The Joys Of August
It’s August.
The political conventions are over. They have left me with sleepless nights and high blood pressure. And there are so many days to go of increasing nastiness and vicious side-taking.
I worry. I want us all to be okay.
I am from the Woodstock generation, after all. I thought – for a very short time – that we could all love each other.
But I will get through August.
I will find some serenity in the simple pleasures of high summer.
Here are 31 of my joys that will help me (and I hope you) get through the next 31 days.
- Corn on the cob
- Johnny Mathis singing “Wonderful, Wonderful” or “Misty” or “Chances Are” – or just about anything
- Pearls
- “The African Queen”
- My dog’s smile
- Chocolate ice cream
- Lobster rolls
- The last page of a great book, knowing another is waiting for me
- Dozing on a comfy lounge chair
- My cat’s frown
- Riding in the convertible on a starry night
- Sharing pretzels with the seagulls on the beach
- Pedicures with lavender polish
- Country fairs
- James Taylor
- Eau de Chloe
- Tomatoes still sun-warm eaten right from the garden
- Beaded sandals
- Putting on warm dry clothes after spending hours in a wet bathing suit
- Iced coffee
- Bronzing powder
- Buying my mother scratch-off lottery tickets
- My husband calling me Angel
- Little boys on bicycles with baseball gloves hanging from the handlebars
- The smell of charcoal and steaks wafting through the neighborhood
- Clean smooth sheets
- Blueberry picking in the late still afternoon
- Putting on Paul Simon’s Graceland and dancing while I dust the house
- Cheeseburgers with a side of Ruffles
- Toddlers (and grown-ups) running through the water sprinkler
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Posted in: Advice ♦ Home ♦ Humor
- Tagged: August, Happiness, Politics, simple ideas, Stress, stress reduction, summer
notquiteold 
I share many of your Joys of August!
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I love your list! Happy August to you!
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LOVED this! Thanks for making my day! 🙂
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Outstanding list! Isn’t August the best – one of my favorite months.
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I love the height of summer! I am going to pretend there is no election for a few weeks.
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There is no election….there is a circus instead. Oh, if only the animals could take over and the clowns would go away.
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And those sheets should be cool, too. Especially on a hot night…
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Absolutely. But here is something crazy… last week I was doing the laundry and forgot to put the sheets in the dryer. So they were still wet when it was time for bed. The only other bottom sheet I had (my husband tends to rip a lot of sheets… he kicks a lot in his sleep) was a flannel sheet. We put it on the bed, just for the one night, and it felt so good we used it a few more days!
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Interesting mix. Love your dog’s smile
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His smile lights up my life.
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August here is different. The joys of winter include sudden sunny days, walks along deserted beaches with my son and his dog, curling into a comfy couch with a good book, and and…thanks for sharing
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That seems nice too…
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Wonderful late summer joys. Thanks for sharing.
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What sweet things – I guess I’m hungry, I can taste those blueberries, and tomatoes, and smell that steak!
Thank you for taking me out of this Texas heat for a couple of minutes!
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Thanks.. I am savoring a few nice blueberries right now. It’s Mother Nature’s perfect fruit, I think.
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Also one of, if not the, most healthful, ever.
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I couldn’t have chosen 31 better things — you are a fun, sparkly heart!
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Thanks…. I think I am going to do a list every month. I do not think there is any limit to how many nice and simple joys there are in the world.
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I think that’s a great idea. Maybe I will do it too!
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August already each year the months seem to fly past
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Thanks. I needed that!
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For some reason I needed that sudden memory jolt of a steam engine’s clatter when you mentioned “African Queen”. Thanks.
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Great list of summer joys! I would have to add freshly cut, perfectly ripe watermelon to mine. Thanks for sharing!
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Oh, I think I will have to squeeze that in!!
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Love.
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Thanks!
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Most lovely. You forgot #32: Reading a beautiful, thoughtful, evocative post about August
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Oh, thank you – that is very sweet of you!
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So much left to do – and actually enjoy – when we tune out from the political soap operas.
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