"August is like the Sunday of summer."
UNKNOWN
I woke alive and fresh every morning over the last four weeks, so August did not sneak up on me. But I ask you, how can it be August already? Oh my goodness, the summer weeks are flying.
We have a new tree arriving this morning to replace our beautiful mountain ash which died a couple of years ago. I felt quite bereft with the empty space it left in our yard—and heart—when we cut down the old trunk and branches. We've missed the height and the shade and the screening it gave us and our neighbours (so we weren't peering into each other's backyards). But soon... there will be a new lovely serviceberry tree to fill our lives with blossoms in spring, greenery and shade in the summer. It's not huge now but it will grow.
Without further ado, here is August Daybook edition to start the month on a cheery note.
For Today
From my window...
The skies are blue. There are few clouds at this point. The wind is up.
And I stare out into my garden marveling at how the cotton-candy pink
hydrangea stands in contrast to the showy fuchsia-pink lavatera
that fills the corner with such loveliness.
I am wearing...
Comfy white capris, a sleeveless top with a floral-leafy pattern, dangly
earrings also in leaf motif, and generous spritzes of rose-scented fragrance.
A clutch of quotes that caught my eye recently...
"And what is happiness?
Happiness is when the door of your house closes,
and everything you need is inside - the people you love,
the warmth of a cozy home, and the sense of belonging."
ROSANNA B. LUNDBERG
"Humor is just one of the ways we can resist
the chaos and uncertainty we're living through."
STACEY ABRAMS, as seen on Facebook
"In the morning when I wake, I ask God to
get into my head before I do."
POSITIVE LINES, as seen on Facebook
"Do weights for muscles,
Cardio for heart,
Ice cream for mental health."
MISSNUTRITIONIST, on Instagram
One simple pleasure...
To watch these lilies burst open in the
front garden as July comes to a close.
I love their frilly edges.
"Flowers seem intended for the
solace of ordinary humanity."
JOHN RUSKIN
Update on my 2025 reading goal...
Back in January I mentioned wanting to read more books from my own
shelves before acquiring new ones (and not to hold me to that). To focus
on reading from the 'never been read' shelf which holds around 130 to 150
books that have been collected through the years from various sources.
So far, I have read 70 books this year, and of those, 17 have been from my
'never been read' shelf. Using my rusty math skills, I figure about
24 percent of what I have read meets my goal. I mentioned that
stat to Rick, and he said, "You've got some reading to do."
Yes, sir, I'm getting right on that! (wink, wink)
If you want to see what I've been reading,
check out my page HERE.
On my 'to do' list...
. Make salmon salad sandwiches on whole grain bread for lunch
. Buy some fresh peaches for peach tart
. Finish this blog post
. Meet friends for a coffee (maybe iced)
. Enjoy the heat of the summer day in the shade of the umbrella
with book in hand and iced lime water nearby
A treat...
Drives along country roads are a treat on these high summer days.
The ditches and edges are filled with wild flowers. It is so good to see
vetch and clover and alfalfa and foxtails and goldenrod
and chamomile... all waving in the breezes.
Turn your window down and smell the air.
A couple of favourites books I reread in July...
The Scent of Water (novel)
by Elizabeth Goudge
Prodigal Summer
by Barbara Kingsolver
In the kitchen...
I had some cremini mushrooms I wanted to use for supper.
Something simple, quick, and yummy. I found this recipe for
Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic. It fit the bill. It was delicious.
You'll find the link HERE.
Not to rush summer but...
I am looking forward to the release of these new books this
autumn. Do you have any titles that you are waiting for?
by Susan Branch
To be released Aug 15th
by Miranda Mills
To be released Sept 23rd
by Jan Karon
(a Father Tim/Mitford novel)
To be released Oct 7th
by Louise Penny
(Gamache crime novel)
To be released Oct 28th
by Margaret Atwood
To be released Nov 4th
by S.J. Bennett
(5th in Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series)
To be released Nov 11th
Closing thoughts...
"Summer’s lease hath all too short a date."
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Sonnet 18
It's not over yet so...
. Go out for ice cream.
. Run through a sprinkler with a child
. Sit on a sidewalk cafe, savour a beverage
. Eat watermelon - see who can spit the seeds the farthest
. Walk in the evening when shadows lengthen
. Stay outside long enough to smell evening scented stocks on a cool breeze
. Eat fresh tomatoes with mayo and basil on crusty bread
. Watch for the full moon in a few days
❦
Wishing you a lovely August,
Brenda
Photo credits:
Raspberries Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Typewriter graphic from TheGraphicsFairy.com
Pink Lily Image by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life
It should be comfortable enough tonight to open the window as we sleep. I love it when I can do that - it's a real treat in the summer time. You remind me, Brenda... recently, as I was driving the country roads from my house to an appointment, I noticed how the fields have dried out and some kind of flower (maybe goldenrod?) has turned to a crispy burgundy. At first glance the "flowers" looked ugly, but as I noticed a whole field of them I was in awe. I'm not sure it was pretty, exactly, but it was quite a sight. I wished it was at a spot in the road where I could have stopped and snapped a picture. I'm just glad I noticed it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post, Brenda, full of things I love about August and summer - drives in the countryside, reading, looking at the garden, and all the pretty flowers. I've pre-ordered The Black Wolf and The Country Commonplace Book. I have not found the fourth of S. J. Bennett's series and I'm eager to read it, as well as the fifth soon to be published. I'm so enjoying watermelon these days. Sweet and juicy and cold. Mmmmm.
ReplyDeleteYour lilies look like an exquisite painting! But of course, real life is better than any painting ... it just doesn't last as long.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about country drives is looking past the ditches and into the fields. Right now the canola fields are a vibrant yellow which, against the green of the trees and sometimes the perfect red barn, is magnificent. There is a corner on our drive home from the village near us from where one looks out onto a gently hilled vista of every kind of green you can imagine ... evergreen, hay-green, poplar green ... and the dairy cows in the foreground add the perfect touch for a delightful pastoral scene. And I always think, this is as lovely as anything you might find in England. Which of course makes it okay that I don't actually live in England. haha