Living the Dream

I never truly appreciated the scene in the Wizard of Oz because I couldn’t imagine something as harmless as water being lethal. Now, I’ve changed my mind. Yesterday, the humidity was 94%. My windows were sweating on the outside. Thank goodness we got a bit of rain, otherwise all of my plants would be dead.

Today, the humidity is a mere 55%, but I swear five minutes outside, and I start to melt! At the moment, the temperature is 88 degrees Fahrenheit or 104 degrees with the humidex–that means the air feels 16 degrees warmer than it is. If that was your body’s temperature, you’d be having a tremendously high fever that could lead to convulsions. Hell, you might even be on your way to the ER. Here in Canada, we measure temperature in Celsius, so 31 degrees or 40 might not sound as bad but believe me it is!

So what can you do in heat like this?

1. Be sun smart

It’s best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, but sometimes that can’t be avoided. When out in direct sunlight, wear (and regularly reapply) sunscreen, cover your head with a hat, and remember to take regular breaks indoors or in a shady area to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing will also help you to keep cool.

2. Wetter is better

Heat escapes through the skin, which is the largest organ in the body. So, the more skin you can cool down, the better. 

In baking hot weather, drenching a t-shirt and keeping it wet can be very effective. If you’d rather not walk around in wet clothing, you can buy cooling spray or having a cool shower will work just as well. You can quickly cool yourself down by putting your hands and feet in cold water. Wrists and ankles have lots of pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you will cool down more quickly.

3. Drink plenty of water

As you sweat throughout the day, the liquids you are losing need to be replaced to avoid dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, dizziness or confusion, and headaches. If untreated, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion. If the person’s condition gets worse, you should call 999 for emergency help.

Avoid caffeine and make sure you’re drinking lots of water and, if possible, isotonic sports drinks to replenish the lost salts, sugars and fluids.

4. Keep your home cool

During the hot weather, it’s important to make your home a place you can escape to out of the heat, so keeping it cool is key to feeling comfortable. It may feel natural to throw open the windows and doors when the sun is shining but, keeping them closed during the hottest parts of the day can help keep the cool air in and the hot air out.

You can open them again in the evening once the temperature has gone down to let the cool air circulate. It also helps to keep your curtains, shutters, or blinds closed, although metal blinds can make the room hotter. You can also try to avoid creating too much heat in the home by cooking or using appliances. Choose meals that don’t require extra heat, or if they do, try to prepare them earlier in the day. 

5. Keep cool at night

Hotter temperatures can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Keeping your home as cool as possible is the best way to make sure you are not disturbed. Shut windows during the day and open them when you go to bed to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. If it is still too hot, try sleeping in the coolest room in your home, or if you have another level move to the ground floor. Heat rises so downstairs is often cooler.

Try to stick to your usual bedtime routine, even if it is tempting to change it due to the heat. When you do get your head down, don’t ditch the duvet completely as this can disrupt the body’s ability to control the temperature next to our skin. Instead, try a thin sheet. You can also try having a lukewarm or cool shower before bed, to help bring your body temperature down gradually.

What you eat and drink during the day can also affect the quality of your sleep. While it’s important to stay hydrated it’s best to stick to water, especially in the evening.  

6. Limit your alcohol

The sun is high, and so are many people’s spirits. And that can lead us to the pub.

Unfortunately, combining too much sun with a few too many drinks is not a good combination. Alcohol causes dehydration, which can hit especially hard if your body is already struggling to cope with the weather. Drinking alcohol can also make it harder to get a good night’s sleep, something that’s already difficult in warmer temperatures. While you may fall asleep quickly, you’re likely to have poor quality sleep and wake up earlier than usual – not exactly the refreshing sleep you’ll need. Try to drink in moderation. 

7. Eat light meals to feel cooler

When it’s hot, you are far better off sticking to light, well-balanced, regular meals. Food with a high water content like strawberries, cucumber, celery, and lettuce, will also help to keep you hydrated and cool.

You can also try foods with high fluid content like soups and stews that contribute towards hydration levels. 

8. Limit physical activity to cooler parts of the day

It’s important not to disrupt your routine too much because of hot weather, but sometimes you may have to. An early morning run may feel punishing when you’re nice and sleepy in bed, but it could be dangerous to exercise in the blazing midday sun and risk dehydration, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Take the temperature into consideration when planning your day and, if you can, limit physical activity to when it’s cooler. If you do decide to work out or play sports, make sure to drink lots of water and take more breaks than usual to make sure you’re not putting any extra stress on your body. 

