“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” ― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
Piper’s maiden voyage on Nagawicka Lake
"Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum…” — Paul J. Meyer
While many people, especially educators, enjoy this last, long month of summer, I really do not enjoy August. It is typically hot and humid and buzzing with insects, although this year, was pleasantly cool. Usually, once August comes, I’m ready to skip right to September.
Over the past few years of curated monthly collections, I have struggled to define the colors of August. Some months seem obvious while other require a bit more creativity. I have tried “sunny hues” — yellows, reds, and oranges, yet, having just finished a patriotic July, my reds have been depleted; I used most of the yellows in April aside from the sunflowers; and since it’s my least favorite, I have very few photos that feature the color orange, most of those being reserved for October. In 2020, I scrapped the color theme in August in favor of the alphabet — an image of something that begins with each of the letters followed by the numbers one through five. In 2021, I featured photos of my favorite things — the things for which I am most grateful: nature (especially the birds, bees, butterflies, and flowers in my own garden), being on the water (sailing and rowing), travel (especially to Door County and Paris), creativity (photography and writing), education (books and my time at Marquette), good food and wine and time with friends and family (especially Miss Piper). And as a bonus, the color scheme evolved naturally and reflected my some favorite hues, rendering August 2021 one of my favorite collages.
This year’s collages are softer, more muted versions of their monthly color schemes, but for August, I embraced a bold spectrum. It’s not my favorite collection, but it still features some of my favorite subjects — flowers, water, shapes, textures, and of course, a certain ever-photogenic beagle.
“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” – Denise Levertov
READING:
The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor — “When her grandmother passed away, she left sixteen-year-old Alice an apartment in Paris that no one knew existed — an apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years. Alice is determined to find out why the apartment was abandoned and why her grandmother never once mentioned the family she left behind when she moved to America after World War II. With the help of Paul, a charming Parisian student, she sets out to uncover the truth. ” (Goodreads).
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger — Just for fun and because everything else I want to read in on hold.
WATCHING/LISTENING TO:
The Kennedy Center Honors — Great tributes, great music.
Green Bay Packers pre-season games
Jimmy Buffett Life on the Flip Side Redux live from Alpine Valley 08/20/2022 — We didn’t go this year, but I think it was even better to watch “live” from our living room with wine and a beagle.
ENJOYING:
Socializing at the Nagawicka Lake Yacht Club — It is great to connect with others who share our love of sailing and this club is right across the lake from our house.
One nephew’s sweet sixteen and another’s final send-off before he starts college in two weeks.
My annual personal holiday, Dolce far niente — the joy of doing nothing. I always take a day before school starts to read, watch movies, get pampered, and other equally idle pursuits with my favorite loafing partner, Piper.
FEELING: Anxious — Even after fifty years of first days of school, I still feel equal parts excitement and anxiety. C’est normal.
PLANNING:
A couple of fall weekend getaways — We didn’t spend a single night away this summer, so I’m eager for a change of scenery. We plan to visit friends in the north woods of Wisconsin in mid-September and enjoy the fall colors in Door County in October.
Walking tours and excursions for three co-workers who are taking trips to Paris in August and September. It’s fun to take their must-dos and create bespoke itineraries for them. And it’s good research for my own trip next spring. I’ll be posting a sneak peek at where we’ll be staying very soon.
“When life gives you lemons…”
When the World Gives You Lemons … Make a Stand — Always stop at lemonade stands and always leave a big tip.
5 Flat Shoe Trends Every Smart Parisian Woman Owns — I live in my ballerinas, but I also love loafers.
5 Charming Villages in the South of France — I’m visited all but one…so far.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock
“If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need” - Marcus Tullius Cicero.
