This heat has got to end!

I have never been a hot-weather person. Not for me, the days of lounging on a sandy beach "catching rays" and trying to get my lily-white skin to turn to a  burnished golden brown. My ginger hair was probably partially to blame for that, and the fact that I burned bright red and blistered so easily. From only weeks old, taking me out in a pram, even shaded by a parasol, I sneezed in the sun. I still do, 61 years later. Some things never change.

Thankfully, this week, our beginning drought situation has eased somewhat by almost daily bouts of much welcome rain. On a couple of days we were blessed by maybe hour long deluges, on others gentle showers that left as quickly as they came, but our lakes and rivers, and our trees, bushes and grasses, were blessed by the rainfall. I was happy too, listening to its patter, or drumming, on my metal awnings. Sadly, it didn't manage to keep the heat at bay, just made it more humid afterwards.

It's times like these that I am very appreciative of basically being on my bed all day. I am inside, cool, and not having to deal with the thick oppressive wall of hot air other than when letting my dogs out to do their business, or letting them back in a few minutes later. They, too, prefer lying around my bedroom floor, in the cool air, with their bellies on the ceramic tile.

The week has been good for me in other ways. I have been working both my businesses and am doing well with my goals this month. About 1/3 the way to my $500 goal for my WATKINS sales, and happy with my Campaign 18 AVON order that goes in on Thursday. I'd love to grow both, but it is hard connecting with people online when you can't physically be out there mingling, like you used to. I rely on people sharing my Facebook and Google+ posts, and my various blog posts, to find new people to serve.

My family history research has been meandering along well. I finally found the information that I needed to send for my great grandmother, my maternal grandmother's mother, Mary Ann Hunt's, birth certificate, so that I can lay to rest the question of her mother's maiden name and see whether my research is correct or others searching the same tree, who have another lady as her mother.

I also sent away for her father's birth certificate, as that will give me some more information on him, and my maternal grandfather's mother's father's death certificate, as he was only 35 when he died, and I would like to know why. He lived in an awful slum, that was rife with disease, so did he succumb to one of those? Equally the slum was a dangerous place to be, with robberies and murders being commonplace, so was he a victim of something like that? Only the certificate will tell.

My questions about my maternal grandfather's mother's early attendance at school is having to wait until the beginning of September when English schools "go back" for the Autumn term. However, further browsing of the document of her admission shows she was not the only 2 year old starting at Virginia Rd School in 1883. I really don't understand why a 2 year old would be beginning school, in a slum, at a time when education had to be paid for, and when "school age" children rarely attended for more than 2 or 3 years. I am really interested in finding out the hows and whys on that, and hoping the school can explain, since it is still open and very proud of its history.

This week has also been a good one in my beginning Christmas shopping. Just as I did last year, I am trying to do most of it from other home based business people and handicrafters.

My friend, Debbie, is a crocheter and she has been working on a dress for my great granddaughter, Sami. You can private message Debbie on Facebook through her page here.

We are now trying to find a cloche type bonnet that she can make to match, with a perky rosette on the brim, to complete the outfit. Last year she made my grown granddaughter a gorgeous pink cowl type neckscarf, so I planned on going back to her this year to do a quaint Victorianesque child's dress and cloche for my great granddaughter. I love getting "special" things for the people I love, or creating "special moments".

Hoping to create a Christmas "custom" I had another lady make 2 stockings, and I'm very pleased with them too. Chris cross stitches the names and can find fabrics to suit any tastes. I hope to go through all my great-grands and get them all a stocking done this year. Chris has a special page, for her business at Christmas Stockings on Facebook.

Daniel loves his Mickey Mouse.

And my granddaughter said to have Sami's done with Minnie Mouse.

I'm quite chuffed to be ahead of the game this year, again. It makes for a much more pleasant experience than trying to rush it all in December, because all of a sudden that month arrives and we don't know how it got there!

Well, that's it for me, today. Just going to enjoy the evening with my hubby, a floor-full of dogs and ye felines.

Have a great weekend, my friends.