have you got AC, ronny? most of my midland friends don't, and none of the yoopers do.
We have an air conditioner, but It's just one of those window ones. But we got ceiling fans in the kitchen, computer room,and living room. And house fans in the other rooms. And we got lots of tree coverage, and keep the curtains drawn during the day. You'd be surprised how much that helps.
sounds like the house i grew up in , in mass. we had a fieldstone basement AND a dirt cellar like yours, us kids slept on cots in the stone part when it got brutal.