At a recent Holistic Health Open House, something was desperately wrong with the air conditioning as several practitioners—myself included—were dripping sweat while groups of over-heated people made their way through our booths.
After a while I noticed that two of the practitioners were using beautiful hand-held fans to keep themselves cool. Impressed, I asked them where they’d gotten their fans. “World Market,” they replied.
As you can imagine, I stopped on the way home and purchased an Asian-inspired fan for myself. Now, the next “power surge” or thermostat malfunction I experience—body or building—I’ve got an ace up my sleeve!
What do you have up your sleeve?
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan
www.HolEssence.com and our Facebook page
© 2011 Laurie Buchanan – All Rights Reserved
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Helpful, Lovely and Provocative!
Sheila – Thank you, I’m glad you stopped by.
Hi Laurie,
I have been known to stuff a neck cooler in my bag for conferences. I’ve been to a few that made me feel like day-long hot flashes – ugh. Soak a neck cooler in cool water in the ladies room and it poofs up, stays cool for hours. Not always the best fashion accessory but I’ve made several in neutral colors. I made a box of those in camo fabric and sent them to my son’s unit when he was in Iraq – they loved them. A bit less labor-intense than a fan, haha 🙂
Hugs
Suzen
SuZen – In the middle of summer when it’s hot as blazes Len and I wear “neck buddies” from Australia. Your neck coolers sound similar — only much more attractive — as the ones we wear definitely would not cut it accessory-wise at any conference — unless it was for lumberjacks 🙂
My great grandmother had a few authentic Japanese fans….oh what a beautiful yet practical creation!!! 🙂 Today the creativity and ideas are just flowing….nothing of productive nature yet but I will tell you I feel mentally stimulated and alive!
Catie – They had several fans to choose from at the store — some were “paper,” but I could see they would tear easily. As you said, I went for the beautiful yet practical (fabric and wood).
Love the fan, Laurie! It’s wonderful how you fan the fires of inspiration … bravo. So glad you shared this! Happy first day of November … With heart, Daisy
Daisy – I’m glad you popped in on this beautiful, first day of November. Thank you for your kind words 🙂
What a beautiful fan, Laurie.
Patience it’s not my strong suit. Yet, I am called on to wait–while taking the ferry, while accompany my husband to gigs were he works as sound man. During times like these I am so thankful for my ace up the sleeves–knitting.
Leanne – I think that knitting is such a cool “sport!” What a great ace to have up your sleeve 🙂
Hi,
There are some beautiful looking Asian hand fans around. I was lucky enough to get one as well. One of my friends brought me one of these fans when she was in Indonesia not that long ago, I have used it a couple of times, the paintings on the fans are magnificent.
Magsx2 – I can well imagine that your Indonesian fan is exquisite!
Laurie it is seldom uncomfortably hot where I live. However, I do have three cooling strategies for when I think it is going to be too warm for me. One is a hair tie for my long hair to get it off my neck. The next is dressing in layers so that I can keep taking clothes off until I am down to a sleeveless lower-than-usual neckline top – which still isn’t very low but low for me. (To my mothers dismay, I was the child who pinned her blouse closed with a diaper pin when the design did not offer a top button.) The third is my water bottle with a slice of lime in it. But these may not work in 100 degrees and better… we just very seldom get that warm. Our in-floor heating even has a cooling cycle which I didn’t notice for 4 years because we have never needed it. Just open the bottom window in the sunroom and the skylight in the loft and ta da! The updraft from the valley floor cools the house. The fan looks like a beauty and one I might be tempted to keep up my sleeve and hope for the conditions to get hot enough to use it 😉
Terrill – I envy your weather (even the wind!) on Mayne Island. I had no idea that your in-floor heating ALSO has a cooling cycle. Now that’s slick!!
I was given several lovely fans in Korea during my work there ( May is a humid month) I have never given them up they are so “just right”
I also spent several years in the south of the USA and at every church I worked at, there were paper fans in the pews and social hall. The last church I worked for the ladies had a dear woman hand paint one of these fans for me – it is 40 years old and I keep it right by my reading chair for those power surges and drippy days.
