Here’s the news from Mississippi: It’s hot, y’all.
Hot in the way that when I open the door the heat and humidity hits my face and the glasses fog up. Hot in the way that we have to crank the air in the car 10 minutes before we want to go anywhere to avoid melting on the seats. Hot in a the way that unless I am fully submerged in a body of water, I’m hibernating inside the summer.
Here’s how I’m surviving:
Live Vicariously Through Camp Facebook Pages
I’ve enjoyed following along the Facebook pages of camps I love, like the URJ Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS. The smiles on those kids makes me remember the days of sweaty carefree lifestyle when the hotter it got just meant the longer you could have free swim.
Entertain My Toddler With Tricks I Learned as an Education Fellow
Staying indoors isn’t easy on anyone. My kid is definitely prone to the claustrophobia that comes with being inside all day. Luckily, I have a few tricks up my sleeve with what I used to call “rainy day” activities. I spent two years as an ISJL Education Fellow, so I can come up with kid-friendly activities in a pinch! Plus any box, container, or toilet paper roll is a game for construction and then destruction that can entertain for hours. And when we need a quiet moment, I turn to the new collection of books I’ve been building thanks for PJ Library. My current favorite? Nosh, Schlep, Schluff: BabYiddish, where we get to say fun words like tuches and kibbitz in funny accents.
Eat All the Goodies from the Farmers Market
Summer does bring an abundance of deliciousness from the farmer’s market. We’re chowing down on cherry tomatoes and going through gallons (gallons!) of blueberries. We’re now at the point in the season where we’ve got an abundance of zucchini so I decided to take a spin on the traditional potato latke and fry up from zucchini fritters instead! I’m loyal to Deb Perleman, the home cook who posts great accessible recipes on Smitten Kitchen. I always turn to her for recipes, and love her take on the Jewish classics.
Get Out of Town
How is everyone else having a blast outside? Oh, right– they’ve planned vacations. In this region the Gulf Coast is the place to be for fun in the sun without the foggy glasses. I’m planning trips to Biloxi, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida this summer, so that I can stop feeling so claustrophobic inside the air conditioned house. And when all else fails, go North. This summer my family will be making the pilgrimage to my homeland, New England, to visit with my family for a weekend and get some relief.
Here’s to creative summer survival skills!
