August Sunday Stealin'

I'm participating in the Sunday Stealin' meme hosted by this blog owned by Bev. 

I liked these questions! 

1. What are your plans for August:  a first time appt with a neurosurgeon; an overnight road trip with my oldest daughter to the northern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain area; 4 hikin; g trips; a "jack and jill" baby shower to attend with my husband; beach days with my youngest daughter, and I'm hosting a BBQ for some close friends of ours; kayaking more We also might squeeze in a road trip to Boston at the end of the month. 

2. Your mid year resolutions or goals: I do goals for 2024 and set them on January 1st but some that I am currently working on are: lose 5 lbs; read 4 more Miss Marple books (the last 4) before the last day of Summer; get my piano tuned

3. Are you good at taking care of plants: I think so? My indoor African violet named Patti is doing very well this summer, my other 2 indoor plants are thriving (Slyvester the snake plant and Ashran the Aloe Vera plant) and my deck  containers of gerbera daisies and wildflowers are blooming so well that I am now cutting some for vases in the kitchen. I'm also drying some home grown basil and am about to give some away cause I can barely keep up with it and have used it a lot in my cooking. 

4. What makes you feel nourished:  nutritionally:  whole foods and plant-based foods along with nuts and berries; Spiritually I get nourished by spending time in the Scriptures and participating in small group studies or devotionals with friends; and mentally/emotionally I get nourished by spending time with my close friends, hiking in the woods or up a mountain and relaxing to  classical music. 

5. Which animals do you see most in your area:  neighborhood dogs, birds, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, fox and deer. Oh and when I power walk, I see the farm horses across the road. 

6. Books on your summer reading list: Widowmaker (from a series set in Maine); The Women; How to Love People who are Hard to Love and I'd like to read Truth be Told by Kamala Harris

7. Projects you want to tackle this summer: the Haydn sonata I've been working on since last winter; finish scraping the old paint off the deck; burn all the brush piled next to the shed; begin working on my sister Joy's birthday gift. 

8. Do you have weddings, graduations, summer celebrations: our anniversary is at the beginning of the Summer season on June 30th. We celebrated 34 years! My husband's birthday is tomorrow and our oldest girl's birthday was July 11.  We celebrated Dave and Courtney by going to the Star Trek Original Series Sets Museum in Ticonderoga yesterday. My mom would be turning 90 on August 11 and that is the same day as my niece Hanna's birthday.  My other niece Beth also has an August birthday. We also have a baby shower to attend at the end of August. 

9. Which summer snacks are you excited to enjoy again:  I love fresh watermelon and raspberries, blueberries and blackberries; I also love corn on the cob (I know it's not a snack but....) and of course my fave soft serve ice cream. 

10. How much time do you like to take for vacations: we typically take vacations that are 7-10 days. Now that I'm retired, we no longer have to work around my school schedule!  Dave still works of course but he can take his vacation basically any time of the year. 

11. Where are your favorite picnic locations:  Moreau Lake State Park, Cherry Plain State Park; Lake Abanakee

12. Something that would be out of character for you: leaving dishes in the sink 

13. Which summer movies are you excited to see: we don't go to the movies. We watch stuff on Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Paramount +, and Disney +. I don't watch a lot of movies in the summer months as I'm usually outdoors. 

14. Your favorite free / cost effective ways to have fun: hiking, kayaking, heading to any of the mountain lakes for a picnic and swim; Mini golf in Saratoga Springs; borrowing books from the library; game nights with our daughters

15. Who do you trust most to house & pet sit:  We don't have pets.  Our youngest daughter has a cat so when she is away from her apartment overnight, her best friend checks on the cat.  We never get a house sitter. What's the point???  I do get my neighbor friend Melissa to water my outdoor plants while we are away and usually my indoor plants are watered by one of our daughters if they're around.  

I hope you're all having a relaxing Sunday!