The day he won husband of the year award

(Also known as the hottest day of my life. Ever.)

Two years ago my Very Social Friend asked me to teach her how to sew. I was delighted to pass along my love of creating with fabric, and we began her lessons with a few pairs of shorts. Then she moved away. Then she moved back and got a sewing machine for her birthday last fall. We try to get together once a month to hone our skills. During one of those gatherings not long ago, she mentioned there was going to be a craft show at the coffee shop she worked at. She asked me if I’d be interested in having a table at the show with her. Since I’m trying all kinds of new things this year, and already had a stack of baby blankets and bibs made, I agreed. While we were at the coffee shop show, a lady came around from the church we attend and invited us to have a table at their craft show Memorial Day weekend. We thought about it for a second, and since we were having such a good time, we signed up.

Little did we know that Saturday would be the hottest, most humid day ever. You would think since we live in Florida we would have expected that for the end of May. But no, that Saturday was BAD. Really BAD. We were setting up our tables at 8:30 a.m. and we were already dripping with sweat, wishing we had worn cooler clothes and that the canopy we had borrowed from her cousin would have worked on the cement.

The Narrator showed up with the kids just about then to see if we needed anything before he took the kids to a birthday party. We asked him to please take a look at the directions for the canopy to see if maybe we had misunderstood them, hoping for a miracle so we wouldn’t end up as poached eggs on the sidewalk. He looked the instructions over and gave us a sad look. “So sorry, but it’s not going to work.”

We put on our smiles, determined to make the best of it. We do know how to have a good time, even if it’s while fighting over a battery operated fan in 95 degree heat with 100% humidity! We sent The Narrator and kids on their way and then slathered on the sunscreen. About thirty minutes later, Very Social Friend says, “Hey, aren’t those your kids?”

I looked up to see Little Miss Sunshine and T-Rex running across the courtyard toward us. Not far behind them was The Narrator – with a case of bottled water in one hand and a quick shade green canopy in the other hand. Very Social Friend and I started to squeal like little girls. In about ten minutes we had shade, glorious shade!! We gave him hugs and kisses (I did the kissing, that is) and then sent him off to the birthday party.

That is the day he won husband of the year award and saved me and Very Social Friend from heat exhaustion. And since we now own a fun, quick set-up canopy, we put it up in the drive way on Memorial Day just so we could have a picnic with the kids under it. Just for fun!