I like being in hot water, literally but not so much idiomatically. A quick search of the origin of this expression confirms that much of what people claim as certain, certainly is not. But we all know what it means- to be in a heap of trouble. Maybe the first cousin to being in a pickle or being in the dog house?
I love a hot water bottle. They are so old-fashioned yet so good at what they do. My first experience with one was in a safari tent camp in Kenya. We’d been warned about wild creatures liking the tent as much as we paying customers did; be on the lookout for animal interlopers. We had not been told that our turn down service included slipping a hot water bottle between the sheets- a luxury some stateside boutique hotel should adopt.
I slipped between those warm sheets and was out in a flash, imagining figurative hot water with a deadly Puff Adder as my bedmate, but thanks to this no-tech amenity, I literally was in hot water. What an excellent place to be!
And what does this have to do with Rules? I’m asking myself that question more frequently these days. I am certain my Rules serve me well. I’m also certain they aren’t for everyone. But here’s my case for the hot water bottle. They’re low maintenance. They work even with the power is out. They’re inexpensive. They don’t give off any radiation (in fairness, new heating pads don’t either). In a word, they are useful. And if you’re inclined to knit a cozy for your hot water bottle… Mary Poppins, meet Ralph Lauren.
“Have nothing in your house (or tent) that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris
For me, the more hot water, the better!