 |
| Three of the the 36 |
Even though the weather hasn’t gotten the memo yet, summer is on its way out. Labor Day has come and gone, kids are back in school, and pumpkin spice rules the land. So it’s time to evaluate my Summer of Kathy and start thinking about plans for September through the rest of the year.
Summer fun list success
I did very well with summer fun list, checking off all but
two items! I didn’t relax as much as I wanted to and had planned to. Instead, I
filled my days with small tasks that, when added up, kept me from doing the
deeper work I still need to do emotionally. I guess I wasn’t ready for it, though
overall I feel like I’m healing. This is still a work in progress, but that’s to be expected.
Here's the rundown (completed items in red):
- Paint my toenails a color other than pink. (With dubious results, but at least I did it. The jury is still out on whether or not I like teal toenails.)
- Have a bubble tea.
- Try a new obedience training program with Luna (started). Ongoing!
- Make key lime pie ice cream.
- Plant a small, potted herb garden. And it survived the summer!
- Read a lot. Total books read June through August: 36. Whoa.
- Take a horseback riding lesson. Tank is semi-retired and off for the summer, but there’s a new horse at the barn available for lessons. I haven’t taken a lesson in more than five years, so I need a tune up. Also was able to ride Tank twice!
- Work at least one jigsaw puzzle.
- Have a massage. I’ve been trying to do this since the beginning of the year, but I’ve had to cancel two appointments because of my moms’ failing health.
- Go to a movie with my husband. (Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One.)
- Bake something from my grandma’s baking book (inherited from my mom).
- Get together with friends—I’ve been mostly unavailable in 2023, so we have some catching up to do.
Fall fun and beyond
With summer winding down, it’s time to think about fall fun,
and get more serious about figuring out what comes next professionally. (Ramp
up the freelance writing or try something new? If so, what?) As the
weather cools and time continues to heal, I’m cautiously optimistic about the
rest of the year. We have a couple of family and friend visits to look forward
to, and will likely host at least one holiday at our house. Now that our caregiving duties have ended, my
husband and I can think about taking a trip together.
There’s much to love about September and fall. In September,
I always love to watch the light change. Somehow it’s softer, mellower. Even
though it’s not cool yet, I have already had my first pumpkin spice latte. I’m
going to try Wendy’s new Pumpkin Spice Frosty. I have a September-themed book
on hold at the library (of course I do) and I’m dreaming of ways to enjoy the
fall season’s simple pleasures and everyday adventures. Perhaps I’ll extend The
Summer of Kathy (however, I’m not calling it “The Fall of Kathy”—that just
sounds scary)…
How was your summer? What plans do you have for fall?
.jpg)
