Box fans brings back a childhood memory of sharing one with my parents. The fan was in the hallway pointed at both bedrooms. It was a big deal when we upgraded to air conditioners in the windows!
We use column fans or ceiling fans in most of our rooms to supplement the AC so I can keep the thermostat set higher. It's been a humid summer here in SE Michigan, so I wish we had a whole house dehumidifier that would run without the AC. Oh well, it is a beautiful summer with all the green everywhere.
Hello fellow Michigander! It has been very humid with A LOT of rain this year. But grass is green and garden is overflowing! And our lake levels are up. We had a whole house fan in a previous house that would suck all the humidity out the roof. It was amazing! By the way, we are in South Lyon and West Branch.
I could not exist in my apartment without my ceiling fans. During the warmer months, when the birds use my bedroom & living room air conditioners in my co-op, as their temporary home, I rely on fans all over the place. Each summer is harder to deal with than the one before. If i had a say in it all, I'd remove the extremes of summer & winter altogether.....right after I fix world hunger, world peace, and a cure for all diseases, of course.
Box fans…brings back memories of my childhood from many moons ago when houses here in NC didn’t have AC. People would flock to movie theatres, which did have AC, regardless of what was showing. Although there were no malls here at the time, some stores had AC. It was a sweaty time here in the South.
On another note…maybe my brain has been affected by the heat, but I’m confused about the “price break” in August. I paid what I understood was an annual fee for “One Good Thing” and this has appeared on my curent credit card statement…wasn’t counting on another fee until next year. Also I wasn’t aware that there’s a second blog. Please straighten me out on this.
As always, many thanks for your calming words and lovely images.
Hi Cheryl -- good question! I'm supposing that this month will extend your annual subscription. Meaning -- that you'll get 13 months for the price of 12. But I will have to check on that!
I also publish a free newsletter, but I am currently taking my own breather from that. I may revamp it to focus on Q and A advice, but I'm not sure.
Thanks for the clarification. Even though you’re taking a “breather”, sounds like you’re still doing a lot of writing…always appreciated, of course, and never taken for granted.
I love the kind of view in your first photo. After I retired from teaching, I went into the part-time job of flower delivery for Bool's Flower Shop. It's the most enjoyable job I've ever had. I got to see the sort of view you posted many times. My favorite days of the year, though, were those first warm days of spring. I would roll down the windows, turn up the music and drive all around rural Tompkins County. I had the world by the tail, as my father would say. My teaching career was in Lancaster, PA, which had a different kind of controlled rural beauty. Ithaca's beauty feels wilder to me and I love it.
I’m happy for you for moving on from your column, and dearly miss reading your compassionate, direct, concise wisdom each morning. I have the collection of your columns that was published c. 2015 - might there be another book of your columns published in the nearish future?
Hi Paige ... sadly the collection you possess was published by the Chicago Tribune without my input or consent -- and without any compensation. After some legal wrangling, they were forced to remove it from stores.
I may publish a selection of columns and essays -- I'm happy you'd want to read it!
Thank you Amy, for everything!! And I look forward to subscribing to your Ask Amy newsletter as well…I hadn’t realized that existed, and I have missed your column since Gannett discontinued publishing it a few years ago. Enjoy August!!
Could you kindly provide a link to your very first Chicago Tribune column? I believe I have the date - 7/20/2003 (correct me) but can't find a link that goes back to that first column. However, as you may or may not be paid for me reading such a link, I would be delighted to purchase a collection of your columns - first and last and the in-betweens. And, of course, I would pay to get beyond the Tribune's paywall, as I do at WaP0. Thank you. The Substack subscription offer for August is generous of you. The Creatives of the world have been having such a tough time in terms of reasonable pay this past decade or more.
You are missed at WaPO. But I am reading Eric faithfully - he has your reasonableness and compassion.
The mountain photograph is lovely - please consider placing it in an art gallery or marketing it as a postcard. Does that mountain have its own name? Thank you for sharing it.
HI Deborah -- I did share a very early column (might not have been my first), and if I can find it I'll re-publish it. Thank you for wanting to see it.
That is not exactly a mountain in the photo. It is an ancient and worn-down hill, and where I live we are surrounded by beautiful and gentle views of rolling hills that are so old they don't have names.
Dear Amy, I am certain that the feeling of relief is well worth any feeling of regret for ending your newspaper column. I just read an article on "decluttering" that was more about lessening unenjoyable obligations and sapping relationships than what to do with Aunt Aliphaire's brooch. Now, you write for pleasure, not deadlines. I always enjoy reading your comforting thoughts. Thank you!
What a beautiful view!
Box fans brings back a childhood memory of sharing one with my parents. The fan was in the hallway pointed at both bedrooms. It was a big deal when we upgraded to air conditioners in the windows!
We use column fans or ceiling fans in most of our rooms to supplement the AC so I can keep the thermostat set higher. It's been a humid summer here in SE Michigan, so I wish we had a whole house dehumidifier that would run without the AC. Oh well, it is a beautiful summer with all the green everywhere.
Hello fellow Michigander! It has been very humid with A LOT of rain this year. But grass is green and garden is overflowing! And our lake levels are up. We had a whole house fan in a previous house that would suck all the humidity out the roof. It was amazing! By the way, we are in South Lyon and West Branch.
