August Round-Up

Wow, another month down the tubes! How does it all go by so fast? Maybe it's just all the fun we're having? Ha! Seriously though, how is it that times just flies faster the older you get? Anyway, on to the round up...

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I read a great book, Swan by Frances Mayes. Actually it wasn't a great story, but it was beautifully written - just amazing. The way she describes things is just beautiful (am I gushing?!). I read a couple of crappy mystery novels. And I still haven't managed to get through The Well of Lost Plots, but I'm working on it.

On the magazine front just the usual suspects: Real Simple, Creating Keepsakes, Entertainment Weekly, Elle Decor - there might have been some others, but I don't remember.

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
We saw the "Break-Up", not nearly as funny as I thought it would be. I saw a very upsetting movie called "Who Killed the Electric Car" - so depressing! And a couple of old classics - "The Women" and "All the King's Men" (the original).

Summer TV is somewhat lacking, mostly just re-runs on the Tivo. Of course, I'm still enjoying some of the summer shows - The Closer, Burn Notice, Mad Men and Damages.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
I was going to go on and on about how we don't have any big events in August - then I remembered that one of our anniversaries is August - d'oh! When I say one of our anniversaries, I mean our dating anniversary. Strange that we celebrate it, but we were dating for so long (five years!) - I figure it should count (think of it as time served).

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Oddly enough, sixteen years of being together doesn't seem to warrant the giving or receiving of gifts (though if I don't get something for our wedding anniversary someone is going to be in big trouble).

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
Other than the life-threatening cold that Scott got (please note the sarcasm!) we were fine and dandy!

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
A couple of great days on the beach with J & M and the kids (sadly many of the weekends were spent working)! We also enjoyed a Tiger's game with J & M and JC. And we had a great time with JC at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
As before - Summer isn't really a time for cooking. The most I culinarily speaking, was cook with a lot of basil - our basil plant is out of control. So a lot of Bruscetta and Insalata Caprese - the next thing is to start making pesto.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Way too much scrapbooking stuff - as usual! Scott bought a used tractor lawn mower - he's happy about that, but I'm not sure that I really get anything out of it (well I get the lawn mowed in one day rather than three)!

What were this month's disappointments?
Yet again no baby. Work has been overly busy, with no sales, Scott still hasn't had much work either. So it's been a bit of a depressing month from the financial and family perspective.

What were my accomplishments this month?
Strange to count this as an accomplishment, but I actually served on a jury. I've never done it before and it was actually kind of interesting.

I also started a new project - Daily Something. The idea is to do something creative everyday - I've really been enjoying it. It's like my blog, with pictures, paper, glue and paint - very fun. I love my scrapbooking and this is a fun excuse to just play.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
I got a really bad hair cut that I'm still struggling with, but that's a whole other post!

Current Music: Home - Barenaked Ladies