Bare Feet and Monsters

It sure has been a topsy-turvy spring and summer as far as weather is concerned this year. It is cold and rainy one minute and hot and humid the next. Can’t quite seem to make up its mind what it wants to do.

Today is cool and windy, but just a few days ago we had a humidex reading of 37 in the afternoon and we could hardly breathe, it was so hot. We have central air in our old house, but not the greatest insulation, so when the sun beats against the south side of our roof all afternoon, the upstairs bedrooms become quite warm by bedtime. I have fans blowing in the hall to help move the warm air down and bring the cooler air up from the basement, but some days it is just a losing battle. Yesterday was one of those days.

I headed up to bed around 11pm and tried to think cool thoughts as I prepared for bed. Well, any port in a storm right? It was rather toasty in the bedroom I must say, and I needed all the help I could get to cool off so I could sleep. Cool thoughts couldn’t hurt and they just might help!!

I pulled the top sheet down to the bottom of the bed and left it there ready to pull up in the night if I needed it. I could do without it for a while, that was for sure. I crawled in, or should I say on, and sprawled out.

I lay there in the dark room and listened to the fan oscillating back and forth, and I soon started to cool down. Ahhhh, sweet relief. I still didn’t need the top sheet, but I pulled it up over my feet anyway, and was able to eventually drift off to dreamland.

For a few seconds before I pulled up the sheet I was reminded of times in my childhood when I couldn’t let my foot rest outside the blankets because I thought a monster might reach up from under my bed and grab it. If I had all my appendages hidden under the sheets, I was safe from harm and could sleep. I had to have my hands tucked under the pillow and feet inside the blankets. Monsters couldn’t get through blankets or under pillows after all. Everyone knows that, right?

Now, I am no spring chicken. I am on the downward side of my 50’s, sliding fast into my 60’s, and last night I had that same feeling I had when I was a little girl. I had to tuck my feet under the sheet to feel secure or comfortable enough to roll over and go to sleep. I tried to tell my self that it was silly, and it was still too hot to need the sheet, but I couldn’t rest until I had my feet covered and my hands tucked under the pillow. We are strange beings aren’t we?

There is still a big kid in all of us, no matter how old we get. So, go get your blanky , tuck your feet snuggly under it and take an afternoon nap today!! Enjoy. I sure do.