1) Candle scents* this month:
Seaside Holiday. Storm Watch. Oceanside. Juicy Peach. Napa Valley Sun. Summer Scoop. Pink Sands. Sweet Strawberry. Honeydew Melon.
I love burning fruity scents during the summer. I feel like I'm walking through an orchard or a farmer's market. I equally love burning "beach-y" scents, though I'm not much of a beach-goer. But sometimes you want something that smells like fresh air and water and thunderstorms and a hint of sunscreen. That large jar of Seaside Holiday has been hoarded in my candle stash for the past several years, because it's an old, discontinued scent. I knew when I burned it, that would be the last of it (until the next time they bring it out of the archives for a limited release). I cannot tell you how many times I stopped to smell that candle as it glowed merrily in the evening in our bedroom. The jar is empty now (it was followed by a big jar of Pink Sands), but I can safely say I enjoyed it right to the very end.
2) What I am reading this month (you can find me on Goodreads!):
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Alan Bradley) - I really enjoyed this one. It's the first in a mystery series that takes place in England in the 1950s. The main character is an eleven-year-old girl and she's feisty and bright, giving the book a unique voice. I've already added the rest of the books to my to-read shelf. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot (Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard) - I am far from obsessed with the Kennedy family, but I enjoy learning more about history and the style O'Reilly and Dugard use really brings it all to life in a way no history class ever has, for me. I liked "Killing Lincoln" better, but still enjoyed this one. I will absolutely read any others that get published in the future. World Without End (Ken Follett) - After reading the other two, I got back to this one. It's the second in the series, and I really enjoyed the first one. For the first two-thirds of the book, I thought I was going to like "The Pillars of the Earth" much better, which was disappointing, but then the last third of the book *really* wrapped things up well, with a great twist. I also grew to like the two "main" characters quite a bit. There was one question left unanswered, but it was a minor point, and wouldn't have had any bearing on the outcome; I just wanted to know. I recently learned that, after he finished the book he's currently writing, the author plans to do another book in this series. I am excited! So B. It (Sarah Weeks) - Labeled as "young adult" (but, hey, there are some great young adult books out there!), I thought this book had a rich enough complexity to give an adult some things to chew on as well. Not the least of which: "Sometimes people lie because the truth is too hard to admit." Sad and sweet, it was the story of a young girl who wants to know her personal history, but along the way, learns some valuable lessons about life. It was a fast, easy read, which I needed after the epic novel I read before it, and I'm glad I read it. And now I am working my way through something very different: Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game (John Sexton).
3) Top three songs I was drawn to:
1. The Change (Garth Brooks)
"But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me"
2. Made to Be Free (Tim McMorris)
With each season comes a turn, for things to change, to start anew
They did for me, and things can change for you too
3. All My Days (Alexi Murdoch)
Now I see clearly
It's you I'm looking for
All of my days
4) Movies I saw:
No movies. Just baseball and DVR.
5) Calendar image for the month:
Biding time, calendar. This image makes me think you're summer-weary too.
This is one of my favorite signs at Fenway Park. However, I am partial to my own image from back in 2009.
6) New recipes tried this month:
Lasagna Soup. Blueberry Muffins.
7) Restaurants where I ate:
Tutto Gusto (Italy pavilion, Epcot). Five Guys. And a Dunkin Donuts breakfast date with my handsome husband, who clearly knows the way to my heart.
8) Five things I am loving this month:
1. This quote: “Here’s to gratitude and how it turns everything into enough.” (Emily Loerke)
2. Fresh plums. Sweet fruit contrasting tart skin. And that gorgeous color.
3. Jake Peavy made his 300th career start, when he pitched for the Red Sox on August 25. In honor of this, he pledged to donate $300 to the Jimmy Fund for every single strikeout recorded in the game -- by either team! I think that was kinda cool.
4. Editing my photos on PicMonkey. I find that site to be so much fun!
5. Only two more months of summer left.
9) Three goals I had this month and three goals for next month:
1. Tackle all the September issues of my magazines as they come in -- and after the slim summer issues, this will prove challenging! -- as well as finish the lingering August issue (Better Homes and Gardens) and another five issues from The Stack gone to recycling. (::hangs head in shame:: I have gotten through only three September issues, but I did send a solid ten out with the recycling in August, so there's that.)
2. Attempt to recreate Gram's pickled beets. (Seriously. Why am I so reluctant to get this one done?)
1. September *and* October issues of my magazines perused. Five issues from The Stack out into recycling.
2. Make the pickled beets.
3. Find a lamp I like for the living room, since the last of the furniture for that room is being built as week speak! We're going from two tables and a wooden tv tray to three tables that will match each other and the entertainment center and bench. Right now, there are two matching lamps, but a third coordinating lamp must be procured, now that there will be a third table sturdy enough to hold it.
10) Something I learned:
A whole bunch when I read Killing Kennedy. I love reading about historical events. It's like people-watching across time! For example: I had not idea just how many health problems JFK had or just how mopey LBJ was or that MLK's great "I Have a Dream" speech almost flopped until he became dynamic and started speaking off the cuff at the end, which is the part we always hear. Fascinating stuff!
11) The best part of this month and the worst part of this month:
The best: A day at Epcot, despite the fact that it was silly, crazy, stupid hot. I've been missing WDW (I do all summer, when I almost never go), so it was a fun treat to venture over there and hang out with one of my best friends for a while.
The worst: This CBS-Time Warner standoff. We finally relented and canceled Showtime, because we've missed so much Dexter at this point. We'll just wait for the DVD now. We have the whole series on DVD, so it's not like we weren't going to buy it anyway. But still. Thanks for nothing.
12) A photo I took this month:
A Florida summer storm rolling in. The contrast is just so incredible to me! I couldn't resist playing with several variations on it. (That first photo? Barely edited; just the white balance, which I could *not* get right in the camera, not the way my eye was seeing it! The sky really is that dramatic!). These ended up being my two favorite, so I kept both.
*All scents are Yankee Candle, unless otherwise noted.
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