Staying Cool!!!

The Rev. Rosa Lindahl

Dearest Holy Comforter Family,

During our first heatwave this month, I walked out of our home and felt like someone had thrown a soaking wet blanket over me. The humidity was overwhelming. In fact, it was so bad that I found that two of my chicken ladies had gone into their nesting boxes and died of heat exhaustion. We’ve worked hard to remediate that danger in Manny Roberto and his harem’s new Taj Mahal, but I don’t kid myself. It was a scary promise that an Alabama summer had arrived.

Here’s my advice. Don’t go out into that kind of humid misery. Stay indoors when it gets that way. Keep with you at all times iced tea in a very tall glass, with condensation running down the outside. Ice-cold watermelons or peaches will also help. And there is always a couple of summertime pastimes I treasure: Reading and going to the movies (or streaming the movies on your TV).

I have some recommendations for you. The first has just recently been published. I’ll tell you right now, this isn’t a light-hearted romcom. It is, however, a magnificently written and powerful reflection on chronic illness. Ramsey’s memoir is an invitation to look for hope and joy where you would least expect it. Ramsey can make you guffaw with her humor. Her writing is also poetry. The book is called The Place Between Our Pains by K.J. Ramsey. 

The second is a book I read during my sabbatical last year. Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand. This too is a memoir. Jeff Chu, the author, describes his experiences getting an MDiv in preparation to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church; he got his degree at Princeton. Several years ago, Princeton inherited a farm that is part of its seminary. Applicants can enroll as ‘seminarians’ (the very traditional track) or as “farminarians” who live and work on the farm. Again, there are places of deep insight in the book, fascinating stories about how one prepares to be a minister, and some guffaw-out-loud moments. 

The third is also a memoir (yes, as I write this, I see a pattern. People’s lives fascinate me.) Ruth Reichl was at the heart of the most glamorous food culture of all, first writing in the Food section of the New York Times and then as the Editor in Chief of Gourmet. Her book is called Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir. I love cooking; I confess I often listen to foodie podcasts as I drive to and from work. Reichl has fascinating, funny, and sometimes poignant stories to tell about life in the lane where star chefs and other celebrities move fast. She’s another sharp, insightful writer and towards the end of a particularly hot day, you could do worse than to sit with a plate of nice cheese and a good glass of wine while you read her book.

I saved the best for last. The Sheep Detective is a movie, and it is about just that. A flock of sheep who must become detectives after their human caretaker is murdered. Intrigue. Drama. Gorgeous scenery. Hugh Jackman…The wittiest, most delightful dialogue a person could want to witness. Even my spouseman who can be a bit curmudgeon-ly, was enchanted. This is the kind of feel-good entertainment we all need to get through terrible humidity, high heat, and too much drama in the world. It has started streaming on Prime Video. Even if you don’t subscribe, maybe you can get a trial membership for free long enough to watch it. You’ll be glad you did.

These are just a few of the graces of summer. Receive them or whatever other activity gives you joy, and receive them without shame or restraint. Laugh a lot. Remember, we are all called beloved…Rosa+