September 2023 in Pictures

“Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul, but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October.” — Peggy Toney Horton

Currently • September 2023

“By all these lovely tokens, September days are here with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer.” ― Helen Hunt Jackson

READING:

• Books:

  • The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict — “In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing…England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators? A master storyteller whose clever mind may never be matched, Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all” (Goodreads).

  • Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett — “Margaritaville may not appear on a map, but it does exist—at least in the brilliantly creative, sometimes slightly skewed imagination of Jimmy Buffett. Tales from Margaritaville is a collection of short stories (some purely fiction, some based in truth) so vividly packed with restless dreamers, wild wanderers, and pure gypsy souls that just reading it is a wild adventure” (Goodreads).

• LIFE Magazine — Jimmy Buffett: A Pirate’s Life

• Links:

  • The 20 Best Places to Shop in Paris (Fodors) — I’m definitely saving this link for future reference.

  • The 13 Prettiest Villages in France (CN Traveler) — I haven’t visited any of these towns…yet.

WATCHING:

• You’ve Got Mail - It’s not quite time for Halloween movies, but You’ve Got Mail is a perfect, cozy, change-of-seasons movie. I would still wear all of Meg Ryan’s wardrobe in this film — sweaters, jumpers, tights, scarves — all in my favorite dark neutrals. And wouldn’t you love if someone offered you “a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils”?

LISTENING TO:

• Jimmy Buffett — We were saddened to wake up on September 1st to the news that Jimmy Buffett had passed away. Even in death, Jimmy’s timing was poetic as if summer were truly coming to an end. I have never considered myself a Parrothead. Sure, I’ve been to a couple of concerts, but for me, it has never been about the costumes and libations. As a sailor, Jimmy Buffett’s music has always been and will continue to be an integral part of the soundtrack of my life: “…And though I cried, I was so proud to love a man so rare. He's somewhere on the ocean now — a place he outta be with one hand on the starboard rail, he's wavin' back at me.”

• My September Instapuzzle Mini-List:

  • The Typewriter (Leroy Anderson)

  • Autumn Leaves (Vince Guaraldi Trio)

  • Take Five (Dave Brubeck Quartet)

  • Minor Swing (Rachel Portman, Chocolat Soundtrack)

  • September (Earth, Wind, and Fire)

  • Charlie Brown Theme (Vince Guaraldi Trio)

  • Turn! Turn! Turn! (The Byrds)

  • Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

FEELING:

• Proud of my nephews — On September 23rd, Chase passed his Eagle board of review so now we have 2 Eagle Scouts in the family. Eagle #1, Alec, came home from UWO to support his brother.

• Comfortable — I love the cooler fall weather. I am happy to be back in cozy sweaters and cuddling under blankets. I’m looking forward to decorating for Fall/Halloween and to a little autumn getaway to Door County in October.

August 2023 in Pictures

“Less than a month ago all of August still stretched before us - long and golden and reassuring…” — Lauren Oliver

Currently • August 2023

“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” — Denise Levertov

READING:

• Books:

  • The Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz — “When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can't help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love. But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can't ignore the more complicated memories. Because that's not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn's character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family's grandson, Henry—a former love—and by the driver’s son, Leo—her best friend.”(Goodreads). This was a quick read and immediately familiar. I wanted to like it more, but it was sort of cobbled together with characters, scenes, historic events, and even dialogue from Audrey Heburn’s life and movies. These “Easter eggs” quickly became a substitute for good writing and strong plot development.

  • The Manhattan Girls: A Novel of Dorothy Parker and Her Friends by Gill Paul — “It's a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker--one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen--and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City” (Goodreads).

• Links:

  • Travel Photography: How to Make the Most of Your Cell Phone’s Camera (NYT) — I always appreciate tips.

  • 16 Movies and TV Shows to Make You Feel Like You’re Vacationing in France — I have seen 12/16. I enjoy frequent visits to Paris.