I think the neck cooler ideas sound good too… something new.
Thank you for your lovely words on my blog post – I think I would like that Chris Brogan video to keep making the rounds. It is powerful and he is such an A blogger, I am glad he took the time to make it. Depression does not get noticed or treated online….it is an offline need.
Patricia – I can imagine the intricate designs on your Korean fans — lovely. I can remember ladies in church folding bulletins, but I sure don’t remember fans being provided in the church pews. Cool!
I always have something on my mind and up my sleeve…..the just in case syndrome ormshould I call it my Girl Scout days…..
Kim – Yes…Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D if the first three fail. You should be a Girl Scout troop leader!!
Nice fan! I can’t imagine we’ll need fans much in the upcoming month. What’s up my sleeve? Grinning quietly. A trip to an amazing destination this winter. But won’t tell where. No. Shhhh. It’s going to stay up my sleeve unless something slips.
Kathy – Ohhhhhhh, what a lovely carrot you’ve dangled. I can hardly wait to read about it in your blog — complete with photographs 🙂
My hot flashes are noteworthy. At least for me. I bought a couple of Asian fans a couple of years ago and take them to use as my trusty accessory whenever I’m “charging.” Yours is beautiful!
Winsomebella – Like you, I’ve already had the opportunity to use my fan quite a few times for those power surge moments 🙂
Laurie, my Dad brought home several Asian fans when he came home from Southeast Asia decades ago. We still have them. I can’t think of a church in the South that isn’t air-conditioned these days, if it’s got electricity, it’s got A.C. I remember well the old paper fans that used to be in every pew, nice pictures of Jesus knocking at the door, little kitties in the basket, little girls picking flowers….all courtesy of the local Funeral Home. Nice picture on the front, the back announced ” Provided for your comfort by the good friends at So-and-so’s Funeral Home. Your good friends in your time of need, trusted by families for generations.” The old arbor at the Methodist camp ground still has hundreds in use, with a nice picture of the Flag. The little boy next to me had one in each hand and was using them to dig up the sawdust floor. Good entertainment on a hot night!
Sandi – Fans provided in church the church pews by the local funeral parlor, no less! I think that’s hysterical!
Lovely fan, Laurie! Like Terrill, my first line of defense is to put my hair up in a pony tail with the elastics I keep in my handbag, where I also keep handy an indigo blue Japanese fan – a gift from my daughter’s friend after her trip to Japan. I’ve used that pretty fan often for hot flashes, even on bitterly cold winter days…
Barbara – Indigo Japanese fans…I’m picturing designs somewhat like you’d find on Blue Willow china. Beautiful!
Laurie, I’m smiling at your description …..thermostat malfunction. Have not thought of it in those terms before but it’s so right 🙂
I’ve also used fans for many years but fortunately (and gratefully) have been needing them less and less lately. My favorite is an intricately carved wooden one that releases the fragrance of sandal wood when swished.
(…..also, wondering if Kathy might be needing the cooling effects of a fan on her upcoming adventure)
Colleen – Gratefully, my thermostat malfunctions less frequently as well 🙂 I love the description of your fan: “,,,intricately carved wooden one that releases the fragrance of sandal wood when swished.” That sounds really COOL (literally and figuratively). Like you, I’m wondering if our Miss Kathy is headed to a warmer climate for her next adventure.
Hi, Laurie – a couple of days late (argh!) but I HAVE been thinking about this ever since I read it on Tuesday. I always have something up my sleeve . . . a plan, an idea, a gift. I was never a girl scout, but like Kim, I always like to be prepared. Currently, I am searching for the right clinical placement for me to do my internship. We are supposed to get 200 contact hours per semester (which averages out to 12.5 hours a week). With my limited availability because I work full time, I don’t know for sure that I will be able to make that happen. As such, I am well prepared to go an extra semester in order to get the contact hours I need to graduate.
Barbara – Yowza! That’s A LOT when added to an already full schedule. I like that you are “well prepared to go an extra semester” — that way you’ll avoid meltdown 🙂