen, you probably don’t need AC to survive.  Instead of viewing this modern convenience as a necessity, it should be considered a luxury. We are not entitled to have abundant air conditioning.  Its a drag on the environment, and it sucks the life right out of summer.

With the windows closed and the AC pumping, we miss out on much of what this season has to offer.  Sounds like birds chirping, kids skipping down the street, lawn mowers buzzing.  Scents like fresh cut grass, an approaching thunderstorm, basil in the herb garden.  With the windows open, its hard not to be drawn outdoors, away from the confinement of a shuttered home.  Why sit inside when there is so much life to explore outside?

So, I challenge you to spend a day (or two!) with the AC off and the windows wide open.  Let your senses experience this season. Watch the curtains flutter in the breeze.  Pretend like you’re a sultry Southern belle as you sip a sweet tea or a homemade cocktail.  Sweat a little…and like it.