The old adage that men sweat and ladies glisten might hold true for some, but here in the South where it’s hotter than blazes, folks of all kinds just sweat. Strolling around the French Quarter last weekend, my watermelon-colored chino shorts and T-shirt were soaked through and through. My flip flops kept sliding, and my sunglasses were determined to fall off my wet face as I calculated every shaded pathway through the Quarter, whether it was to beignets or from cocktails. I did not glisten!
Do you want to know my secret? Here it is: I use Secret deodorant. For years the commercials have told us “strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.” Even though it’s marketed for women, I know the truth of the matter, that women are every bit as strong as men and often more so, so it’s powder fresh for me, please. And speaking of powder, nothing works better to keep the sweat beads away than a frequent dusting of baby powder. If you don’t have a newborn or grandchild in the nursery these days, don’t forget where to find it on the baby aisle at your favorite supermarket or drug store.
Here are a few more delicious suggestions to fight the heat: a slice of tender, juicy watermelon fresh from the refrigerator, a pitcher of mouth-watering lemonade made with lots of sugar and ice cubes, homemade ice cream flavored with the fresh peaches that are abundant these days, banana popsicles sure to bring out the child in all of us, or the old Southern standard — a tall glass of ice cold sweet tea, even with a mint leaf thrown in if you are feeling frisky. And for your fragrance palate, I always suggest that something light and a bit sweet, bringing out a touch of floral, is a good choice for hot weather, both for the ladies and the gentlemen.
I suppose sometimes in life, and especially on scorching balconies in the Vieux Carre or the front porch on the family farm house when the summer breezes just refuse to blow, you have no other choice except to sweat the small stuff and just try not to melt away before the dog days of summer are here and gone.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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