summertime for real

 (pictures from a hike on the South Downs last month)

It finally feels like summer.  The nights are hot and perfect, the light still lingers (even at 9pm), and my husband is done with classes for the next few weeks.  It's perfect.  July was a pretty great month, and yet I am pretty sure it only lasted like five days.  I swear, my mom and sister were just visiting... except that was a month ago.  Wow.  Summer is also fleeting.  I actually like this, because as I've said repeatedly, I'm not a huge fan of summer, mostly because hot (and humid) weather is the worst. 

For August, though, since it's really drawing summer to an end (even if it feels like it just began), I thought I should do goals again.  This was really fun in March, and made me do some things I wouldn't have otherwise (especially because I wrote them down here).  So, in August, I want to:

* Learn how to cook three new meals.  Sam and I are always cooking the same thing over and over, and I want to try some new things and also feel more confident in the kitchen. 

* Finish a short story.  I'm trying to do more with my writing, particularly when it comes to finishing things.  I'm so good at starting something, but then I get frustrated and it peters out.

* Find another form of exercise.  Right now, I run a lot, and I love it, but I'd like to spend some days running and some days doing something else.  In the past, I've also swum, gone to the gym, and played squash.  I'd like to add something like that to my exercise routine.