So, best advice I can give you is to stay inside and relax. Don’t want to watch TV, why not read? Check out my website for some great suggestions. https://mhsusannematthews.ca/

Welcome to this month’s IWSG blog post. I hope the summer finds you well. This month’s question is – 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

My story ideas tend to come from what happens around me. I get a lot of ideas from obscure news reports, current events, the places I visit, and from my own family’s behaviour. My current work in progress came from my granddaughter’s unwillingness to get as excited about her prom as her mother wanted her to be. Eleni is not in any way a Girlie-girl, but she does have a boyfriend and they’ve been together for well over a year–an eternity in the life of a teenager. She’s a sergeant in the army cadets and intends to pursue a career in the trades as a carpenter. Dressing up and getting her hair and makeup done seemed like insurmountable obstacles for her. Eventually, she found the right dress–army green or olive as they called it. As for shoes, she wore gladiator sandals–no heels for her. She’s threatened to wear her work boots under her gown at next year’s graduation. She refused the visit to the spa, but did let her mother do her hair and her nails, while her sister put on the bare minimum makeup.

In my story, Marissa’s sister is marrying into the British aristocracy (see the Meagan Markell -Prince Harry theme here?) and as her Maid of Honor, Marissa has to endure a whole set of social rules, dress fittings, and yes, a visit to the spa. What makes it worse is that among the people at the wedding is the man who broke her heart.

It all works out, but in the end, Marissa gets the man she wants and stays true to herself. This summer, I’m going to Norway and then taking a cruise around the British Isles. I’ll bet more than one book will come from that.

Want to see what motivates others? Check it out here. https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Happy Independence Day. Canada Day was a little wet, but wishing you all good weather. Welcome to July and this week’s Tuesday Tales. Each week, our talented authors do their best to use either a word or picture prompt in a scene from their current work. I’m working on It’s a Match, a contemporary romance. Our word this week is BLACK and as always we’re limited to 400 words. Enjoy!

“As I live and breathe. Zakary Mitchum. You are the last person I ever expected to see here.”

The woman dressed in a black satin pantsuit propelled herself into Zak’s arms.

He stood there as if carved from stone. His eyes widened and his jaw tightened, not the look I would’ve expected on the face of a man meeting his former lover.

Ken glanced at me, then at Zak, then at Karen, and back to me once more. Fate was one cruel mistress. She’d brought the four characters of a five-year-old tragedy together again. Was she expecting an encore? She wouldn’t get it from me.

I looked away, right into the Duchess’s gaze. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed, and she nodded slightly in a now, I understand motion.

I leaned back, not ready to be included in this farce just yet. Sensing eyes on me, I looked over to see Mom’s concerned ones. Once more, I took a drink.

“Karen. It’s been a while.” Zak, his face flushed, disentangled himself from her.

Karen frowned slightly. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve returned to the Motherland, too?”

Zak shook his head. “I look after Lord Broadmere’s horses back in Cedar Glen, his stud farm near Cedar Lake. He offered me a ticket to the opera tonight. I was anxious to see Marissa again. Seeing you and Ken is a … pleasant surprise.”

His comment lacked sincerity and from the slight pout on Karen’s face, she knew it.

“Speaking of Marissa, where is she?”

 Karen, as bold and brash as ever, grabbed Zak’s hand and led him around the table, sitting down next to her brother, leaving Zak no choice but to sit next to her.

Ken put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me forward so that she could see me. “She’s right here. You know Rissa. She likes to try and blend into the background, but not tonight.”

Just this once, why couldn’t the earth open up and swallow me whole?

Zak frowned but quickly hid his emotions. He didn’t like Ken touching me? Too bad.

Karen’s eyes grew the size of saucers. “Marissa? What … how … you look … fabulous, absolutely fabulous. You always were gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s you. I was hoping to see you while you’re in London.”

I certainly hadn’t been hoping to see her. In fact, I’d hoped to avoid her altogether both in the city and at the wedding. I had no idea she would be at tomorrow night’s ball. Was there any way I could avoid attending? Probably not. Mom and Marley would never accept whatever excuse I concocted.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

 

There are thunderstorms in the forecast, the air quality isn’t the best, but getting to spend the day with four of my five grandkids before they go off on their summer adventures is absolutely priceless. We’ll see the fifth when we go to Norway this summer.

Today is Canada Day, the day we celebrate our nation’s greatness. Canada Day, first celebrated on July 1, 1868 is a commemoration of July 1st, 1867, when the British North American Act (now known as the Constitution Act) united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a single country. Before that, we were all separate British colonies. After the initial unification, we gradually grew into the ten provinces and three territories we are today. Canada occupies the largest landmass of the twenty-three sovereign countries occupying North America, including the protected French territory of St Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland and 60% of Hans Island which are Danish territory.

Canada has the third largest population in North America and our official languages are English and French. King Charles III is our King and he’s represented here by the Governor General, the Honourable Mary Simon, an Indigenous person. We have universal health care, social programs to look after the elderly and the poor, and a top-notch education system. We aren’t perfect, but we do try to do better.

