Well I’m done with summer.
Ok, not really but I’m already tired of high 80s and low 90s temps and I’m ready for the lovely low and mid 70s of the early fall. Heat makes people cranky at my house, and cranky family is not fun to be around. Sometimes I can’t even stand to be around myself when I’m like that.
Loving
Knitting! I love to knit and I’ve done it a lot less for the last year or two as my part-time job and homeschooling have taken up more of my time. But for the last month I’ve been embracing some new projects and really enjoying the process. I’ve tried a few new yarns and while I might not use them again (we’ll have to wait and see how the finished garments turn out) the experience has been lovely and lifegiving for my creative soul.
I’ve also been informally doing No Buy July with a group from Clutter Free Academy and I’ve actually found a certain level of joy in saying no. The hardest part has been deciding when the delay necessary purchases but mostly it’s been easier to say no to lots of things. I’ve also been trying to use up what’s in my freezer and pantry which has led to some fun new recipes and meals.
Reading
I’ve been struggling to find my reading groove again lately. I’m used to reading on my phone but I’m also reading a series (Lady Darby mysteries) where I can only borrow the physical books from the library rather than the ebooks. It’s taking me longer to read the paper book than I’d like, I think because reading on my phone is easier to fit into the cracks of my life.
I’ve finished the last book of the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones series, A Killing of Innocents. I’m hoping there will be more because I’m enjoying watching the domestic side of their life evolve.
I’ve finished A Wicked Conceit which takes me into the two three books of the Lady Darby series (at least what is written so far). I find myself not always in the mood to read a period mystery and this one felt a little slower than the others, but I still enjoyed it. (I also find that statement a bit ironic because I’ve been drifting back toward period pieces in my watching life, having binged the BBC miniseries of North and South, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma in the last week or two).
I was about to dive into another mystery series by Linda Castillo but I decided I needed something a little bit lighter, and I’d seen encouraging reviews of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders and decided to give it a try. (Don’t ask me where I heard about it, it’s almost always Kendra Adachi of the Lazy Genius or Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs. Darcy.)
My 11 year old has been reading the Harry Potter books for the first time and we just watched the first movie together so I’m thinking I might sneak in a little reread of each of the other books before we watch the movies. I’m not sure if we’ll make him wait for some of them or if we’ll just go at our own pace. We’ll figure it out as we go.
Learning
I’ve been learning a lot about just letting things wait. There is so much that feels like it needs to be done today but there is also a ton of things I’m eager to get started on that actually need to wait. So I’m trying to wait. I’m not great at it and I’m always a little fearful that I’ll wait too long and end up scrambling at the last minute.
I’m also being forced to delay gratification. We aren’t able to do some of the things and see some of the people we typically do each summer, and that has been disappointing. We have some lovely friends that we see only a few times a year (sometimes just once every year or two) and that time is usually so restful and life-giving that I’ve been grieving the loss of it a bit.
Eating
Food hasn’t necessarily been fun this month. I’ve been trying to increase my fiber and protein intake which has kind of accidentally led to me logging and tracking almost all my food. I’ve learned this makes me pretty miserable. I started reading a book on intermittent fasting for women but I’m not sure it’s for me.
I’ve really struggled to build a healthy relationship with food and I really hate that the definitely of healthy is so debatable. But I’m still trying to stick to the basics. More whole foods, more veggies, less sugar, and other processed junk. But I want to be able to enjoy my life and my food without constantly obsessing over it.
I’ve had a few wins when it comes to food for my picky kiddos though. My hard-to-feed Celiac teen currently likes these new banana, peanut butter oat bars (I throw some chocolate chips in too) I’ve been making. I’ve actually made them three times and she’s liked them each time. We discovered these snack muffins for her this week. They are crazy expensive though so I’m hoping to try a copy cat version soon.
This cranberry bar recipe has been on repeat this month too as I’ve been trying to use up my freezer stash. So far I’ve made it with blueberries, cranberries, and peaches, all were liked by everyone and it made another healthy breakfast option for my kids when they say they are bored or there is nothing to eat.
Well July is over and I’m truly ready for August. August is when my work hours tick up but also when we start getting ready for the more normal fall schedule. Except this year it’s not going to be normal at all. There is September travel and visits from far away family scheduled, two things that almost never happen. So I’ll be spending August getting ready and buckling up to drop and roll my way into September.
Those bar recipes look like winners – ones that everyone here would enjoy. I will have to try them soon. Good idea to practice waiting – oh, but not that easy to do! Enjoy your knitting!
We also have friends we usually see at least once a year, usually twice, and we haven’t seen them since 2021! We were planning to see them this summer, but that didn’t work out either, so I totally get it. They are more like family than friends. I read an Intermittent Fasting magazine yesterday and I didn’t see what the big deal is, and I also wondered if it was me. I already basically fast 12 hours, I usually eat around 5ish in the morning, and finish eating around 5ish in the evening. eating healthy is so hard, but it is worth it, especially if you can find good recipes! Stopping by from Share four somethings: https://encounterswiththedavisfamily.blogspot.com/2023/07/share-four-somethings-july-2023.html
Great month, Bethany! Knitting! I used to knit, but am more a crochet girl now, but find it so relaxing, I call it my “therapy time”. I totally get the food thing. I am in the same boat and it’s no fun, brings more stress to my life! I am also learning to let things wait. It’s good medicine for me, to wait on things at least 24 hours. I always have a better perspective!
It was so nice to meet you on this linkup! I love the no buy July idea, I haven’t joined any groups but I’ve followed a lot of minimalists the last few years and I’m slowly working through my stuff and letting go as well! I’m excited to see a fellow homeschooler!! I’ll be adding a linky party with all the fun back to homeschooling adventures on my blog next week, would love for you to join! Hope you have a lovely week, and I’m with you, I’m sooo ready for fall temperatures!