Thankful Thursday: August 31, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Waking up earlier than normal

Cute football earrings

French fries

Autumn throw pillows

Phone calls from my daughter

Dinner with my son

Decongestants and cough drops

Iced tea

My husband making dinner

Making plans for more travel

A good night sleep

Fish & chips

Some much needed rain

Bath time for the dogs

Ziggy's post bath zoomies

Falling asleep to the sound of falling rain

Finding the perfect yarn for a new project

Helping plan Halloween costumes for the grandkids

Texts from my sister letting me know that they are ok during the hurricane

So Long, August

August is drawing to a close and we're about to head into the "ber" months. I know some people aren't quite ready to see the end of summer. But, I am personally looking forward to cooler temperatures, longer nights, and cozy clothing. 

I started August by playing catch up after being gone for the last week in July. And it felt like I stayed a little bit behind for most of the month. 

During the second week of August, we had our new windows and patio doors installed. We've been waiting months for this to finally happen. There were a few hiccups with the installation - two windows were the wrong size and have to be reordered, and there are some issues with one of the doors, so they are also ordering a replacement for that.  But for the most part, it is done. And once the corrections are completed the final step of new siding and gutters can begin!

That was the same week that my youngest sister came to visit.  We always have a great time together.  Not only is she my baby sister, but she's one of my best friends.  At one point during her visit, we were laughing so hard in the greeting card aisle at Target that I could hardly catch my breath. We can have fun and adventures together, but we're also comfortable just sitting in the same room, quietly reading.

Our dad's 77th birthday  was on the 10th. We celebrated with a dinner at his house that following weekend. There was lots of good food and even more laughter.

The Man of the House and I drove down to Atlanta to attend the preseason football game between the Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals.  As you may remember,  we have a goal to attend a game at every NFL stadium in the country. This marked Mercedes-Benz Stadium off our list. And what a stadium it is! The nicest one we have visited, so far. Before heading home the next day, we had brunch at Atlanta Breakfast Club (chicken and waffles- yum!) and visited The World of Coke. 

The heatwave that hit western North Carolina at the end of this month was trying. This peri-menopausal body doesn't tolerate the heat very well.  Not that I ever did, but it's worse now than ever before.  Thank goodness the window installation was mostly complete and the a/c was functioning! 

How was your August?

Sunday Inspiration: Starting Over

 

Thankful Thursday: August 24, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A quiet afternoon

My sister getting home safely

Air conditioning

Velvety soft dog ears

Falling asleep at a reasonable time

Packing for another adventure

Road trips

German restaurants

Live football games

Brunch - complete with mimosas

Taking the scenic route

Plans to meet extended family

Getting the house put back together after the windows are finished

A healthy meal plan

My handsome husband

Pumpkin spice coffee

Sunday Inspiration: Past, Present, Future

Thankful Thursday: August 17, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A breezy day

Not cooking dinner

Visits with my sister

When the sun goes down and cools things down

Laughing in the greeting card aisle at Target

Late night chats

Birthday celebrations

My dad

A glass of wine

Family

Grilled chicken

Baby giggles

Planning future trips and getaways

Waking up to the sound of thunder

Sunday Inspiration: It Begins Again

Thankful Thursday: August 10, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

My dad's birthday

Unexpected delays

Clean laundry

Rain showers that cool things down

A cooler day

Donuts

When my dogs are feeling cuddly

A cup of tea on a rainy day

Late night texts

Lunch with my daughter and grandsons

Conversations with my son

Sunset

My husband getting home after numerous travel delays

Caffeine

Planning for football season

Grocery shopping with my husband

Making travel plans

A fresh new week

A clean kitchen

Afternoon thunderstorms

My sister coming to town

Perfectly seared tuna

New windows being installed

Renew

My One Word for 2023 is Explore. In the spirit of exploration, I made the decision not to stop at one word this year - but to also have a word for each month.

During August, I am exploring the word Renew.

August has always felt like a time of new beginnings to me.  A good month for reflection, refreshing, and renewal.

As we prepare for a new season, we may look to refresh our wardrobe, personal appearance, or home decor.

Children begin preschool or kindergarten, and older ones head off to college leaving behind an empty nest and as parents, we find ourselves facing a new season of life.

It's a month that's perfect for setting new goals, or refreshing your commitment to ones you made earlier in the year.

As for me, this month I will be:

- Taking a hard look at my Etsy shop and reevaluating things. I think it's time for some changes to renew my passion for my work. It may be time for some changes and perhaps some rebranding.

-  Renewing my commitment to healthier habits. In the month of July, my attempts at healthier eating took a bit of a downward spiral. (I'm looking at you birthday cakes, airport food, Disney snacks, room service, and In and Out burger!) It's time to get back on track and stay the course.

- Refreshing and renewing my skincare routine. As my skin matures, and deal with the changes of menopause, I'm not feeling like what I have been doing is entirely working for me any longer. So, I'm trying something new. 

- Renewing the look of our home. Our house was built in the1970s, and it's fair to say that it is showing it's age. We're scheduled to have all new windows installed this week. Once that's completed, it will be time to put up new siding and gutters. Then, we're looking at building a new deck, probably this fall.

Is there an area of your life that could use some renewing in the month of August?

Sunday Inspiration: Every Day

 

Thankful Thursday: August 3, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Disneyland

Disney snacks

Lounging by the pool

Souvenirs

My "kids"

Visiting Hollywood Blvd

The La Brea tar pits

Dinner at the end of the Santa Monica pier

Point Loma 

Seeing the seals and sea lions at La Jolla

Traveling up the coast

In and Out Burger

No travel delays

New windows delivered

Sleeping in my own bed

August 2023

 It's August, y'all - and you know what that means.  It's almost fall!  Sure, there's still over a month until the official start of my favorite season.  And if you live in the southern portion of the US, It's going to feel like summer for a while yet.  But, once August arrives, I find myself starting to long for cooler days, colorful leaves, and all things pumpkin. But first - we have August.

July was a challenging month for our family. Most of the things we faced aren't my stories to tell, so I'm not going to go into details. Fortunately the month ended on a high note. The Man of the House had a work conference in California,  so I tagged along and we took a few extra days to do some sight seeing.

This month we'll be celebrating my dad's birthday. Every birthday is special. But ever since his heart attack and surgery in 2019, each one we get celebrate with my father is even more precious to me.

I haven't set a reading list for August.  Instead, I'll do a little mood reading - just whichever books strike my fancy. I have a few books that my daughter loaned me, as well as more than a few that have been on my nightstand forever. The plan is to work through some of those this month.

There are some major changes coming to our home in August.  We're scheduled to have new windows installed throughout the entire house, followed by new siding and gutters. I am so excited. These renovations have been a long time coming and are really going to change the look of our home!  

Scaling back my goals and to-do lists worked out nicely for July. I'm going to continue working on and refining this new system. Keeping things simple certainly made it easier to accomplish the things on my list. It also helped when plans needed to be changed for various reasons.

My goals for August:

• Complete sweater I am making for myself
• Add 6 new items to Etsy shop
• Launder all window treatments
• Schedule vet appointment for dog

What are your plans for August?