Canada is a mosaic of cultures. With the exception of the Indigenous people, we are all the descendants of immigrants. When you think about it, even the Indigenous people came here from somewhere else. Most archaeologists believe the first peoples of Canada, who belong to what is sometimes called the Amerindian race, migrated to western North America from east Asia sometime between 21,000 and 10,000 B.C. (approximately 23,000 to 12,000 years ago), back when the two continents were connected by a massive land bridge known as the Bering Plain.

My paternal ancestor arrived in what was then New France in 1665. He was French with a touch of Basque. My maternal ancestor arrived some fifty years later, also French but with a dab of English. They and thousands like them helped make Canada the great country it is today. We strive to do the best we can, offering help to the oppresses, opening out arms to the refugees, and seeking to make amends for the sins of the past.

We are a relatively young country, and like any youth, we tend to want to do things our own way since of course, like any headstrong young person, we know better than our elders. As a writer, I’ve come to appreciate the differences among British English, American English and my own English. Canadian English is a weird mix of Amercian and British English with a dash of French thrown in. But that isn’t the only place where we tend to mix things up. Take measurement.

I grew up with the Imperial system. Gas was sold by the gallon, but even then, a Canadian or an Imperial gallon wasn’t the same size as an American one. Distance was measured in miles. When Canada made the formal switch from imperial to metric units on April 1, 1975. Many did not take kindly to the change. After all, our indoor thermometers were in Fahrenheit as were our ovens, refrigerators, and freezers.

In time, most of us accepted what we couldn’t change, like the Loonie replacing the one dollar bill, and then the twoonie replacing the two dollar bill, and then the loss of the penny and the introduction of rounding … we’re accommodating like that, but measurement? We still pretty much do our own thing. If you work in a hospital or a lab, it’s all metric. If you work in carpentry, it’s mainly Imperial, and for everyone else well–here’s a chart to help you understand the unique ness of Canada.

Enjoy your pint as you celebrate the wonders and mysteries of this great land of ours.

Want to know a bit more about my ancestors on the challenges they faced coming here? Check out my historical romance Canadiana Series available from Amazon. The Price of Honor and The Price of Courage, a fictionalized history of the times. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085NJ1ZFD

It’s Tuesday Tales’ time and here we are at the end of June. Half the year has gone by in the blink of an eye. This week’s word prompt is FINISH. I’m continuing with a scene from It’s a Match.

“Fine, Knightsbridge it is, but we will talk, Marissa. Count on it. You can’t leave without giving me an explanation. Not this time.” He turned to Aaron. “I have my own car, so I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

Aaron had been standing next to me and could hardly have failed to notice the tension between us, but he simply nodded. “We’ll see you there.”

I was about to get into the car when Zak reached out to me and took my hand. His gaze fastened on my eyes, he raised my hand to his lips, and kissed it, sending shivers and coils of heat warring through me.

“We aren’t finished, Marissa, not by a long shot. It was wonderful to see you again. I’ve missed you more than you’ll ever know.” With that, he turned and left.

Seeing me again? The damn fool hadn’t even recognized me, and as far as being finished went, we were way past finished.

“Such a nice young man,” the Duchess said, her eyes twinkling, a tiny smile on her lips. “He seems quite fond of you, more than fond, yet I sense something happened between you that remains unresolved.”

I smiled and shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, what we had ended a long time ago.”

The Duchess pursed her lips and shook her head. “Young people. Have you heard the expression, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater?”

I chuckled. “Of course, but it’s never made much sense to me.”

“That’s because you don’t understand it. Years ago, bathing was a time-consuming and difficult process undertaken infrequently. The tub would be filled with hot water, and the head of the household would bathe first, then the eldest son, and so on according to age and status. By the time the youngest got into the bath, the water was usually quite cloudy and dirty. One had to look carefully to make sure no one was left in the tub. Today, it applies to anything that is set aside without careful investigation. Relationships fall into that category. Marissa, that young man cares deeply for you. I can see from your eyes that he did something that hurt you deeply, but before you throw love away, remember things are not always as they seem.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Happy Summer Solstice! Celebrate the coming summer months with pre-covid prices on fantastic novels.

Think about it! 30 box sets of full-length novels for only 99 cents each (USD) You won’t find a better bargain anywhere to kickstart your summer reading. There are Unforgettable Suspense box sets, Unforgettable Romance box sets, and Unforgettable Christmas box sets. This is your chance to read over 250 novels from International and NY Times bestselling authors at a fraction of the cost you would expect for so many wonderful and compelling stories. You’ll definitely find stories to cherish! I’m pleased to be part of this select group.

