I can reccommend Dorman Red raspberries. They tolerate our heat better than most other varieties.

If you take into account the holistic approach to health problems and healing them, you might want to get a book or two from the library about this. Some suggested authors are Louise Hay, Caroline Myss and of course that wonderful ob/gyn Dr. Christiane Northrup who combines her formal medical training with a holistic approach to what is causing problems. I'm not suggesting for one moment anything can be substituted for medical treatment by a doctor; however I think conventional medicine can work hand in glove with a different approach as to why these parts of the body act up. As in why is it hands/feet/wrists and not knees/elbows? I think our bodies reflect our emotions and find this information fascinating. Certainly working with this helped me to alleviate a long-standing back problem that came up when caring for my elderly mother (as in "carrying the world on your shoulders"). The thinking is that feet represent fear of moving forward, and insecurity about being where you are. Also, thereÂs the feeling that too many demands are being made on you. As in "itÂs time to stand on your own two feet" mentally. Hands can either hold on or let go; a sore thumb represents worry and the inability to hold on to joy. Wrists represent ease and movement. Numbness can mean you feel "dead" mentally. Stiffness represents rigid thinking. Hope this helps and good luck.

The first house I lived in was on the Salt River Indian Reservation in AZ, just a wooden cottage raised up on concrete footings. Some years later - my Mom and Dad bought a brand new rancher in Phoenix- this was late 50's when the 6 story Westward Ho Hotel was the tallest building in Phoenix. Our house, as most were in the area, was a pink cinderblock built on a polished concrete slab. No two story homes or basements. The older areas had a few 2 story homes but that wasnt the norm,that was old Phoenix money or the Wrigleys! We had vinyl tile, popcorn ceilings and wool avocado wall to wall in the living room.Later shag rugs in the bedrooms!( pink and red for me!) When I was a teen we had a decorator that chose traditional furniture with a mediterranean Spanish flair and used pecan wood tables.All of the windows had WTs that would keep the sun out. Some people used to foil over their windows.I never heard of a roller shade until we moved back east to MD. Also never encountered stairs, except in the old Montgomery Ward store which was a story and a half balcony! I think we leaned traditional with a Spanish flair because my Mom grew up in a huge Victorian with land in the Maryland countryside and my Dad grew up in a big house in Mass,in a clapboard center hall colonial. I still live in MD in a small colonial revival house built in 1923. My taste has changed from Colonial Williamsburg to "cottage whatever". I think it is more comfy for us. and vintage thrift stuff mixes well with family pieces -the real colonial antiques and the victorian antiques. My neighborhood is mostly colonial revivals, quite a few Queen Anne Victorians as well as some gothic victorians. There are also quite a few 4 squares. Most all of the houses were built in the 20s with a few in the 1880s. Traditional decor seems to be the norm and seems to be age related- Potterybarn-esque for the younger crowd to Wiiliamsburg traditional and a couple -make- you -gulp Victorians( and not in a good way) Unfortunately the trend here in the last 10 years has been huge great room add ons- so you have many houses built in late 1880s early 20's with monstrous things sticking out the back. Definitely not in keeping with the vintage of the house. Inside, these rooms are beautiful but lack the charm that is found in the rest of the house.Crossing into the great room is like entering another country, one that has little to do with the rest of the house.Looks like they all use the same floorplan. Predictible. Talk about stereotypes, Aunt Jane and Lynne no offense, but when I was growing up, to us Arizonians ya'll were Easterners to us! Bit of snobs we were. Still am as far as Mexican food! LOL I equate the Kokopelli Southwestern style of decor with the big hair of the 80s! Never saw any of it growing up in AZ, just in the East and thought who are they fooling with that fake stuff?

I have lived in most states in western USA. Can't say humidity was a THING I noticed until living in MN. I am going to chalk that up to being a child and children just manage? Even in New Mexico I don't remember the heat being a thing. We did the Disney thing in Florida a few years ago. It was October. We were there when the humidity broke for the season. Oppressive and restrictive is all I can say. Everyone crabs about northern winters but as we say you can always put on more clothes--you can only get sooo naked. I will second the bright sun of winter. Often it comes with very frigid days but it is winter, after all. We are having a rather glorious summer. Some humidity true but a week on, some relief then it returns allows for plenty of gardening and outdoor time. I think that is the key, change. Non stop heat/cold/humidity--what ever--is exhausting. I prefer the hit of extremes to the non stop torture of day after day after day--that's what gets me down. The idea of summer in the southern states holds nothing appealing. Maybe a new thread is needed. Where would be the perfect, climate wise,place to live? Four seasons, nothing EXTREME.....