Hi. We had a whole house fan in Warren where I grew up, it helped with no ac for sure. Yes, the lake levels are up.
I could not exist in my apartment without my ceiling fans. During the warmer months, when the birds use my bedroom & living room air conditioners in my co-op, as their temporary home, I rely on fans all over the place. Each summer is harder to deal with than the one before. If i had a say in it all, I'd remove the extremes of summer & winter altogether.....right after I fix world hunger, world peace, and a cure for all diseases, of course.
Box fans…brings back memories of my childhood from many moons ago when houses here in NC didn’t have AC. People would flock to movie theatres, which did have AC, regardless of what was showing. Although there were no malls here at the time, some stores had AC. It was a sweaty time here in the South.
On another note…maybe my brain has been affected by the heat, but I’m confused about the “price break” in August. I paid what I understood was an annual fee for “One Good Thing” and this has appeared on my curent credit card statement…wasn’t counting on another fee until next year. Also I wasn’t aware that there’s a second blog. Please straighten me out on this.
As always, many thanks for your calming words and lovely images.
Hi Cheryl -- good question! I'm supposing that this month will extend your annual subscription. Meaning -- that you'll get 13 months for the price of 12. But I will have to check on that!
I also publish a free newsletter, but I am currently taking my own breather from that. I may revamp it to focus on Q and A advice, but I'm not sure.
Thanks for the clarification. Even though you’re taking a “breather”, sounds like you’re still doing a lot of writing…always appreciated, of course, and never taken for granted.
Hello and enjoy this glorious summer of breathing, humid though it may be.
Thank you for sharing!
I love the kind of view in your first photo. After I retired from teaching, I went into the part-time job of flower delivery for Bool's Flower Shop. It's the most enjoyable job I've ever had. I got to see the sort of view you posted many times. My favorite days of the year, though, were those first warm days of spring. I would roll down the windows, turn up the music and drive all around rural Tompkins County. I had the world by the tail, as my father would say. My teaching career was in Lancaster, PA, which had a different kind of controlled rural beauty. Ithaca's beauty feels wilder to me and I love it.
That view does seem timeless and the more I travel to other places, the more I appreciate this particular landscape.
Bools!! Now that's a fun fact for sure.
thanks!!
You are the best!!!
Thank you, Amy!
I’m happy for you for moving on from your column, and dearly miss reading your compassionate, direct, concise wisdom each morning. I have the collection of your columns that was published c. 2015 - might there be another book of your columns published in the nearish future?
Hi Paige ... sadly the collection you possess was published by the Chicago Tribune without my input or consent -- and without any compensation. After some legal wrangling, they were forced to remove it from stores.
I may publish a selection of columns and essays -- I'm happy you'd want to read it!
Yes please publish a book of your columns Amy! I'd love to read it.
Enjoy this new chapter of your life 😊
Whoa - how appalling and ridiculous! I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
I very much hope you do publish a selection of columns/essays and can’t wait to read it!
Love love that view!
Come visit soon -- and bring your bikes!
Thank you Amy, for everything!! And I look forward to subscribing to your Ask Amy newsletter as well…I hadn’t realized that existed, and I have missed your column since Gannett discontinued publishing it a few years ago. Enjoy August!!
Yay! August for FREE! :-)
Dear Amy,
Could you kindly provide a link to your very first Chicago Tribune column? I believe I have the date - 7/20/2003 (correct me) but can't find a link that goes back to that first column. However, as you may or may not be paid for me reading such a link, I would be delighted to purchase a collection of your columns - first and last and the in-betweens. And, of course, I would pay to get beyond the Tribune's paywall, as I do at WaP0. Thank you. The Substack subscription offer for August is generous of you. The Creatives of the world have been having such a tough time in terms of reasonable pay this past decade or more.
You are missed at WaPO. But I am reading Eric faithfully - he has your reasonableness and compassion.
The mountain photograph is lovely - please consider placing it in an art gallery or marketing it as a postcard. Does that mountain have its own name? Thank you for sharing it.
HI Deborah -- I did share a very early column (might not have been my first), and if I can find it I'll re-publish it. Thank you for wanting to see it.
That is not exactly a mountain in the photo. It is an ancient and worn-down hill, and where I live we are surrounded by beautiful and gentle views of rolling hills that are so old they don't have names.
Thanks so much about the column request, Amy. Truly appreciated!
".... they are so old they don't have names." - Very beautiful; poetic.
So lush and green! I always look forward to One Good Thing , it always puts a smile on my face😁
Denny!!! Thank you -- stay tuned for a special edition called: MY HAIR
Can’t wait👏👏👏👏👏
Dear Amy, I am certain that the feeling of relief is well worth any feeling of regret for ending your newspaper column. I just read an article on "decluttering" that was more about lessening unenjoyable obligations and sapping relationships than what to do with Aunt Aliphaire's brooch. Now, you write for pleasure, not deadlines. I always enjoy reading your comforting thoughts. Thank you!
Decluttering perfectly describes how I am approaching this, and honestly I haven't been happy in quite this way in a very long time.