What we take for granted.....

Still living with no A/C - temp in the house has been reaching 95-97 degrees.  Hopefully tomorrow we will have a new unit installed and running! 

Having been living in a home in, Florida mind you, without air conditioning humbles you to appreciate the things we normally take for granted.  At the top of my list right now is air conditioning - but not just for what we normally think of "comfort".  It is amazing the things that our affected because of no a/c that we don't normally think of.  Food in our pantry is stale because it is not protected from the envasive humidity and 90+ temperature.  Our refrigerators are working overtime because they are used to working in 76 degree weather not 96 degree weather.  The building materials in our home are sucking up moisture and once the a/c is back on the moisture will be sucked out and what it will leave we are hoping is not alot of damage - nail pops pulling seams in base & casing, cabinet doors needing to be readjusted; doors not opening/closing properly.

We have 3 dogs, Scobby - a big hound dog - 90+ pounds and Bruno & Precious - 20 pound shitzu & a 5 pound shitzu!  They have been tolerating the heat right along with us - deminished appetites, they can't get enough water and they are panting non-stop!  My heart goes out to them for we have always given them a cool home to escape the heat from...tomorrow my pets!  So today I shaved them down - hoping to releif them a bit of their insulation that seems to be working against them.

So, as you can see having a/c affects way more than just our comfort!  This week I have given a lot of thought to how people live in this heat that are unable to afford this comfort - that I have come to take for granted as a necessity.  We usually keep our thermostat at 76 degrees but given our new found appreciation, 78 - 80 is probably sufficient to keep the moisture out of the house and we will still feel a considerable difference when compared to the 95+ degree heat outside.

As things stand now I plan to stay inside all of Wednesday just cleaning and basking in cool air! 

"100th - Tablescape Thursday" - My 29th Tablescape - Red, White & Green & My 1st Patio Tablescape

In honor of the 100th I did "2" tablescapes - an outdoor and an indoor!  Well, it is July 14th and I have 2 tablescapes and 2 barscapes in the queue.  Planned to do some scrapbooking and was going to use the dinning room table to "spread out" the work.  That lasted three days - couldn't stand not having my table set and beautiful.  So, today I put together a new tablescape even though I have some I haven't posted yet.  Mind you - my a/c went out yesterday so I was working in 91 degree weather, had to iron the tablecloth and the napkins - there should be some kind of reward for such dedication under such extreme conditions.  So although you can't see the sweat - there was plenty through this process - enjoy!

The tablecloth was $2.99 at Hospice - just two pretty to pass up; once laundered and pressed it was truly gorgeous.  Although it is round and my table is rectangle I envisioned exactly the look I got. 

Picked up the red chair covers from another local thrift store - both of them were $7.99 - still in the package.

The settings are Johnson & Bros. plain white dinner plates with these red flowered desert plates by "Home".

Set two on red flowered placemats with green chargers and two on round green placemats with red chargers.

Notice the little red ceramic birds hanging from the light fixture - courtesy of my sister Dawn.

What table is complete without the food????  "Chipolte Cornbread Chili Bake .......

and Apple Pie for desert.....

For the outdoor tablescape - here is my patio tablescape - 1st one I have ever done.  It is really breezy here where we live and our patio is not covered or enclosed so needless to say it will be put away as soon as the pics have been taken.

I started with a simple embroidered, square linen and placed one of my favorite vases - the look with the green grass background is beautiful...

Then added some tall pewter candlesticks with light lavender colored candles.  The placemats are woven straw - bright colors...

The place settings are Pflatzgraff - Italian Vine with American Atelier, "Bouguet Garni" desert plates on top.

The napkins are "picnicky" and colorful -

White Ivory flatware & flowerd margarita glasses....

Happy "100th" Tablescape Thursday everyone....and as always - thanks to Susan at BNOTP for sponsoring Tablescape Thursdays. Remember: "Around the world - - life is best around the table". Thanks for visiting, please leave some encouraging words! 

28th Tablescape - Whimisical Vacation Spot Dishes

I made this table especially for my Sister Dawn and her husband Bob's, visit.  They came and spent the day with us and stayed for dinner.

The white dinner plates are Johnson Bros. and then the salad/desert plates are each from a different island vacation spot - Key Largo, Wakiki, Malibu & Cape Cod.  They are different color schemes thus the "whimical"...

Pulling fromt the colors of the plates I accented each setting with a different shaped, different colored candle on a mirror (I have found it is easier to clean wax drippings off these mirror than off the linens!)

We had grilled ribs, salad and potatoes.  For desert.... 

Sugar free apple pie.  

As always - thanks to Susan at BNOTP for sponsoring Tablescape Thursdays. Remember: "Around the world - - life is best around the table". Thanks for visiting, please leave some encouraging words!