Nadine J Walters – My Life

Question for today: How are you doing, Nadine?

My answer: Just fine! Yesterday, I think I came down with a case of the sad and sorries. They’ve packed up and moved on, thankfully, and I’m back to brighter skies today. On the docket: writing this post, diving into my daily portrait (I’m all about charcoal this week), and just having a little fun around town.

The weather yesterday didn’t help—it was overcast and a little cooler than usual, and that kind of thing definitely affects my mood. Once summer really hits, I start to feel more alive. Living in the Southwest means we get a stretch of serious heat from May through October—often over 100 degrees. We nearly hit 90 a couple of weeks ago, and honestly? I was thrilled. Still am. Bring it on.

You might think I’m a little nuts, but I love the heat. I grew up in California and spent years in Las Vegas, so I’m used to it—and more than that, I’ve learned to work with it. Embrace it, even. There’s always A/C when you need it (I wear sweatshirts indoors more than you’d expect), but nothing beats the feeling of stepping outside into that sun-soaked warmth. I used to savor those few minutes after work, sitting in my hot car before I turned on the air. Still do that sometimes—just head out mid-day to defrost and soak up a little desert magic.

Longer days, warmer days, lazy days… that’s my rhythm. I teach and practice hot yoga, too. The studio gets up to 100 degrees, but it’s dark and enclosed—a totally different vibe than being out in the sunshine. The natural heat hits differently, in the best way.

So today, I’m leaning into that warmth. Andy and I are headed to the local art festival to get inspired, and then I’ll come home and do a little painting. Life feels good here in the sunny Southwest—hot, bright, and full of promise.