My gosh, can you believe we're in August already!  I don't know where the summer has gone.  Before you know it fall will be here and then winter right on it's heels.  Brrrr!  Even the thought of it gives me the chills!  As I stated in a previous post, the thought of having to deal with the rising heating costs this winter has cast a shadow over my summer.  Andy and I have done our research though and have decided to install a wood stove to help combat the cost of oil.  Pellet stoves seem to be a popular choice among some of our friends but with 75 acres of woods behind us, it was a no-brainer.

I have this tendency to reflect back on a season as it passes to evaluate what I accomplished and to assess what I still need to do.  And I find myself doing that already (must be due to the chilly weather we've had lately).  I didn't get to kayak as much as I like to.  July was very rainy.  My overall exercises has fallen off some too.  My walking partner has been away on vacation so I haven't been to the walking trail much.  I keep telling myself to go get on the treadmill but I have such a hard time being inside in the summer unless I'm working on something.  So I guess my plan for entering fall is to get back on track with my exercising.  I find the older I get, the harder it is to drop a few pounds and firm things up again.

I'm also thinking that my next job has become the priority.  I still haven't figured out what it is I want to do but I have discovered that I miss working with kids....go figure.  School is just around the corner so I've been perusing the school ads.  I guess I can continue to do what I know until I figure what it is I want to do next.  Writing still appeals to me so I may start looking in the area of journalism.  Maybe a few more classes under my belt and I'll be good to go.

Overall I think it's been a good summer so far.  I made it to two concerts, Pearl Jam and Kenny Chesney.  And the family has gone camping twice and Andy and I spent a week away ourselves.  My mom is coming home next week and our family reunion is that weekend.  It's always such a great time, a perfect end to summer.   Then my daughter comes home from college for a few weeks (the highlight of my summer)! 

So I guess until fall does arrive, I'll continue to enjoy the long warm days, work on my blogs, update my resume and continue my job search, and squeeze one more novel in.  Any suggestions?  I still have a few weeks left before I have to put my shorts and sandals away.  So I'm off to take a walk through the neighborhood and then I'm going to sit on the deck with an iced tea and fresh salad and enjoy the feel of the sunshine on my face.