  • The Little-Known History of Champagne (BBC) — Because "Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life." – Charles Dickens

WATCHING:

• The Lincoln Lawyer - Season 2 (Netflix) — “An iconoclastic idealist runs his law practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car in this series based on Michael Connelly's bestselling novels” (IMDb).

• Only Murders in the Building - Season 3 (Hulu) — “Three strangers - who live in the same New York City apartment building and share an obsession with true crime - suddenly find themselves embroiled in a murder” (IMDb). This season features Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep.

• Find Me in Paris (Hulu) — “A young ballet dancer from 1905 is transported into the 21st century with the power of a magical necklace. While her boyfriend looks for a way to bring her back, she must find a way to fit in and dodge the sinister time agents” (IMDb). It’s clearly a teen show, but I love Paris and the ballet and it’s a good primping show (IYKYK).

• Green Bay Packers pre-season games — This year is a fresh start and I’m hopeful.

LISTENING TO:

• Shaun Cassidy on the Naked Lunch Podcast — “In every way imaginable, this ‘Naked Lunch’ is a moving feast -- and a hilarious one, too. Teen sensation turned successful TV writer/producer Shaun Cassidy gets caught in traffic, and so thus this fun and freewheeling conversation begins with Shaun on the road. Phil Rosenthal, David Wild, and Shaun retrace Cassidy's remarkable life and career thus far, from growing up a Hollywood "nepo baby," the son of Oscar-winning legend Shirley Jones and actor Jack Cassidy, as well as the half-brother of David Cassidy, to becoming a stadium-packing "Teen Dream" with big pop hits like "Da Doo Ron Ron," "That's Rock 'n' Roll" and "Hey Deanie," to creating TV shows like "American Gothic," "Roar" and writing in recent years on the popular medical drama, "New Amsterdam." All this, plus Shaun tells a hugely funny story about Andy Warhol and how Oprah Winfrey and his wife Tracey helped set the stage for Shaun to return to the road after three decades for his acclaimed touring show The Magic of the Midnight Sky."

• August Instapuzzle Mini-Playlist:

  • Sunflower (Neil Diamond)

  • It’s a Lovely Day Today (Ella Fitzgerald)

  • Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves)

  • I Want You to Have It All (Jason Mraz)

  • august (Taylor Swift)

  • Happy Little Things (Holly Kluge)

  • Living in the Country (George Winston)

  • Wildflowers (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

ENJOYING: The final month of “summer vacation”

• Summer in My Garden

• Scenes from Summer 2023 — Beagle, Books, and Boats

Summer Scenes 2023

"To see the summer sky is poetry, though never in a book it lie — true poems flee." – Emily Dickinson

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Sunshine, blossoms, and bumblebees — Click here for summer in my garden.

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Sailing and socializing at NLYC — Click here for more sailing pictures.

A visit with dear friends in the Northwoods (Presque Isle, Wisconsin)

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Up in Michigan: Waterfalls, driftwood, suspension bridges and crystal-clear water.

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Searching for agates and heart-shaped rock on the shores of Lake Superior.

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I spy Snoopy. #cloudgazing

“Up Home” in Sturgeon Bay • Summer in Door County

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My Summer in 3 Words: Beagle, Books, Boats — Click here to see what I’ve been reading.

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And so the sun sets on the summer of 2023 — at least for this educator. And before you share the popular “Summer isn’t over until September 22, so sit your pumpkin spiced ass down! I’m not finished with my margarita yet!” meme with me, know that #1 — I am aware of the calendar. It just feel different for students and educators. Summer continues, but the vibe is different; #2 — I hate pumpkin spice; and #3 — This Jimmy Buffett fan enjoys margaritas all year long. Cheers!

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Summer in My Garden

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Audrey Hepburn

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Lime Light and Annabelle hydrangeas, daisies, sea foam roses, catmint, white bleeding hearts, butterflies, the occasional toadstool, phlox, acorns, vinca, chickadees, Chardonnay pearls, Siberian iris, tree frogs, and anemone — a lovely bouquet of green and white.