Check out the sets here. https://authorsbillboard.com/book-bites/ You’re sure to find something that’s right for your reading pleasure. May I suggest:

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. I’m continuing with It’s a Match, my contemporary romance with a touch of comedy. Imagine going from an everyday life as an electrician, competing in a man’s world to spending three weeks hobnobbing with the aristocracy. Anything can happen. Our word this week is MIRROR.

At the back of my mind, forcing its way out despite my determination, was the thought of how Ken would react to seeing me all gussied up as we used to say. On the heels of that notion was another. How would Zak react? Dressed the way I would be at the wedding, I wouldn’t look like the electrician he’d tossed aside for a nurse, but then she would be there as well, so it might be a moot point. As the saying went, you couldn’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

I spent most of the afternoon at the beauty spa with Mom, Marley, the Duchess, and Solange. Once again, the level of pampering had been intimidating. Before the hairstylist took me in, I had a manicure and a pedicure. Gel nails turned my worker hands into objects of beauty with a gorgeous garnet polish that matched the dress I would wear. Hands and feet suitably decorated, I moved along the assembly line to the hairstylist. My hair had been washed, conditioned, and highlighted in spite of my objections. It had been trimmed once more and now flowed down my back from the crown in a cascade of curls held in place by enough hairpins to have me avoiding magnets. When the hairstylist finished, the makeup artist took over. I found it hard to believe that some women went to these lengths each day. It would take me a couple of hours and I would come off looking like the clown from It.

The cosmetician added another layer of pain to my lips and smiled. “You’re very beautiful, Miss Kimble. Thank you for allowing me to make you shine.”

Mirror, mirror in my hand, who’s the fairest in the land?

When she held the mirror up in front of me, I gasped.

“That’s me?” If I were to meet myself on the street, I would never recognize myself. The blue-gray eye shadow, eyeliner, and black mascara gave size and depth to my sapphire eyes. The creamy peach foundation hid the marks on my face and my freckles, while the pink blush highlighted cheekbones I didn’t even know I had. She’d used a deep garnet lipliner and then a garnet lip paint with a coat of clear lip shine on top. I was … I was … beautiful and hot … and fake.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Unforgettable Love: Unforgettable Wonder. Grab your copy today!

If you’re looking for a light, fun, contemporary romance to kickstart your summer reading, why not pick up a copy of Tequila Sunrise, free this weekend.

She left him in stitches before pulling a Cinderella and disappearing. Ten years later, she wants a second chance.

Kelly Winters, an up-and-coming recreational facilities designer, is excited to be part of Conway Enterprises’ latest resort reconstruction in Mexico.
Discovering Liam Conway, a blast from the past and sexier than ever, will be her seatmate on the flight thrills her, especially when he’s willing to forget parts of their first encounter and start fresh.
When Liam shows up at the Mexican restaurant where she and her coworkers are enjoying lunch, she can’t believe her luck. Sun, sand, and sex. Who could ask for more?
But when she realizes Liam is Conway’s CEO and her new boss, her hopes plummet. Can they make their renewed attraction work, or will it be another short-lived office romance?

Enjoy!

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Hasn’t it been a crazy month and we’re only thirteen days in. I feel as if someone told Mother Nature she couldn’t do something, and she answered “Hold my beer.” Heat, cold, and smoke have been the orders of the day. Who knows what the next seventeen days will bring?

This week, we’re working with a picture prompt, and I’m working on It’s a Match, a Contemporary Romance with a few laughs in it. Since we have a picture prompt. We’re limited to 300 words. Here’s the picture I chose.

“Are you telling me that Zak Mitchum is going to be staying in the same house as me? That I’m going to have to put up with him for the next two weeks until your wedding day? What other disastrous news have you been keeping from me? Let me guess. He’s part of the wedding party—maybe even the Best Man? Seriously, Marley. How could you keep this from me?”

“For the exact reason that’s happening right now.” She rolled her eyes. “Calm down, Marissa.”

Calm down?

As if telling someone to calm down ever worked.

“He’s not part of the wedding party, but since he’s Aaron’s special guest, he will be part of the festivities. Zak and the horse will arrive the day before we do. I’m not asking you to spend time with him. I simply expect you to be polite. Canadians are polite. It’s our shtick. Surely that isn’t asking too much?

The blood in my veins turned to ice. I hadn’t laid eyes on Zak in five years, not since …Now, not only was I supposed to share accommodations with him, I was expected to be polite to him? Polite to the man who’d broken my heart and had left it in tatters? That was like going up to someone with a nut allergy and handing them a piece of the most gorgeous almond cake in the world and saying to them, “It’s okay. Go ahead and eat your fill. It’ll only kill you once, but you’ll enjoy it.” This wedding might well be the death of me.

“You don’t know what you’re asking.” I swallowed the tears choking me. Even after all this time, the mere mention of his name turned me into a mess.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.