As if on cue, the sweltering summer heat has arrived, just in time for Holy Week. When I was much younger, I used to think that intense heat and Good Friday almost inevitably came hand in hand. Manila has had relatively balmy weather, extremely pleasant in fact, for most of the last few months, but the heat and humidity is here this week with a vengeance… We are out of town for a few days so things will be slow around here. I hope you have a safe and restful holiday and it will be back to regular posting in a few days or so. It’s been a crazy last two weeks — several trips on business down South, a month long saga of back and forth with our credit card company that will probably result in a week’s worth of credit card posts after Easter, new lechon dishes for the restaurant, an impromptu dinner with a food writer from the U.K., and a whole afternoon of baking cakes, cookies, brownies, etc. to bring to the beach!
These wonderful hydrangeas, in pale blue and purple (perfect for Easter) were purchased at a weekend market last Saturday but were so upset with the heat that they wilted just hours after I had harvested them. And no amount of soaking in cool water could revive them. Keep hydrated folks. :)
18 Responses
lovely flowers!
Several years ago, as I was watching HGTV, they featured cut flowers and how to keep them alive longer. One tip for semi-wilted flowers, is to cut the stem, and soak them in really hot water. The steam from the hot water easily shoots up the stem and revive the flowers. I’ve tried this several times and it really works!
Indeed, the weather is so hot I’d buy my own cool cave to hide in.
Sweltering is really the word for it! let’s just hope this let’s up after awhile! :)
The older I get the worse the heat affects me. :-) I will be wilting soon. Hydrating, absolutely.
Happy Easter, MM and family!! Already anticipating lively and interesting posts ahead (that is, after your brief R and R in the beach house)
Ay misery loves company nga! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one wilting. The temperature changed so suddenly, I wasn’t sure if it was the temperature or if I was finally experiencing my first hot flashes :-) Also funny that MM too equally Holy Week, and Good Friday in particular, with the height of summer. I’d always thought so, too. Until a couple of years ago I also mistakenly believed there’s always a full moon on Good Fridays, because I always associated that day with moongazing.
enjoy your vacation, MM and family! i was just telling somebody yesterday that it’s not hot in davao as previous holy weeks, but i may have spoken too soon.
wow, the good life=)
summer is definitely here!
Mangoes and summer!
I inspected my hortensia bush this morning, I’ll be having some wonderful flowers this summer. Have a lovely Holy Week celebration.
I too associate heat with the Good Friday, as I recall (Sampaloc, Manila) going to the 12 noon procession (Station of the Cross) that ends up at 3:00pm, that last station where we have to kneel on the street longer..talaga pong ang init. My mom makes us bring salt with us and put the grain in our tongue, which seems to ease our feeling of being hot and avoid dizziness. We did it since I was 6 yrs old till my adulthood. Here in Houston, we too have a small procession, around the yard of the church, last only for an 1 hour, its hot, but somehow always windy. And the prayers cited is in Greek.
Cakes, cookies and brownies, yummy! Done with the diet altogether I presume, MM?
It sure is scorchingly hot in Manila now. Can’t wait to escape the city tomorrow. Have fun at the beach.
as if on cue, the hot & humid manila summer nights are back. just in time for the 14-church visita iglesia tomorrow. i have somehow missed this heat and for nostalgic reasons, am enjoying it. am glad climate change hasn’t altered our holy week weather…. yet. ;-)
The best way to revive wilted hydrangeas is to dip the stems in very hot water (boiling even) for about 30 seconds then move them back to room temp water. I learned that from Martha Stewart, and it works.
sorry to hear about those gorgeous hydrangeas. yes, they are so pretty! this may sound so crazy, but try putting them in the fridge next time to keep it fresh. then, put them on a display when need be.
with this heat, the best accessory in manila now is an aircon! hehe. if i could wear it on my neck i would.