Fantasy and Dreams: HOT SUMMER DAYS by Sarah J. McNeal

Left to Right: Matthew (nephew), Mary (sister), Ron (Mary's Husband), Pop, Mom, Me

We did not have air conditioning in our house when I was growing up. After some years, Pop got a window air conditioner in the bedroom for Mom because she had heart failure and hard a hard time breathing. We were lucky to live in an old house, part of which was made of logs and later, updated with white wooden siding. We had numerous trees, mostly oaks and elms that shaded the house and helped keep it cool. But even with all those advantages, hot humid summers could become overwhelming. Many nights when the humidity was high, I would wake up to damp sheets from the damp air. There were times when the air was so still and the temperature was so high, thunder storms were a welcome relief because of the wind associated with them.

We kept the windows wide open all over the house. In those days we didn’t worry about break-ins because they just weren’t a thing. Only once, when no one was home did we experience a break-in, but it was kind of a sad thing. A neighbor across the field was suspected of the break-in and the only thing missing was canned goods from the pantry. Pop must have felt compassion for the neighbor because he didn’t report it to the police and didn’t seem to feel anyone was in danger from this person. We did, however, start locking the doors when no one was home after that.

Pop, Mary, Me. Mom: out in the side yard by the screened-in porch

The heat drove us outside for meals and family gatherings. We often went down to the edge of the orchard under the shelter of trees to catch a breeze and some comfort. We spent a lot of time hanging out in the screened-in porch in the evenings and had meals in the side yard during the day. I never felt deprived because we didn’t have air conditioning. Even today looking back at those days I feel a kind of happiness in the way we used to adjust our lives to the heat of summer. We had great conversations and somehow food tasted better outside. We weren’t closeted inside the house staring at a TV or confined under a roof instead of out in the fresh air with clouds and stars overhead. I look back on those days with fondness and joy.

Did you grow up with air conditioning? How did you beat the heat of summer when you were growing up? Do you miss those days or are you glad you don’t have to deal hot and humid days in summer? What is your favorite thing about summer these days?

THE WILDINGS: A FAMILY SAGA (BOXED SET) only 99 cents

Prairie Rose Publications

BY SARAH MCNEAL

Buy Link: THE WILDINGS

THE WILDINGS is a wonderful collection of western romance stories that follow the Wilding family through generations of love and loss, joy and sorrow, and wins and losses in life. Get lost in this exciting boxed set of full-length books and novellas that trace the adventures of the descendants of the Wilding family. From the lawless old west days of the early 1900’s in ruthless Hazard, Wyoming, through the generations forward, the action, romance, and suspense is nonstop.

Follow the saga of the Wilding family from the early days that begin with a haunted house, a trunk, and a date with destiny in Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride. Can Joe and Lola’s unlikely romance last? Next, the dangers of World War 1 in For Love of Banjo, and a Prohibition-era kidnapping with Fly Away Heart will have you on the edge of your seat. Hollow Heart is a post WWII short story with a surprise twist, and The Beast of Hazard will touch you with its romance between a veterinarian and a beautiful circus performer facing danger. In Unexpected Blessings, a couple overcomes a seemingly insurmountable problem, and in Home For the Heart, a determined young woman must find a way into a confirmed bachelor’s heart. A conversation at a wedding spoils everything in It’s Only Make Believe, and in I Dream of You, a recurring dream, a kiss, and deadly secrets could unlock not only love but a very dangerous outcome for everyone. Three Christmas novellas, A Husband for Christmas, When Love Comes Knocking, and A Christmas Visitor are also included to round out the series and bring it to a very satisfying conclusion.

This wonderful collection will keep you entertained with richly-woven stories filled with real-life excitement, danger, and love from the heart of romance author Sarah J. McNeal. THE WILDINGS will enthrall you and keep you turning pages as you follow the multi-faceted characters and the stories of their lives! Don’t miss it!

Until Next Time...